Mentor Characteristics Research Articles

Leading collegially: Shifting paradigms for effective student teacher mentoring during work-integrated learning

Teacher training has long relied on experienced school mentors as role models for novice teachers. However, qualifications and experience alone cannot remain the prerequisites for teacher leadership in 21st century schools. How can experienced school mentors collegially mentor new teachers into leadership, without abrogating their responsibilities? In this article, a constructivist approach was explored to mentor new teachers into leadership with the focus on establishing symbiotic relationships based on the mutual continuous professional development (CPD) of experienced school mentors and novice teachers. A multi-faced approach to leadership is proposed. Data regarding the perceptions of 241 final-year student teachers of their mentors’ collegial leadership competencies were collected using a questionnaire. The findings indicate the positive perceptions that the student teachers had of their mentors’ collegial leadership competencies. In the study reported on here, the focus was on the perceived characteristics of experienced school mentors to assist student teachers with work-integrated learning. The findings provide insights into enhancing the interpersonal collegial competencies of experienced school mentors to improve the school-work-integrated knowledge of student teachers.

Implementing surgical mentorship in a resource-constrained context: a mixed methods assessment of the experiences of mentees, mentors, and leaders, and lessons learned

BackgroundA well-qualified workforce is critical to effective functioning of health systems and populations; however, skill gaps present a challenge in low-resource settings. While an emerging body of evidence suggests that mentorship can improve quality, access, and systems in African health settings by building the capacity of health providers, less is known about its implementation in surgery. We studied a novel surgical mentorship intervention as part of a safe surgery intervention (Safe Surgery 2020) in five rural Ethiopian facilities to understand factors affecting implementation of surgical mentorship in resource–constrained settings.MethodsWe designed a convergent mixed-methods study to understand the experiences of mentees, mentors, hospital leaders, and external stakeholders with the mentorship intervention. Quantitative data was collected through a survey (n = 25) and qualitative data through in-depth interviews (n = 26) in 2018 to gather information on (1) intervention characteristics including areas of mentorship, mentee-mentor relationships, and mentor characteristics, (2) organizational context including facilitators and barriers to implementation, (3) perceived impact, and (4) respondent characteristics. We analyzed the quantitative and qualitative data using frequency analysis and the constant comparison method, respectively; we integrated findings to identify themes.ResultsAll mentees (100%) experienced the intervention as positive. Participants perceived impact as: safer and more frequent surgical procedures, collegial bonds between mentees and mentors, empowerment among mentees, and a culture of continuous learning. Over 70% of all mentees reported their confidence and job satisfaction increased. Supportive intervention characteristics included a systems focus, psychologically safe mentee-mentor relationships, and mentor characteristics including generosity with time and knowledge, understanding of local context, and interpersonal skills. Supportive organizational context included a receptive implementation climate. Intervention challenges included insufficient clinical training, inadequate mentor support, and inadequate dose. Organizational context challenges included resource constraints and a lack of common understanding of the intervention.ConclusionWe offer lessons for intervention designers, policy makers, and practitioners about optimizing surgical mentorship interventions in resource-constrained settings. We attribute the intervention’s success to its holistic approach, a receptive climate, and effective mentee-mentor relationships. These qualities, along with policy support and adapting the intervention through user feedback are important for successful implementation.

Effective strategies to improve the college-going process of Black students considering nursing education: A Case Study Approach

ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to describe the mentoring relationship and parental involvement during the college-going process of nursing education from the student's perspective. DesignQualitative research design was employed utilizing Yin's case study methodology. SettingsThe mentoring program took place over a 6-month period in a large urban city located in the United States. ParticipantsA total of six high school students and 6 nurses participated in the study resulting in 6 mentor dyads. MethodsData was collected using multiple sources of evidence including the Mentoring Match Demographic Questionnaire (MMDQ), Parental Involvement Scale (PIS), electronic documentation, and interviews. Information from the MMDQ was completed prior to the start of the mentoring program and used to assign mentor dyads. All other sources of evidence were administered and analyzed at the end of the mentoring program. ResultsSix themes emerged capturing the students' perspective of mentoring and parental involvement during the college-going process of nursing education. The themes were (a) Beneficial Relationship, (b) Adaptive Communication, (c) Strengths and Limitations, (d) Good Mentor Characteristics and Qualities, (e) Goal Setting and (f) Parent Involvement: “Being there emotionally”. Parental involvement was moderate for most student mentees participating in the mentoring program. ConclusionDeveloping mentoring relationships with professional nurses and increasing parental involvement is an effective strategy to improve the college-going process of nursing education of first-generation Black high school students.

