Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Mentor-Mentee Social Learning Frameworks for Research Education
Main Article Content
Abstract
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence and digital information systems is fundamentally transforming research education, necessitating a modernized approach to academic mentorship. This exploratory qualitative study utilizes social learning theory to examine how undergraduate research competencies develop through technologically enhanced mentor-mentee interactions. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 17 purposively selected college students, the research identifies three primary mentoring strategies adapted for the digital age, which include systematic learning using digital tools, reflective feedback on automated outputs, and the sharing of technological experiences. Findings demonstrate that while artificial intelligence serves as a collaborative digital peer that accelerates technical processes and data analysis, human mentors remain indispensable. Mentors actively cultivate a growth mindset, problem-solving capabilities, and intellectual independence by guiding mentees to critically evaluate machine-generated results rather than accepting them uncritically. This technology-integrated mentorship framework proves that effective digital learning relies on a synergy between automated efficiency and human ethical oversight. Ultimately, the study provides a scalable, modernized social learning model to assist higher education institutions in preparing novice researchers for the demands of contemporary, digitally driven academic environments.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Abumchukwu, A. A., & Okigbo, E. C. (2023). Social learning environment as correlates of secondary school students’ attitudes in chemistry. Irish Journal of Educational Practice, 6(2), 8–15.
Adetoro, N., & Oke, P. (2020). Perceived research skills of graduating library and information science (LIS) undergraduates in a Nigerian university of education. Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 11(1), 1–11.
Amoyedo-Peter, C. (2023). Albert Bandura's social learning theory: The significance. The Prodigious Musicologist: Celebrating Professor Agatha Ijeoma Onwuekwe (Ugonabo), 194–204.
Arend, R. J. (2023). Social entrepreneurship as ‘doing good’ by mitigating opposition better. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 14(1), 110–130.
Atallah, Á. N. (2018). Evidence-based medicine. Sao Paulo Medical Journal, 136(2), 99–100.
Aure, P. A., & Cuenca, O. (2024). Fostering social-emotional learning through human-centered use of generative AI in business research education: An insider case study. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 17(2), 168–181. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrit-03-2024-0076
Balog, K. (2018). Evaluation of the effect of learning environment on student's academic performance in Nigeria.
Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 1–26.
Benlahcene, A., & Ramdani, A. (2020). The process of qualitative interview: Practical insights for novice researchers. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 406–413.
Bolderston, A. (2012). Conducting a research interview. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, 43(1), 66–76.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 37–47.
Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Davey, L., & Jenkinson, E. (2023). Doing reflexive thematic analysis. In Supporting research in counselling and psychotherapy: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research (pp. 19–38). Springer International Publishing.
Brezavšček, A., Šparl, P., & Žnidaršič, A. (2016). Factors influencing the behavioural intention to use statistical software: The perspective of the Slovenian students of social sciences. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(3), 953–986.
Chavez, J. V. (2022). Narratives of bilingual parents on the real-life use of English language: Materials for English language teaching curriculum. Arab World English Journal, 13(3).
Chavez, J. V., & Ceneciro, C. C. (2023). Discourse analysis on same-sex relationship through the lens of religious and social belief systems. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(1).
Chavez, J. V., & Cuilan, J. T. (2023). Gender mainstreaming campaign as a casualty of the online gender-based humor: A discourse analysis. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(2).
Chavez, J. V., & Del Prado, R. T. (2023). Discourse analysis on online gender-based humor: Markers of normalization, tolerance, and lens of inequality. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 5(1), 55–71.
Chavez, J. V., Anuddin, F. O., Mansul, H. H., Hawari, N. A., Irilis, F. B., Umaron, A. A., ... & Albani, S. E. (2024). Analyzing impacts of campus journalism on student’s grammar consciousness and confidence in writing engagements. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(7).
Chavez, J. V., Cuilan, J. T., & Adalia, H. G. (2024). Message patterns through discourse analysis on the concept of apology and forgiveness during Ramadan among college students practicing Islam. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(3).
Clutterbuck, D. A., Kochan, F. K., Lunsford, L., Domínguez, N., & Haddock-Millar, J. (Eds.). (2017). The SAGE handbook of mentoring. Sage.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage.
Cutillas, A., Benolirao, E., Camasura, J., Golbin Jr, R., Yamagishi, K., & Ocampo, L. (2023). Does mentoring directly improve students’ research skills? Examining the role of information literacy and competency development. Education Sciences, 13(7), 694.
De Felice, S., Hamilton, A. F. D. C., Ponari, M., & Vigliocco, G. (2023). Learning from others is good, with others is better: The role of social interaction in human acquisition of new knowledge. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 378(1870), 20210357.
Dorina, I., Mullan, B., Boyes, M., & Liddelow, C. (2023). Utility of temporal self‐regulation theory in health and social behaviours: A meta‐analysis. British Journal of Health Psychology, 28(2), 397–438.
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., & Pachan, M. (2010). A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 294–309.
Elhami, A., & Khoshnevisan, B. (2022). Conducting an interview in qualitative research: The modus operandi. Mextesol Journal, 46(1).
Errico, B. (2023). The impact of teacher feedback on student academic writing (Master's thesis, The William Paterson University of New Jersey).
Finlay, L. (2021). Thematic analysis: The ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 11, 103–116.
Graham, A., Powell, M. A., & Truscott, J. (2016). Facilitating student well-being: Relationships do matter. Educational Research, 58(4), 366–383.
