Education Commons^™

Why Beginning Teachers Persist In The Profession And The Impact Of Induction And Mentoring, Laurie Catenese, Lee Harper

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

With 46% of new teachers leaving the profession within the first five years, many states have mandated induction programs. This study sought to understand what beginning teachers in rural Maine perceive as the greatest factors impacting their persistence in education, and the perceived impact of induction and mentoring on their persistence. A mixed-methods approach yielded findings that indicated the greatest perceived factors are: working with students, collaborating with peers, and administrative support. Induction and mentoring perceptions were both positive and negative. Recommendations are directed at school leaders who must support teachers by providing time for collaboration and networking, and implementing …

A Study Of High School Students' Perceptions Of Mentoring Students With Disabilities, Ashley N. Davis

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed as a phenomenological qualitative study grounded in Contact Theory to investigate Early College high school students’ perceptions of a multi-year mentoring program. The Early College students were paired with elementary students with varying special needs in a self-contained classroom throughout 3 years in various settings, including community-based therapeutic horseback riding and a school-based sensory program. The study attempted to garner how the mentoring experience affected the Early College high school students personally, as well as their attitudes, feelings, and beliefs in relationship to their tolerance toward people with disabilities as reported by the participants through individual …

Outstanding Student Retention And Graduation: The Peer Advisors And Mentors Program At The University Of Richmond, Hope N. Walton, Roger Mancastroppa

University Staff Publications

Today’s colleges and universities continue to face the challenges of retaining and graduating their students. Historically, peer-mentoring programs have helped to successfully meet these challenges. The Peer Advisors and Mentors (PAM) program has assisted in the retention of students, all while giving students opportunities that develop and hone their leadership, academic, and personal skills. Over the course of 22 years, PAM has evolved into a program that touches on significant facets deemed important by experts on the matters of retention and graduation. Such factors include mentoring, advising, integration, and engagement. This article gives an historical perspective on how a peer-mentoring …

Pathways To Success: Aime's Educational Mentoring Model, Amy Priestly, Malcolm Lynch, Carly Wallace, Valerie Harwood

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) is a structured educational mentoring program provided for Indigenous students to access throughout their high school experience. The program is designed to support students to complete high school and transition into university, further education and training or employment at the same rate as every Australian child, effectively closing the gap on educational outcomes. To better understand the impact of the program, AIME has developed a research partnership with a team of researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). Comprising researchers with experience in qualitative and quantitative approaches, …

Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Professional experience has been described as a cornerstone of teacher preparation that has a "profound impact on student teachers" (Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, & Shulman, 2002, p. 409). There is a wide variation of teacher education programs across the world however, in most countries teacher preparation programs consists of initial university-based course work followed by school-based student teaching practice. Clearly, this program structure has implications for the role of professional experience in creating genuine opportunities for pre-service teachers to develop teaching practice and knowledge about the profession. During the professional experience, mentoring pre-service teachers has been considered critical in ensuring a quality …

Valuing Mentorship: Towards Cultural Humility, Lauren Oswald, John Korsmo

Woodring Scholarship on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

This article explores the beginnings of an informal faculty-student mentorship developed to support each other's quest to become increasingly competent global citizens. Through discussion of embracing global youth work as a joint objects and with first-person accounts, we attempt to encourage readers to do two things: engage in mentoring relationships, and practice cultural humility.

Professional Learning Of Teachers In Ethiopia: Challenges And Implications For Reform, Fekede Tuli Gemeda, Päivi Tynjälä Professor

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract

Continuous professional development of teachers is of growing interest globally, as it is considered vital to cope effectively with ongoing changes and to improve the quality of education. This qualitative case study explores potential and actual barriers that hinder teachers’ professional development in Ethiopian schools. Data was collected via interviews and focus group discussions from 37 purposively sampled participants. The study reveals three major challenges in teachers’ development: 1) conceptions and conceptual issues related to teaching, professional development and mentoring, 2) management and leadership, and 3) teachers’ work conditions. The need to reconsider educational change management strategies, reform teacher …

Perceptions Of Spiritual Formation Among Nontraditional Seminary Students, Jacob Dunlow

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Theological higher education is going through massive changes as a result of the technological changes in education. Many seminaries have gone from a strictly on campus option for students seeking a master's degree, to a variety of options available to students. Given this recent shift, research is needed to study the impact of these nontraditional means of education on the training of future pastors and church leaders.

