Project-Based Mentorship as a Contemplative Practice: Redefining Technical Club Onboarding for Emotional Scaffolding
Zeenat Khan
International Journal of Advanced Research in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Reviews September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.24321/3117.4809.202625 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper (research framework and evaluation plan) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Proposes a framework for project-based mentorship as a reflective practice in student-led technical clubs, combining technical tasks with structured observation, active listening, failure reflection, and peer support. A review of seventeen verified studies found evidence hopeful but scattered, with most research in formal courses or mentoring programs rather than club onboarding. The authors outline a planned mixed-methods, quasi-experimental evaluation and do not claim experimental results. |
Abstract
Technical clubs offer casual spaces where computing students can work together, create portfolios, and shape their professional identity. However, joining these clubs often involves quick and competitive selection events. These methods may help students who already have experience but might make newcomers unsure about asking questions or continuing after a failure. This paper introduces a research framework based on evidence that sees project-based mentorship as a reflective practice. The framework mixes technical tasks with structured observation, active listening, reflection on failures and peer support. A review of seventeen verified studies in computing education, engineering education, mentoring, belonging, psychological safety, contemplative teaching and project-based learning shows the evidence is hopeful but scattered. Most past studies look at formal courses, research programs or mentoring programs, not onboarding in student-led technical clubs. So, this study uses a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design to compare a group with a contemplative, project-based onboarding with a group that has traditional onboarding. The study will check psychological safety, feeling of belonging, confidence, staying in the club, completing projects and overall experience. We don’t claim experimental results; our contribution is a testable framework and a plan for evaluation.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |