Mentoring in education

According to higher education preparation standards, students who
complete master’s preparation programs in student affairs should not only be
acquiring skills and knowledge, they should be socialized into the field of student
affairs Master’s level preparation programs in college student personnel or
higher education leadership are often coupled with a graduate assistantship so
that students are able to obtain valuable theory-to-practice experience This
additional experience becomes complementary to the work the graduate student
is doing in the classroom and thus becomes a practical learning opportunity
After completing a preparation program, a former master’s student will
most likely move into an entry-level position in student affairs, such as residence
hall director, student activities coordinator, judicial affairs coordinator, or a
fraternity/sorority coordinator However, despite this common career pathway, there has been limited research regarding the role a student affairs graduate
assistantship plays in assisting students in their socialization and transition into
the field and how this prepares these new student affairs professionals for their
first position post-master’s degree
Thirteen new professionals in student affairs who graduated from two
preparation programs in the southeastern region of the United States participated
in this basic interpretive qualitative study The purpose of this basic interpretive
qualitative study was to examine and describe the experience of new student
affairs professionals who held a graduate assistantship in student affairs during
their graduate preparation program and the role, if any, the graduate
assistantship played in their perceptions of preparedness Based on the findings
of this study, the graduate assistantship in student affairs indeed plays a role in
the perceptions of preparedness of these new professionals The overarching
themes that emerged using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory as the
analytical lens were mentorship, hands-on experience, peer interactions, and
financial enticement The findings from this study align with and expand upon
the existing student affairs literature, and provide awareness to student affairs
practitioners and higher education leadership faculty on how to best support new
professionals as they transition into the field of student affairs

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of
community college nursing faculty related to the integration of service learning. An
exploratory case study was conducted at three Florida community college nursing
programs. The data were collected primarily through structured interviews with 14
community college nursing professors, three nursing administrators, and one service
learning coordinator along with document analysis and site observation.
The researcher posed six research questions related to service learning integration.
These six questions addressed: (a) the differentiation of service programs at the three
sites, (b) the meaning of service learning, (c) faculty motivation to use service learning,
(d) institutional supports needed by nursing faculty, (e) the obstacles that nursing faculty
face, and (f) the strategies they use to overcome them. The major conclusions were that community college nursing faculty members are
vital to the integration of service learning and need training in service learning
procedures. Service learning has potential for further development in community college
nursing programs and may lead to a perspective change in how nursing students view the
social dynamics of nursing. Time and workload obstacles, along with confusion
regarding service learning, clinicals and community service have contributed to the slow
growth of SL in nursing programs. There is a need for new models to guide service
learning integration in nursing education. Two models for integration of service learning
into community college nursing are offered. Recommendations for practice, educational
leadership and further research are presented.

This qualitative study was conducted to develop a better understanding of the
place of praxis in higher education women’s studies programs in the U.S. Built upon
theories of feminist pedagogy, feminist praxis, activism, experiential education, and
academic service-learning, the research explores how praxis is reflected and taught in
women’s studies programs, how these programs impact students’ understanding of
feminist theory and practice, and what factors affect the implementation of action-oriented
pedagogy. Examples of several action-oriented projects that have successfully
been implemented in women’s studies courses are offered, and a case study demonstrates
the impact of these projects. The methods used include document review of women’s
studies mission statements and syllabi, and interviews with women’s studies faculty and
alumnae. The interview data were coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.

