The Moderating Effect of Age on Low-Income Students' Relationships With Mentors and Their Self-Efficacy Since COVID-19

PURPOSES: This study investigates the moderating effect of age on the association between relationship with mentors and self-efficacy among low-income students. METHODS: A total of 255 low-income middle and high school students participated. The PROCESS macro 3.4 for Statistical Product and Service Solutions was employed to test the moderating effect. RESULTS: Quality of relationship between mentors and mentees was positively associated with mentees' self-efficacy. Students' age significantly moderated the association between quality of the relationship with mentors and self-efficacy. DISCUSSION: It is important to expand mentorship programs for low-income students during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to foster high self-efficacy among adolescents. Recruitment of high quality mentors and additional factors that may be helpful to a good relationship between mentees and mentors, such as mentor training, mentor screening, and mentor-mentee matching, should be prioritized to improve self-efficacy among low-income students since COVID-19. Early opportunities for mentoring from high quality mentors is particularly important to increase self-efficacy among younger students such as middle school students.