Paraprofessional students’ perceptions of e-mentoring support in higher education

This study examined paraprofessional students’ perceptions of e-mentoring and the practices they identified as most impactful. The survey was distributed to 395 paraprofessional students, yielding 79 valid responses (20% response rate). Quantitative data were collected using the College Student Mentoring Scale (CSMS), which demonstrated excellent reliability (α = .99). Results indicated that students rated academic and career guidance most positively, while socioemotional mentoring was rated lower. Qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses reinforced these patterns, with 22% of participants emphasizing academic and career guidance, 14% highlighting personal and emotional support, and 1% describing role modeling and inspiration. These findings underscore the importance of e-mentoring programs that balance structured academic and career advising with socioemotional encouragement. Implications for higher education and K–12 systems include the need for culturally responsive mentoring, flexible program design for part-time students, and targeted support for English language learners.