A perspective research on professional abilities of mentor principals

The purpose of this study is to explore the professional abilities of mentor principals for filling the gaps in educational management and management discipline knowledge. The research results show that the professional abilities of mentor principals include five aspects: building trust, guiding practice, paying attention to learners, integrating resources, and professional growth. Building trust includes two dimensions: the characteristics of mentor and coaching ability; guiding practice includes administrative leadership and cultural shaping; focusing on learners includes teaching leadership and learning leadership; integrating resources includes resource application and school marketing; professional development includes development orientation and development approaches. The findings of this study would be applied to educational administration and leadership.

Understanding attributes and characteristics of the PA leader-physician relationship.

This study sought to evaluate the attributes and characteristics of physician mentors, dual-roled physician assistant (PA) leaders, and how this relationship affects PA leaders and the PA leader-physician relationship. Dual-role PA leaders may possess additional formal job titles and duties as well as having direct reports. We surveyed PA leaders at a single large academic medical center and its associated health system. The survey instrument evaluated perceptions, attitudes, and characteristics of the PA leader and influential physician and their relationship. Of the 56 PA leaders surveyed, 34 responded, for a 60.7% response rate. Effective communication was the most prevalent relational characteristic ranked as most important for both PA leaders (30%) and physician mentors (36%). Additional self-identified positive attributes of the team included collaborative mindset, reliability/trustworthiness, work ethic, and delivery of patient care. Influential physician mentors may have a significant effect on PA leader job satisfaction and career advancement. This is a novel study of PA leaders examining perceptions, beliefs, and characteristics of the PA leader-physician relationship. PAs are integral healthcare team members and medical providers. As PAs work closely in physician-led teams, further understanding the PA leader-physician relationship could influence PA and physician professional development, career trajectory, and healthcare team outcomes.

Key Communication Skills for Mentees.

Mentorship is an important relationship for young radiologists to foster to fulfill both personal and professional goals. Mentorship is known to provide improved career satisfaction, more research productivity, and promotion within the academic ranks [ 1 Choi Augustine M.K. Moon J. Steinecke A. et al. Developing a culture of mentorship to strengthen academic medical centers. Acad Med. 2019; 94: 630-633 Crossref PubMed Scopus (45) Google Scholar ]. Although the characteristics of good mentors have been published many times in the literature, there is a paucity of literature on the characteristics of a strong mentee [ 2 Black V.G. Taylor Z.W. Nobody’s talking to the mentees. Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. 2018; 26 (606-6) Crossref Scopus (5) Google Scholar ]. One crucial factor to ensure success as a mentee and to foster a healthy mentor-mentee relationship is that of communication [ 3 Barrett J.L. Mazerolle S. Nottingham S. Attributes of effective mentoring relationships for novice faculty members: perspectives of mentors and mentees. Athletic Training Education Journal. 2017; 12: 152-162 Crossref Google Scholar ]. Key Communication Skills for MentorsJournal of the American College of RadiologyVol. 19Issue 7PreviewMentorship is a critical relationship between a less-experienced mentee and a more-experienced mentor in an area of expertise from which one is seeking guidance on a particular subject. This relationship is important particularly in radiology because it plays a key role in training as well as career development of medical students, residents, fellows, junior faculty, and junior partners alike [1]. It is important to note that the mentee-mentor relationship oftentimes transcends career levels and can be based on one’s area of expertise. Full-Text PDF

"You are not alone": Connecting through a bereaved parent mentor program for parents whose child died of cancer.

