Abstract
Purpose The transition from school to higher education is a complex process. Peer mentoring is often used by institutions to facilitate this process. The purpose of this research, which was conducted at a South African university, was to determine whether a peer mentoring program, which involved a large number of students and a limited number of mentors, could successfully assist students to adapt to the academic and psychosocial demands of university life. Methodology A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was implemented. In the first phase, a questionnaire was used to collect data to establish participants’ experiences of the program. The findings from the questionnaire were used to inform the qualitative phase, in which the participants’ perceptions of the benefits of the mentor program were further explored by means of group interviews. The qualitative data was analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Findings The results indicate that a structured peer mentor program, in which a mentor works with up to 70 mentees in a group setting, can be a useful tool to assist with students’ transition to university. The research found that the peer mentor program contributed to the students’ academic, social and personal integration into the higher education environment. Originality/Value In contrast to the existing literature on peer mentoring in higher education, which focuses on one-on-one or small group mentoring, this research suggests that peer mentoring of larger groups can also play an important role in assisting students to transition to higher education. The description of the program and benefits students derived from it offer other institutions with limited resources some ideas about how a peer mentor program can be implemented.