Connected from Afar: Culturally Grounded Remote Peer Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25071/1916-4467.40774Keywords:
peer support; graduate students; immigrant students; COVID-19; narrative inquiryAbstract
In this article, two PhD students from separate Canadian universities, both sharing an immigrant background, engage in autobiographical narrative inquiry, highlighting the importance of peer-support experiences during the pandemic. They explore their journeys as immigrants and PhD students, recounting their experiences in a virtual support group. This narrative illustrates the exchange of academic, mental health and personal support rooted in shared culture, language and ethnicity. The study provides insights into the benefits of peer support on virtual platforms and adds immigrant perspectives. It suggests that university administrators can find innovative ways to support marginalized students, fostering mutual support among them, particularly in the remote-learning context of COVID. This article highlights the potential for authentic and effective support systems that address the unique challenges faced by immigrant and marginalized students, enhancing their academic and personal development.
References
Allen, J., Robbins, S. B., Casillas, A., & Oh, I. S. (2008). Third-year college retention and transfer: Effects of academic performance, motivation, and social connectedness. Research in Higher Education, 49(7), 647-664. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11162-008-9098-3.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-008-9098-3
Almahasees, Z., Mohsen, K., & Amin, M. O. (2021). Faculty’s and students’ perceptions of online learning during COVID-19. Frontiers in Education, 6, 638470. https://doi.org/10.3389/ feduc.2021.638470 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.638470
Badger, K. (2010). Peer teaching and review: A model for writing development and knowledge synthesis. Social Work Education, 29(1), 6-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470902810850 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470902810850
Cahusac de Caux, B. K. C. D., Lam, C. K. C., Lau, R., Hoang, C. H., & Pretorius, L. (2017). Reflection for learning in doctoral training: Writing groups, academic writing proficiency and reflective practice. Reflective Practice, 18(4), 463-473. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2017.1307725 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2017.1307725
Cai, D., Zhu, M., Lin, M., Zhang, X. C., & Margraf, J. (2017). The bidirectional relationship between positive mental health and social rhythm in college students: A three-year longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1119. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01119 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01119
Chen, E. (2021). The pedagogical practices of an immigrant parent: maintaining heritage language in the home context. LEARNing Landscapes, 14(1), 29-43. https://doi.org/10.36510/ learnland.v14i1.1026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v14i1.1026
Chen, E., & Liu, Y. (2022). Negotiating identities through Canadian multicultural and Indigenous picturebooks: A collective autobiographical narrative inquiry. Waikato Journal of Education. 27(1), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.15663/wje.v26i1.898 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15663/wje.v26i1.898
Clandinin, D. J. (2013). Engaging in narrative inquiry. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/ 9781315429618
Cornu, R. L. (2005). Peer mentoring: Engaging pre-service teachers in mentoring one another. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 13(3), 355-366. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 13611260500105592 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13611260500105592
Du, J., Zhou, M., & Xu, J. (2016). African American female students in online collaborative learning activities: The role of identity, emotion, and peer support. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 948-958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.021
Ehrenberg, R. G., Jakubson, G. H., Groen, J. A., So, E., & Price, J. (2007). Inside the black box of doctoral education: What program characteristics influence doctoral students’ attrition and graduation probabilities? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 29(2), 134-150. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373707301707 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373707301707
Hanson, A. J. (2023). Writing as Resurgent Presencing: An Urban Coyote Curriculum. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 20(2-3), 40-52. https://doi.org/10.25071/1916-4467.40735 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25071/1916-4467.40735
Haskins, N., Whitfield-Williams, M., Shillingford, M. A., Singh, A., Moxley, R., & Ofauni, C. (2013). The experiences of black master’s counseling students: A phenomenological inquiry. Counselor Education and Supervision, 52(3), 162-178. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.2013.00035.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.2013.00035.x
Hilsdon, J. (2014). Peer learning for change in higher education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(3), 244-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.796709 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.796709
Horvat, E. M., & Lewis, K. S. (2003). Reassessing the "burden of 'acting white'": The importance of peer groups in managing academic success. Sociology of Education, 76(4), 265-280. https://doi.org/10.2307/1519866 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1519866