BackgroundBereavement after the death of a child is devastating and associated with worse physical and psychosocial well‐being in parents. Evidence suggests that parents desire and benefit from support provided by other bereaved parents. To foster this peer support, an institutional peer‐to‐peer mentorship program for bereaved parents was established, through which trained bereaved parent mentors offer support for newly bereaved parents.MethodsUsing a retrospective cohort design, we describe the characteristics of participants of the Bereaved Parent Mentorship program. Trained bereaved parent mentors documented encounters with newly bereaved parent mentees using a secure internet‐based form. Mentors summarized each encounter including any concerns or need for professional psychosocial support. Descriptive statistics were used to describe mentor and mentee characteristics; free text from encounter summaries was qualitatively analyzed using content analysis.ResultsA total of 1368 documented encounters occurred between 150 mentees and 39 mentors from January 1, 2014 to February 29, 2020. Only seven encounters (0.5%) were flagged as serious concern necessitating professional psychosocial support. Four key themes in the encounters between mentors and mentees emerged, including: descriptions of the grief experience, ways in which a mentor supported their mentee, challenges the mentor experienced in supporting the mentee, and personal benefit gained by the mentor from supporting their mentee.ConclusionThis structured Bereaved Parent Mentorship program fostered rich interactions between bereaved parent participants, with very few encounters requiring professional assistance. Future research will assess the impact of bereaved mentor programs on resilience and psychosocial, physical, and functional well‐being of parents.

Medical Student Career Choice: Who Is the Influencer?

While many factors influence medical student career choice, interactions with attending and resident physicians during clinical rotations are particularly important. To evaluate the influence of attending and resident physicians on medical students' career choices, particularly for those pursuing surgical careers, we quantified their respective influence in the context of other known influences. Rising fourth-year medical students and new graduates were given an IRB-exempt, 14-item online survey. Descriptive statistics were performed on the demographic information. Chi-square analysis was used, as were Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney analyses on the Likert responses (α=0.05). Survey response was 24%. Students pursuing general surgery rated residents greater than or equal to attendings on 7 of 8 key mentoring characteristics. Of students choosing a different specialty than the one they intended to pursue upon entering medical school, the influence of residents was cited by 100% of the students pursuing general surgery, compared to 59% of the entire cohort. Identification of a role model and perceived personality fit were significantly more important than other factors (P < 0.0001). Students pursuing general surgery rated the importance of identifying a role model and perceived personality fit greater than their peers. Residents have greater influences on medical students' career choice compared to attendings. Students pursuing a surgical specialty, particularly general surgery, considered the influence of role models and perceived personality fit to be the most important factors in their specialty decision. These findings provide valuable insights to improve student experiences and career recruitment in surgical specialties, particularly general surgery.

The Comparative Roles of Mentor Self-Efficacy and Empathy in Fostering Relationship Quality with Youth

Youth mentors’ efficacy beliefs and relational skills should both influence the quality of their connections with their mentees, but a lack of research based on large, dyadic and longitudinal samples limits understanding of how mentor characteristics impact relationship quality. This study used three staged and process-focused structural equation models to (1) investigate the mutually reinforcing effects of mentor self-efficacy and empathy over time; (2) compare the longitudinal effects of mid-program mentor efficacy and empathy on end of program mentor and mentee perceptions of relationship quality; and (3) test a similar comparative model using cross-sectional end of program assessments to account for developmental changes in these variables over time. The sample consisted of 664 college-age mentor (76.5% female; {bar{x}} age = 24.5, range = 21–53; 23.5% non-White) and youth mentee (41% female; {bar{x}} age = 14.1, range = 10–19; 41.9% non-White) dyads. Mentor empathy predicted mentor perceptions of relationship quality at both time points and mentee perceptions at the end of the program. Mentor efficacy only predicted mentor reported relationship quality at the end of the program. The findings emphasize the importance of investing in empathy training for mentors to support both partners’ positive evaluation of the relationship. Program support to increase mentor self-efficacy should also have added value for mentors.

Exploring Mentees’ Needs from a Mentoring Program: Towards the Development of a Mentoring Toolkit

This study aimed to find out mentees' needs from a mentoring program, mentor characteristics that are considered desirable by mentees, and to develop the mentoring toolkit. It was based on a developmental research design. Through purposive or selective sampling, it involved eight (8) informants. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and mentoring chat records were used to collect data, which was then analyzed using NVivo Software under the guidance of the qualitative content analysis technique. A duly-validated researcher-made instrument was used to evaluate the toolkit's acceptability. Mentees' needs included study abilities, thinking skills, resource management, teaching skills, personal and family concerns, and articulated mentors' desirable characteristics, according to part one (1) of this study. The five (5) components of the toolkit that was developed were listed in the second (2) portion of this study. Targets, Ideas, Plans, and Supplements were the four (4) parts of the toolkit. The toolkit also includes six (6) mentoring blocks, and the physical attributes, objectives, content, usefulness, and self-help aspects of the toolkit were all evaluated outstanding (M = 3.92). Mentoring programs are useful in determining the needs of mentees as well as providing a basis for developing materials that are useful to both mentors and mentees.

