Academic advising in undergraduate education: A systematic review

Objectives: The aim of this review is to describe academic advising schemes at the undergraduate level, examine the perspectives of advisors and advisees towards the schemes, and explore the implications of academic advising in undergraduate and nursing education. Design: A systematic review was conducted of the protocol of PRISMA-P. Data sources: Six electronic databases were searched for journal articles, namely, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, Medline, Teacher Reference Center, and Scopus. Review methods: A total of 6189 articles were examined, and 37 empirical studies were included in the final review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the eligibility of studies for inclusion in the review. Results: The review involved summarizing and categorizing the components of existing academic advising schemes, analysing the perspectives of advisors and advisees, and identifying four aspects of the perspectives of advisees: their experiences, preferences, benefits gained from the scheme, and barriers to seeking help from advisors. Six issues relating to academic advising schemes were discussed: insufficient information about the schemes, the means of communication used in the process of advising, the issue of time management for both advisors and advisees, a lack of training for advisors, the evaluation of the outcomes of advising, and the implications for nursing education. Conclusions: Advisors and advisees held positive views of the scheme. Academic advising benefited students and advisors, even as some barriers were identified. It is suggested that sufficient training, better time management, and the utilization of different tools for communication are needed to increase the effectiveness of academic advising. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the effects of different elements of the scheme on the outcome of advising.