Huizing, R. L. (2012). Mentoring together: A literature review of group mentoring. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 20(1), 27-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2012.645599 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2012.645599
Kumar, V., & Aitchison, C. (2018). Peer facilitated writing groups: A programmatic approach to doctoral student writing. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(3), 360-373. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/13562517.2017.1391200 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2017.1391200
Kwenani, D. F., & Yu, X. (2018). Maximizing international students’ service-learning and community engagement experience: A case study of student voices on the benefits and barriers. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 22(4), 29-52. https://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/ jheoe/article/view/1416/1413
Liu, T., Chen, Y., Hamilton, M., & Harris, K. (2022). Peer mentoring to enhance graduate students’ sense of belonging and academic success. Kinesiology Review, 11(4), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2022-0019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2022-0019
Liu, Y., & Chen, E. (2022). Embracing multiple roles: What we learned about graduate students’ well-being in this pandemic. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education, 13(1), 7-14. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/article/view/73679
Lorenzetti, D. L., Nowell, L., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, L., Clancy, T., Freeman, G., & Oddone Paolucci, E. (2020). The role of peer mentors in promoting knowledge and skills development in graduate education. Education Research International, 2020, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8822289 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8822289
Lorenzetti, D. L., Shipton, L., Nowell, L., Jacobsen, M., Lorenzetti, L., Clancy, T., & Paolucci, E. O. (2019). A systematic review of graduate student peer mentorship in academia. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 27(5), 549-576. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2019.1686694 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2019.1686694
Maher, M., Fallucca, A., & Halasz, H. M. (2013). Write on! Through to the Ph.D.: Using writing groups to facilitate doctoral degree progress. Studies in Continuing Education, 35(2), 193-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2012.736381 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2012.736381
Margraf, J., Lavallee, K., Zhang, X., & Schneider, S. (2016). Social rhythm and mental health: A cross-cultural comparison. PLoS One, 11(3), e150312. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150312 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150312
Miller, A. N., Taylor, S. G., & Bedeian, A. G. (2011). Publish or perish: Academic life as management faculty live it. Career Development International, 16(5), 422-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/ 13620431111167751 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13620431111167751
Miller, J. J., Duron, J. F., Bosk, E. A., Finno-Velasquez, M., & Abner, K. S. (2016). Peer-learning networks in social work doctoral education: An interdisciplinary model. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(3), 360-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1174632 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1174632
Nash, C. (2021). Improving mentorship and supervision during COVID-19 to reduce graduate student anxiety and depression aided by an online commercial platform narrative research group. Challenges, 12(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe12010011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/challe12010011
Rovai, A. P., & Gallien Jr, L. B. (2005). Learning and sense of community: A comparative analysis of African American and Caucasian online graduate students. The Journal of Negro Education, 74(1), 53-62. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40027230
Schlegel, E. C., Kalvas, L. B., Sherman, J. P., Holod, A. F., Ko, E., Cistone, N., Miller, E., Sealschott, S. D., & Nowak, A. L. (2022). PhD student perspectives on maintaining and formalizing peer mentorship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Professional Nursing, 41, 65-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.04.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.04.010
Smith, D. G., & Delmore, B. (2007). Three key components to successfully completing a nursing doctoral program. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 38(2), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20070301-01 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20070301-01
Velten, J., Bieda, A., Scholten, S., Wannemüller, A., & Margraf, J. (2018). Lifestyle choices and mental health: A longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2
Webber, J., Hatch, S., Petrin, J., Anderson, R., Nega, A., Raudebaugh, C., Shannon, K., & Finlayson, M. (2022). The impact of a virtual doctoral student networking group during COVID-19. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(5), 667-679. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1987401 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1987401
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Emma Chen, Yina Liu
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-sa/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright for work published in JCACS belongs to the authors. All work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.