Mentoring as a pathway to labour market integration: Evidence from a Belgian programme

In this paper, we provide evidence on mentoring as a way to ease the labour market integration of youth with a migration background. To do so, we designed a survey and collected information from mentees of a Belgian mentoring programme (DUO for a JOB). Our results show that the mentoring programme covers different topics. Some topics, such as gaining self-confidence, serve nearly all mentees, while the preference for other topics depends on specific mentee characteristics. Overall, every youth with a migration background can benefit from the mentoring programme, irrespective of their education or migration background.

Towards emotional responsive mentoring of at-risk students in last-resort programs

BackgroundMentors guide students in their challenges at school and in life. At-risk students in last-resort programs who are at a high risk of leaving school unqualified are especially in need of highly competent and adaptive mentors. This study therefore aimed to identify mentor qualities as perceived by at-risk students and their mentors that meet students’ needs and mentors’ capabilities.MethodsFace-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and mentors of two specialized programs in the Netherlands. Sensitizing concepts, derived from literature, were used to identify themes. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analyses and was validated by performing an audit.ResultsThe mentor qualities that at-risk students and their mentors reported were classified in three different themes. Mentor tasks consisted of guiding and motivating students and providing them with tangible methods of support. Relationships between mentor and student were based on levels of respect, equality, and bonding. Characteristics of mentors related to empathy, care, and trust.Research implicationsEmotional responsiveness deserves further exploration as it appears to be an underlying concept of being a good mentor. Future research might explore mentor qualities in the context of other last-resort programs for at-risk students.Practical implicationsFindings implicate that mentors have to walk a tightrope between keeping professional distance and being sensitive, suggesting constant attention to their professional development is needed.OriginalityIn the context of last-resort programs, an alternative perspective on mentoring at-risk students is outlined, based on perceptions of both students and mentors.

Understanding peer mentorship programs delivered by Canadian SCI community-based organizations: perspectives on mentors and organizational considerations.

The study used a generic qualitative design. This article set out to garner knowledge of peer mentorship programs delivered by SCI community-based organizations by interviewing people who are directly and in-directly involved with these programs. Four provincial community-based SCI organizations across Canada. An integrated knowledge translation approach was applied in which researchers and SCI organization members co-constructed, co-conducted, and co-interpreted the study. Thirty-six individuals (N = 36, including peer mentees, mentors, family members of mentees, and organizational staff) from four provincial SCI community-based organizations were interviewed. The participants' perspectives were combined and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Two overarching themes with respective subthemes were identified. Mentorship Mechanics describes the characteristics of mentors and mentees and components of the mentor-mentee relationship (e.g., establish a common ground). Under the theme Peer Mentorship Program Structures, participants described the organizational considerations for peer mentorship programs (e.g., format), and organizational responsibilities (e.g., funding; creating a peer mentorship team). This study provides an in-depth look at the characteristics of peer mentorship programs that are delivered by community-based organizations in Canada and highlights the complexity of delivering such programs.

Mentee Perceptions of Public School Superintendent Mentorship in a Rural, Midwest State

Superintendent formal mentorship programs have traditionally relied on geographic proximity and mentor availability to pair new superintendents with mentors. This study examines which mentor characteristics contribute to mentee satisfaction with the formal mentorship program. This study used a quantitative research design in which participants completed a survey used to compare mentor characteristics to mentee satisfaction with the program. 73 (49.6%) superintendents participated in the study, of which 19 had participated in a formal mentorship program. The overall research results suggest that two mentor characteristics, Leadership/Disposition Qualities and Mentor Availability had a significant positive relationship to mentee satisfaction with the formal mentorship program. This study suggests modern technology may be utilized in order to facilitate mentorship pairing based on valued characteristics rather than the traditional criteria of geographic proximity and mentor availability.