This research was conducted with the purpose of studying students who choose to attend seminary through a nontraditional means of online, hybrid, and extension centers. Specifically, exploring the relationship between mentoring and the …

Induction Of The Novice Teacher In Urban Schools, Janice Marie Ridley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers entering the urban pre-K-12 school setting require an induction program to perform their teaching duties. Despite modifications to improve an existing induction program, novice teachers in a Midwestern urban school district were underperforming in the classroom, leaving administrators to address new teacher turnover and a disrupted learning process for students. Drawing from Knowles's adult learning theory and state guidelines to fulfill federal legislation mandates for proper induction, this qualitative case study was designed to explore beginning teachers' perceptions of the modifications in the district's induction program. A sample of 8 novice teachers was recruited to participate in open-ended, …

Beginning Teachers' Experiences And Use Of Time, Laura Marie Ahles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers in a southeast Texas school district are having difficulty using their time effectively for instruction while balancing a multitude of tasks. New work responsibilities for teachers are contributing to teacher burnout and early attrition. The purpose of this study was to examine new teachers and administrators perceptions of novice teacher practices and their daily use of time. Apple s theory of intensification was used as the conceptual framework for this study. A case study design was employed to answer research questions regarding how procedures and policies affect teachers time, teacher perceptions about prior experiences with managing multiple responsibilities, …

Expectations And Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Who Participated In An Alumni Mentoring Program, Kristin Conner

Doctoral Dissertations

Expectations and Experiences of Undergraduate Students Who Participated in an Alumni Mentoring Program

Research on mentoring with undergraduate university students has been a topic of increasing interest, although most of the focus has been on faculty to student mentoring (Ehrich, Hansford, & Tennet, 2004; Lunsford, 2011; Putsche, Storrs, Lewis, & Haylett, 2010; Underhill, 2005). Other types of mentoring with undergraduate university students, such as mentoring relationships with alumni have been investigated very little, causing a gap in the available knowledge on this topic. The purpose of this research was to understand the expectations and experiences of undergraduate university students being …

Strategies Healthcare Leaders Use For Leadership Development, Julie Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education and training of potential leaders are essential, and chief executive officers (CEOs) need to identify effective leadership development (LD) programs that foster successful leaders within the healthcare industry. The purpose of this multiple, exploratory case study was to explore LD strategies used by CEOs in hospitals in Central Florida, United States. The overarching research question investigated what executable LD strategies healthcare leaders needed to ensure sustainable growth and successful leaders. The human capital theory and the concepts of emotional intelligence and spiritual leadership guided this study. A purposive sample of 8 CEOs participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews to elicit …

Exploring The Benefits Of Embedded And Sustained Field Placements For Pre-Service Teachers And Students Through Research Of The F.A.C.E Collaboration, Marie Corrigan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Predicting Success In First-Year Associate Degree Nursing Students, Laura J. Hope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An associate degree of nursing program in the southeastern region of the United States has had significant increases in student attrition over the past few years. Admission requirements did not include an entrance exam, such as the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), which may be useful in decreasing the deficiencies associated with poor student progression. Guided by the Knowles' theory of adult learning and Bandura's social learning theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to explore the relationship between the TEAS scores and the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of first-year students to determine if success at the …

Exploring The Experiences And Relationships Of First-Year Teachers And Mentors, Melanie Jane Strey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators have a moral imperative and job-embedded expectation to effectively teach all students, which requires a commitment to continued personal growth. The purpose of this instrumental project study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year teachers and their mentors who teach in a culturally-diverse school district. The conceptual framework was based on supporting adult learning methods through the theories of critical thinking, constructivist perspective, the theory of mentoring, and culturally-instructional teaching. The guiding research questions addressed the perceptions of 5 first-year teachers and 5 mentors regarding individual and shared learning as a result of mentor-mentee relationship. A constant comparison …

Facebook And The Final Practicum: The Impact Of Online Peer Support In The Assistant Teacher Program, Lisa F. Paris, Julie Boston, Julia Morris

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australian pre-service teachers (PST) frequently report feeling isolated and vulnerable during the high stakes Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) final practicum. Mentoring and online learning communities have been shown to offer effective support during periods in which pre-service and beginning teachers feel challenged. As social media progressively infiltrates all aspects of contemporary life, individuals and organisations are opting to use technology in highly adaptive ways; as a result, they have to navigate both the positive aspects and pitfalls of the medium. In this paper we examine whether university Facebook^© support groups, coupled with professional standards training and moderator involvement by …

