SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Assessment, Testing and Applied Measurement
Outcome Domains and Assessment Measures in School-Based Youth Mentoring Programs: A Systematic Review
1. Independent Researcher, Tehran, Iran
2. University of Missouri, Columbia, United States
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Abstract
Introduction: Mentoring programs for youth are widely recognized as effective means of promoting positive developmental outcomes in youth. Despite numerous studies measuring the effectiveness of school-based mentoring (SBM) programs, no existing studies have surveyed this literature to determine evaluative priorities regarding outcome domains and the measures employed. The present study also aimed to respond to a gap in the literature on SBM, in which limited Systematic Literature Reviews (SLR) on program assessment and effectiveness resulted in an underestimation of mentoring effects. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 27 studies published between 2010 and January 2025 met the inclusion criteria, and their results were qualitatively synthesized. Results and discussion: The review resulted in four main domains: 1) school functioning, 2) psychosocial well-being, 3) social and interpersonal relationships, and 4) substance use and behavioral conduct. Most studies have focused primarily on youth school functioning, highlighting the need for greater emphasis on other domains of outcome assessment when promoting positive youth development through mentorship. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that the SBM program is a promising intervention for a diverse range of school populations.
Summary
Keywords
Mentoring effectiveness, Outcome measurement, positive youth development, School-based mentoring program, Systematic Literature Review
Received
16 December 2024
Accepted
18 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Tiraieyari and Krauss. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Steven Krauss
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