Mentorship through Role Modelling: Influencing Young Academic Careers

Abstract

This study examines the influence of role modelling, as a mentorship practice, on the career development of young academics in Tanzania’s higher learning institutions (HLIs). The motivation for the study stems from increasing evidence that protégés encounter significant developmental challenges, for which mentorship has been identified as a critical intervention. Despite this recognition, there remains a limited empirical understanding of the extent to which role modelling contributes to shaping academic career trajectories. The study was grounded in Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and employed a quantitative research approach within a cross-sectional design. The targeted population was 776 young academic staff, mainly Tutorial Assistants and Assistant Lecturers from three public universities in Tanzania. Stratified sampling techniques were used to select representatives from each university. Data was collected from 242 participants through structured questionnaires. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha method. The instrument was reliable as its coefficient was 0.936 in 12 items. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. The findings revealed that role modelling has a positive effect on academic career development (β = 0.53372, p < .0001). The study concludes that protégés should be intentional in selecting mentors who demonstrate both competence and commitment, while institutions should strengthen mentorship structures through formalized policies and gender-responsive programmes.