Building A Community Of Researchers Using The Research Mentoring Model, Meaghan C. Nolte, Mary Alice Bruce, Kent W. Becker

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The development of a community environment and strong mentoring relationships is integral in helping doctoral students complete their degrees. Of the stages comprising a student’s academic career, effective conceptualization and writing of the dissertation proves the most challenging and may result in failure to complete a doctoral degree. The researchers developed and used their Research Mentoring Model (RMM) to help doctoral students identify research topics, move into a researcher identity, and develop a sense community. This hermeneutic phenomenological sought to understand the experience of the five first year doctoral students participants. All were enrolled in a CACREP accredited Counselor Education …

Learning To See, Seeing To Learn: The Learning Journey Of Three Pre-Service Teachers In A Video Club Setting, Catherine Moore

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study sought to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of professional growth in pre-service teachers during their final practicum. The research was situated in a primary school and involved three pre-service teachers with widely differing backgrounds who brought differing experiences to the practicum. The study identified personal and contextual variables that affected the pre-service teachers’ professional growth and explored how professional discourse within a learning community of peers, informed by multiple perspectives on teaching practice that were facilitated by video, influenced professional growth.

This qualitative research project used a broad phenomenological approach in that the methods used were …

Leaving Home: Investigating Transitioning Challenges Faced By Boarding Students And Their Families, Kate Margaret Hadwen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Transitioning to boarding school during the middle years of childhood impacts upon the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of young people (Bramston & Patrick, 2007; Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Ryan, 1991; Earls & Carlson, 2001). Students who live at school as boarders, may experience greater transitional changes in all three components of wellbeing due to the extent of change experienced during this transition. While research addressing transitioning to school has indicated the importance of connectedness to school, bonding, friendships and a sense of autonomy (Eccles et al., 1993), there is limited research addressing the transitioning experiences …

Perceptions Of Recipients Of A Florida High School Dropout Prevention Program’S Scholarship About The Influence Of Mentoring And Student Advocacy On Success And Persistence In Higher Education, Tracy Lyn Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to help a specific Florida high school dropout prevention program better understand the factors that influence the postsecondary persistence rates of their scholarship recipients. The program administrators want to explore the scholarship recipients’ perceptions regarding the role of mentoring and student advocacy in his/her academic success or college persistence. To understand the scholarship recipients experience better, a mixed methods study was conducted with current program scholarship recipients to gain insight into the individual student’s perception of factors including mentoring and student advocacy that influenced student success and completion in college.

Information gained from the student …

Teacher Leadership: Developing The Ability Of Teachers To Move Forward Independently—A Delphi Study Of Selected Secondary Teachers In Riverside County, California, Marilyn M. Saucedo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the key learning opportunities necessary to build teacher leadership, the most difficult barriers to overcome, and the most important facilitators as identified by teacher experts. This study also sought to determine the best approaches to implementation of identified learning opportunities, the most effective approaches for overcoming identified barriers, and the most effective approaches for implementing facilitators that support teacher leaders.

Methodology: Consistent with a Delphi method, the instruments used within this study collected perceptual data from an expert panel of high school teachers from Riverside County, California, through an electronic format …

Supporting Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Higher Education Through Mentoring, Amanda Giust, Diana Valle-Riestra

South Florida Education Research Conference

Federal legislation is now making it possible for students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) to enroll in university programs through inclusive transition models. The need for more knowledge in the workplace, in addition to newly acquired opportunities, draws students with ID to college campuses. With this increase of student in postsecondary education settings, it is necessary to examine the types of supports needed to ensure their success. Peer mentorship has been identified as a crucial aspect of support for academic and social development. This paper identifies the skills mentors use during their sessions and outlines challenges with mentoring partnerships in postsecondary …

A "Transforming The School-To-Prison Pipeline" Initiative: Mentoring Model Pilot Project Symposium, Debra M. Pane Phd, Chaundra L. Whitehead, Heather T. Pane Phd, Miguel Pena

