The Tutorial Educational Program (TEP): A Structured Model for Student Engagement in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper presents the Tutorial Educational Program (TEP), an initiative designed to enhance academic engagement through integrated experiences in teaching, research, and community outreach. Inspired by the Brazilian Programa de Educação Tutorial (PET) and adapted to a Swedish higher education context, TEP offers undergraduate and master’s students structured opportunities to participate in departmental activities while developing critical, collaborative, and leadership skills. The program addresses challenges such as low retention in technology-related fields and employs a selective admissions process that emphasizes academic performance, motivation, and gender balance. Students work as part-time assistants under faculty supervision across three interconnected pillars. TEP follows a cyclical operational methodology of recruitment, participation, evaluation, and transition. This study evaluates TEP using multi-stakeholder survey and interview data, showing that participants perceive gains in pedagogical competence, academic identity, research understanding, and time-management skills. Teachers and administrators report increased reliability, continuity, and reduced coordination workload, while broader benefits for departmental teaching and outreach are identified. Early experiences indicate other benefits, including reduced administrative workload, continuous teaching and outreach support, and development of transferable skills. These findings highlight the potential of structured mentorship programs to support student development, research readiness, and institutional collaboration in higher education.