Hackel, L. M., Kalkstein, D. A., & Mende-Siedlecki, P. (2024). Simplifying social learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
Hallingberg, B., Turley, R., Segrott, J., Wight, D., Craig, P., Moore, L., ... & Moore, G. (2018). Exploratory studies to decide whether and how to proceed with full-scale evaluations of public health interventions: A systematic review of guidance. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 4, 1–12.
Harrison, R. L., Reilly, T. M., & Creswell, J. W. (2020). Methodological rigor in mixed methods: An application in management studies. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 14(4), 473–495.
Hill, J. R., Song, L., & West, R. E. (2009). Social learning theory and web-based learning environments: A review of research and discussion of implications. The American Journal of Distance Education, 23(2), 88–103.
Hunter, D., McCallum, J., & Howes, D. (2019). Defining exploratory-descriptive qualitative (EDQ) research and considering its application to healthcare. Journal of Nursing and Health Care, 4(1).
Ipanaqué-Zapata, M., Figueroa-Quinones, J., Bazalar-Palacios, J., Arhuis-Inca, W., Quinones-Negrete, M., & Villarreal-Zegarra, D. (2023). Research skills for university students' thesis in E-learning: Scale development and validation in Peru. Heliyon, 9(3).
Istiqomah, F. Z., & Manshur, A. (2025). Pendampingan penggunaan AI dan peningkatan penulisan artikel ilmiah dalam pembelajaran BI. LOYALITAS: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.30739/loyalitas.v8i2.4313
Könings, K. D., Brand-Gruwel, S., & van Merriënboer, J. J. (2010). An approach to participatory instructional design in secondary education: An exploratory study. Educational Research, 52(1), 45–59.
Koutroubas, V., & Galanakis, M. (2022). Bandura’s social learning theory and its importance in the organizational psychology context. Psychology, 12(6), 315–322.
Luo, L., & Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Semistructured interviews. Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science, 232.
Marshall, M., Dobbs-Oates, J., Kunberger, T., & Greene, J. (2021). The peer mentor experience: Benefits and challenges in undergraduate programs. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 29(1), 89–109.
Mass-Hernández, L. M., Acevedo-Aguilar, L. M., Lozada-Martínez, I. D., Osorio-Agudelo, L. S., Maya-Betancourth, J. G. E. M., Paz-Echeverry, O. A., ... & Rahman, S. (2022). Undergraduate research in medicine: A summary of the evidence on problems, solutions and outcomes. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 74, 103280.
Mullen, C. A., & Klimaitis, C. C. (2021). Defining mentoring: A literature review of issues, types, and applications. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1483(1), 19–35.
Muñoz, D. E. (2007). El aprendizaje de la estadística en estudiantes universitarios de profesiones no matemáticas. Educación Matemática, 41–66.
Ng, C. K., & White, P. (2005). Qualitative research design and approaches in radiography. Radiography, 11(3), 217–225.
Oben, J. A., & van Rooyen, A. (2023). Social cognitive career theory and rural high school learners’ intentions to pursue an accounting career. Accounting Education, 32(4), 445–478.
Palmer, R. J., Hunt, A. N., Neal, M., & Wuetherick, B. (2015). Mentoring, undergraduate research, and identity development: A conceptual review and research agenda. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 23(5), 411–426.
Peiró-Signes, Á., Trull, O., Segarra-Oña, M., & García-Díaz, J. C. (2021). Anxiety towards statistics and its relationship with students’ attitudes and learning approach. Behavioral Sciences, 11(3), 32.
Pejic Bach, M., Aleksic, A., & Merkac-Skok, M. (2018). Examining determinants of entrepreneurial intentions in Slovenia: Applying the theory of planned behaviour and an innovative cognitive style. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 31(1), 1453–1471.
Pierszalowski, S., Bouwma-Gearhart, J., & Marlow, L. (2021). A systematic review of barriers to accessing undergraduate research for STEM students: Problematizing under-researched factors for students of color. Social Sciences, 10(9), 328.
Ria, G. R., & Eliasa, E. I. (2024). Fostering positive student-teacher relationships: A literature study on positive relationships and their impact on academic and social outcomes. Innovative: Journal of Social Science Research, 4(6), 6990–7005.
Saka, N. T. (2025). Social learning theory. In Exploring adult education through learning theory (pp. 135–162). IGI Global.
Schunk, D. H. (2012). Social cognitive theory.
Schwartz-Mette, R. A., Shankman, J., Dueweke, A. R., Borowski, S., & Rose, A. J. (2020). Relations of friendship experiences with depressive symptoms and loneliness in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(8), 664.
Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. Teachers College Press.
Singh, A. (2021). An introduction to experimental and exploratory research. Available at SSRN 3789360.
Swedberg, R. (2020). Exploratory research. The Production of Knowledge: Enhancing Progress in Social Science, 2(1), 17–41.
Terry, G., & Hayfield, N. (2020). Reflexive thematic analysis. In Handbook of qualitative research in education (pp. 430–441). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Thoutenhoofd, E. D., & Pirrie, A. (2015). From self‐regulation to learning to learn: Observations on the construction of self and learning. British Educational Research Journal, 41(1), 72–84.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (Vol. 86). Harvard University Press.
Walkinshaw, I., Milford, T., & Freeman, K. (2015). Individual consultations: Academic writing outcomes for international students. SAGE Open, 5(3), 2158244015607936.
Wren, T. E. (1982). Social learning theory, self-regulation, and morality. Ethics, 92(3), 409–424.
Zöggeler-Burkhardt, L., Embacher, E. M., & Smidt, W. (2023). Social relationships, interactions and learning in early childhood–theoretical approaches, empirical findings and challenges. Early Child Development and Care, 193(11-12), 1199–1203..