South Florida Education Research Conference

Abstract: This informative and interactive teaching symposium posits the Positive Peer Leadership Mentoring Program (PPLM) as an evidence-based wrap-around service for youth and families in Miami-Dade who are involved in the school-to-prison pipeline. Presenters first provide information to initiate the dialogic process of discerning and interpreting the school-to-prison pipeline, impacted by costs of incarceration for Black youth and families and the move toward effective mental health services in the juvenile justice system. Then, participants experience an interactive pedagogical mentoring format set forth in PPLM as the first step toward transforming the school-to-prison pipeline in their own classroom or other educational …

Development Of Workforce Skills: Student Perceptions Of Mentoring In First Robotics, Katie Joan Veal Wallace

Dissertations

In today’s global economy, new workforce competencies are needed for success at both individual and societal levels. The new workforce skills extend beyond basic reading, writing, and arithmetic to include higher order processes such as critical thinking and problem solving. Technical job opportunities have grown by approximately 17%, yet the United States continues to decline in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Further, U.S. students earn average or below average test scores when compared to other developed countries. Researchers cite the need to incorporate the learning of workplace skills into secondary education curriculum, and advocates call for new teaching …

Field Trip Partnerships: Student-To-Student Mentoring, Aziza Darwish, Robyn Lee-Diaz

Publications & Research

Children running wild enjoying a day of freedom, exhausted chaperones, budget-conscious, hand-wringing administrators back at school -- all of these conjure troubling images for educators about field trips. These are far from the enjoyable, state-of-the-art, educational experiences that field trips could be for today's teachers and students.

For several years, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) has had longstanding partnerships with school districts throughout the state which have involved designing STEM field trip experiences that serve middle school educators and students. These field trips to the Academy are led by IMSA high school students who are enrolled in the …

Former Mentors' Perceptions Of The Faith-Based Approach To Reducing Recidivism Implemented By The Marinette-Menominee Jail Outreach, Inc., James Langteau

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the impact of a faith-based approach to reduce recidivism. The theoretical frameworks guiding this study included the belief system and self-efficacy theories. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of 21 former mentors of the Marinette-Menominee Jail Outreach. The setting was a Christian non-profit organization serving the Marinette and Menominee County Jails located in rural northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Semistructured interviews, surveys, and a focus group provided data to illuminate common themes. Data analysis included highlighting significant statements from volunteer mentors who engaged offenders to effect …

Enabling National Software Development Competitions To Identify And Enhance Student Mentor Capability In Singapore, Chris Boesch, Sandra Boesch

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The authors previously developed a system to facilitate the self-directed learning and practicing of software languages in Singapore. One of the goals of this self-directed learning was to enable the creation of student mentors who would be able to assist other students during classroom sessions. Building on this work, the authors extended the platform to support the promotion and coordination of multiple programming competitions including multiple schools systems within Singapore with the goals of identifying, enabling, and mentoring students who might be better prepared to mentor their peers at their school after participating in the country wide competition. This paper …

Perceptions Of Cooperating Teachers Concerning The Student Teaching Field Experience, Dawn Marie Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

PERCEPTIONS OF COOPERATING TEACHERS CONCERNING

THE STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCE

Dawn Paulson

142 Pages December 2014

This study explored the views of cooperating teachers on (a) their work with student teachers and university supervisors, and (b) ways to improve the student teaching process. In a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study, 153 cooperating teachers answered closed-and open-ended questions using an electronic survey; then a subset of 12 participated in follow-up interviews. All participants taught at rural or semi-rural middle schools and high schools in Central Illinois; all had experience with student teachers from a mid-sized institution in that area.

Major findings of …

Academic Supports And Tutoring, Strategy Brief., Scott Fluke, Ann O'Connor, Jenna Strawhun, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Students who fail eighth-grade math or English are 75% more likely to drop out of high school than peers. With increasing academic standards and accountability movements, there is a clear need to develop and provide students with extra help and support in order to succeed in school.This paper discusses the need for programs to provide supplementary supports for academics for students in school.

The Experiences Of Women In Post Graduate Physics And Astronomy Programs: The Roles Of Support, Career Goals, And Gendered Experiences, Ramón S. Barthelemy

Dissertations

In physics and astronomy the low representation of women is obvious at every stage of the educational pathway from undergraduate students to full professors. These low numbers perpetuate themselves by failing to create new mentors to foster the next generation of women. Women and men also have different experiences as they traverse into physics and astronomy careers. Women often experience chilly climates, discrimination, and challenges coordinating the demands of young families with their careers. In the literature exploring this topic, little focus is put on the experiences of women graduate students in physics and no focus is put on women …