The purpose of this study was to measure the perceptions of effectiveness between faculty mentors and proteges involved in formal mentoring relationships in higher education. The subjects were drawn from a non-probability sample of 35 faculty mentors and 53 proteges active in the 1995-96 Mentor Program sponsored by the Office of Minority Student Services at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The responses from faculty mentors (n = 17) represented a 48.6% response rate. The responses from proteges (n = 22) represented a 41.5% response rate. Four out of the seventeen faculty mentors who responded had more than one protege. The variable information was used only once for each faculty mentor, therefore, the analysis included 17 faculty mentors and 22 proteges. Subjects were administered the 55-item Principles of Adult Mentoring Scale (PAMS); an instrument based on adult development psychology theories and the transactional process of learning with six behavioral mentoring functions: Relationship Emphasis, Information Emphasis, Facilitative Focus, Confrontive Focus, Mentor Model, and Student Vision. Faculty mentors completed the PAMS and proteges completed the protege version of the PAMS. MANOVA and ANOVA indicated that the faculty mentors' and proteges' overall levels of perceptions of effectiveness were similar as were the levels of perceptions of effectiveness for the six behavioral mentoring functions. When compared to Cohen's mentor role competency scores for the PAMS, the behavioral mentoring functions revealed a variety of perceptions of effectiveness: Relationship Emphasis and Facilitative Focus for faculty mentors and proteges resulted in effective mean scores; Information Emphasis and Student Vision mean scores of faculty mentors resulted in less effective mean scores while Information Emphasis and Student Vision mean scores of proteges resulted in effective mean scores; faculty mentors' and proteges' mean scores for Confrontive Focus resulted in less effective scores while the Mentor Model mean scores of faculty mentors and proteges revealed very effective scores. The composite mean scores and mean scores for each of the six behavioral mentoring functions appear to validate Cohen's mentor role norm competency scores for the six behavioral mentoring functions developed for the purpose of using the PAMS. Confrontive Focus behavioral scores in this study were consistent with findings from F. C. Stoner's January, 1996 study that revealed less effective mean scores for adult educators from Continuing Education, Higher Education, and Business and Industry (Stoner, 1996). This is an initial study. The approach used here can be used by others in higher education. The research provides adult educators with data and reproducible techniques with which to assess, evaluate, and improve the interpersonal competencies of adult learners and mentors.

Research suggests that beginning teachers will remain in education if they are supported by their district and school-based administrators. A considerable number of beginning teachers, however, continue to leave teaching each year. This study investigated the value of identified strategies used in assisting new teachers as perceived by beginning teachers. A total of 156 surveys were sent to eligible participants, as identified from an instructional employee database. There were 64 surveys returned, resulting in a 41 response rate. The survey instrument asked participants to identify if a strategy was provided and indicate their perceived value of such strategy. The strategies include mentor assignment and support, school administrator support, and district-level support. Chi square and ANOVA tests were employed to compare the responses. Results show significant differences in responses by student teaching experience, years of experience, and teacher preparation. Descriptive analysis identified the strategies that were most frequently provided by mentors, administrators, and district personnel, including curriculum and emotional support. In addition to frequency of strategies, the perceived values of strategies are also reported. Results show significant differences in relation to student teaching experience(s), years of teaching experience, and types of teacher preparation.

Filling the pipeline to the community college presidency with diverse and qualified candidates who mirror the demographics of the student population and who are prepared to lead amidst the complexity of the 21st century institution can be accomplished through a variety of strategies. This study focuses on the impact of current community college presidents' mentoring activities on the career advancement of their proteges---in whom they see the potential to fulfill the requirements for community college leadership as a president. The profile of contextual factors (age, gender, ethnicity, geographic location and duration of the mentoring relationship) and mentoring activities developed through this study reveals that current community college presidents are involved in guiding their proteges by teaching the job, providing challenge, and teaching the politics of the job. They are helping their proteges through career help, protection and sponsorship, and they are encouraging their proteges through career counseling, friendship and demonstrated trust. Of the contextual factors and mentoring activities, the two which are most significant in predicting protege career advancement are the duration of the mentoring relationship and the teaching of the politics of the job. Implications and recommendations derived from this study include training and development of mentor/protege relationships within the community college system for better awareness and understanding of the mentoring activities and continued emphasis on increased mentoring opportunities for minorities.

