Examining the Impact of Peer Educators in a First Semester Seminar Class

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of using peer educators in a first-year experience course for developmental education students that were conditionally admitted in a rural, four-year university in Big Rapids, Michigan. The course took place in the student’s first semester and was a transition seminar that was discipline-linked.
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine if peer educators made a difference in the students’ engagement with the campus and their ability to adapt and transition to college life. The impact on the peer educators participating in the process was also reported.
The findings indicated that peer educators did not clearly contribute to the students’ transition in terms of adaptation and engagement. Quantitative measures indicated there was not a significant impact, with students indicating that peer educators were “somewhat” or “moderately” helpful. Qualitative measures show that individual students were impacted positively, but not for the majority of the classes. Peer educators gained positive experiences in being able to help students, while also voicing frustration in the lack of participation by students in events.