Education Commons^™

Balancing Support And Challenge Within The Mentoring Relationship, Tiffanie Joy Miley

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is a common element of new teacher induction aimed at easing beginning teachers' entry into the profession and assisting beginning teacher growth and development. Previous research has shown that mentors are comfortable supporting beginning teachers but are reluctant to provide challenge-activities that will help beginning teachers improve their practice. For optimal growth to occur, mentors should balance support and challenge in their work with beginning teachers. This descriptive study employed multiple cases to examine the relationship of two junior high school mentors with their mentees. The mentors in this study work in a school district with an established and …

Components Of Effective Teacher Induction Programs And The Impact Of Experienced Mentors, Craig P. Mcbride

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Based on data from the 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), 2008-09 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) and 2009-10 Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS) datasets, this study examined a prediction model for new teacher retention that combined variables from both the presence of induction program components and mentoring traits. New teacher retention was selected as an important criterion because attrition causes a large financial burden on already budget-limited districts, and teacher turnover impacts teacher effectiveness and student learning. Results of a logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of an induction program (W1T0220), the presence of a mentor (W2MNTYN), the use …

Teachers' Sense Of Professional Practices As A Result Of Mentoring, Leadriane L. Roby

Dissertations

Formal mentoring programs focus on the probationary period of new teachers. Providing teachers with mentoring support during the initial years of teaching requires significant commitment and investment from school districts, mentors, and new teachers. Numerous studies argue the merits of mentoring programs, yet the research has been less clear about what happens once mentoring support has ended. The purpose of this study was to explore how mentored teachers, those beyond the formal mentoring experience, created sense and meaning of their teaching roles and developed professional practices after participation in a mentoring program.

There is an assumption that there is a …