Higher expectations for student achievement, administrative shortages, and more diverse emotional, social and learning needs of students, make the job of the educational leader a challenging one for today's school principals and district administrators. Superintendents and educators across the nation report a shortage of qualified candidates to fill principal vacancies. Mentoring was studied as a strategy to support the retention and development of school leaders. This phenomenological study focused on mentoring practices across multiple generations of educational leaders that had been successfully mentored. Selected mentors identified proteges whom they had mentored. The identification of mentors and proteges continued through five school leader mentoring generations. Each family consisted of five participants who had served as both mentor and protege. Each participant was asked open-ended interview questions about their roles as a mentor and as a protege. A total of 10 school leaders participated in this study. There were two interrelated research purposes of this study: (a) To understand the different meanings/practices of mentoring and being mentored, and further; (b) to explore whether there may be intergenerational patterns of mentoring that have been "inherited" by members of mentoring "families." In studying the relationship between mentoring and leadership development, the research design identified two distinct "families" of mentors and proteges. The significance of this design allowed the researcher to focus on "inherited" patterns of mentoring in order to better understand how mentoring might simultaneously promote cultural transmission and reproduction as well as the need for mutual and continuous learning. This study found that the cultural norms and values of Mentoring Family 1 and of Mentoring Family 2 were passed on from the first generation to the next through traditional mentoring and/or co-mentoring strategies. Mentoring strategies passed on from one generation to the next in both Family 1 and in Family 2 through mentors providing opportunities that opened doors that lead to advancement, socialization of proteges into new professional roles, and the development of trust and friendship. Role modeling and informal communication were the key learning strategies identified. These mentoring traits passed on relatively unchanged from one dyad to the next in both families.

The demand for virtual education is rapidly increasing due to the proliferation of legislation demanding class size limitations, funding cuts, and school choice across the United States. Virtual education leaders are discovering new ways to enhance and develop teachers to become more efficient and increase quality of learning online. Learning teams are one tool implemented by professional development departments in order to obtain a community of shared best practices and increase professional learning for teachers. ... The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the contribution of virtual learning teams to their professional development in a completely online K-12 environment. ... Five major themes emerged from the interviews, which were teacher professional development as it relates to student success, collaboration, balance, knowledge gained from being part of a virtual learning team, and teachers' perception of student success.

The purpose of this study was to discover how ethnicity, gender, and mentoring influenced the career experiences of Jamaican administrators in Sunshine County Public Schools (SCPS), a pseudonym that was used for a large public school district in Florida. This qualitative, phenomenological study focused on the career experiences of eight Jamaican administrators in SCPS. Seven of the participants were all native-born Jamaicans and one was a first generation Jamaican, born in England to Jamaican parents and raised in Jamaica until the age of 14. The researcher gained this understanding by interviewing participants in-depth about how their Jamaican ethnicity, gender, and personal mentoring experiences impacted their personal and professional journey as administrators in SCPS. Findings and conclusions will inform mentoring and educational leadership literature on strategies for success geared toward this understudied population.

This mixed methods study investigated the self-reported frequency of professional development experiences mentors have had with their mentees and with other mentors and identified the self-reported beliefs they hold about mentoring. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey of teachers from one school district that had mentored at least one time within the past 2 years. Specifically, mentors were asked to report how often they engaged in specific activities with their mentees and with other mentors. Mentors were also asked to report the degree to which they believed given statements were true about mentoring (a) as a professional development experience for the mentors themselves; (b) as a way to improve mentors' own classroom teaching practice; and (c) as an avenue for leadership roles in schools. Qualitative data were collected through face-to-face interviews with mentors to better understand the quality of their experiences and to identify those experiences that were more powerful in terms of shaping their beliefs. In addition, data were analyzed to determine the relationship between the frequency of mentors' experiences and their beliefs. The results show that the frequency of experiences mentors have had with their mentees and with other mentors was positively and significantly related to their beliefs in 5 out of 6 cases. Mentors reported strong beliefs about mentoring as professional development for themselves, as a way to improve their own classroom teaching practice, and as a vehicle for leadership in schools. This study sought to put mentors in the forefront by exploring their experiences and their beliefs about mentoring. This focus on the mentor teacher and not just the mentee places this research at the core of improving teaching practice and viewing mentoring as an educative experience for veteran and novice alike.