Being a Mentor in open source projects

Mentoring is a well-known way to help newcomers to Open Source Software (OSS) projects overcome initial contribution barriers. Through mentoring, newcomers learn to acquire essential technical, social, and organizational skills. Despite the importance of OSS mentors, they are understudied in the literature. Understanding who OSS project mentors are, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use can help OSS projects better support mentors’ work. In this paper, we employ a two-stage study to comprehensively investigate mentors in OSS. First, we identify the characteristics of mentors in the Apache Software Foundation, a large OSS community, using an online survey. We found that less experienced volunteer contributors are less likely to take on the mentorship role. Second, through interviews with OSS mentors (n=18), we identify the challenges that mentors face and how they mitigate them. In total, we identified 25 general mentorship challenges and 7 sub-categories of challenges regarding task recommendation. We also identified 13 strategies to overcome the challenges related to task recommendation. Our results provide insights for OSS communities, formal mentorship programs, and tool builders who design automated support for task assignment and internship.

Impact of a Total Worker Health® Mentoring Program in a Correctional Workforce.

(1) Background: Correctional Officers show signs of adverse health early in their careers. We evaluated the impact of a one-year peer health mentoring program for new officers based on a Total Worker Health® approach; (2) Methods: Cadets (n = 269) were randomly assigned to a mentored or control group. Cadets in this mixed methods design completed physical assessments, and surveys at three time points to assess demographics, health, mentoring, and workplace variables. Physical testing included several health markers. Surveys and physical data were analyzed as repeated measures. Regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship between mentoring characteristics and outcomes. A semi-structured interview of mentors was analyzed qualitatively. (3) Results: Higher mentoring frequency was associated with lower burnout. Health behaviors and outcomes declined over time in all groups, but mentees displayed slower decline for body mass index (BMI) and hypertension compared to controls. (4) Conclusions: A continuous peer health mentoring program seemed protective to new officers in reducing burnout and also declines in BMI and hypertension. Short-term physical health markers in younger officers may not be an index of psycho-social effects. A participatory design approach is recommended for a long-term health mentoring program to be both effective and sustainable.

A Quantitative Analysis of a Customized Peer Mentoring Program with STEM Underrepresented Students

This article highlights a customized mentoring program that successfully supported underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines at a university in the northeastern part of the United States (U.S.). Because of the national and regional needs to augment underrepresented, minority, first-generation, and low-income STEM college students, this study investigated efforts to expand the number and retain such population in higher education STEM programs through a customized mentoring program based on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. In particular, we evaluated the necessity of strong and broad-based mentoring characteristics using assessment tools and surveys. The study was conducted with 34 participants in STEM fields. The participants’ motivation mean scores in STEM was measured at three different points in time (pre-, mid-, and end-year) and compared using descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results obtained indicated significant improvement in mentoring characteristics such as goal orientation, resource management, and academic performance with mean scores ranging from 4.99 to 5.21. Although additional findings from the repeated measures ANOVA showed no statistically significant differences, however, the marginal mean scores suggest the customized mentoring program had some positive effect and the mentoring practices supported underrepresented groups toward successful navigation of STEM disciplines. We discuss the study limitations, implications, and future research directions.

The Motives Behind the Choice of Dental Specialties Among Iranian Dental Students: A Qualitative Study

Background: The motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties are highly variable among dental students. A deep understanding of these motives can greatly help in strategic planning in this respect. Objectives: Thus, this study aimed to explore the motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties among dental students. Methods: This qualitative study evaluated the viewpoints of 17 dental students at the School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran who were selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the second semester of the academic year 2018 - 2019 and analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: The motivational reasons for choosing dental specialties were categorized into five main categories, including conditions and nature of a specialty (such as acceptance conditions, education, and work), financial return (such as level of income and job market), personal characteristics (such as personal capabilities and characteristics affecting the specialty choice), the external environment (such as the effect of environmental factors on the specialty choice), and academic experiences (such as personality characteristics of mentors affecting the specialty choice). Conclusions: According to the results, the motivational reasons for choosing a dental specialty are highly variable among dental students and influenced by various individual and environmental factors. These motives should be addressed in strategy planning for dental specialty programs.

How Different Are They? Comparing Teacher Preparation Offered by Traditional, Alternative, and Residency Pathways

Nontraditional teacher preparation pathways were designed to offer different forms of preparation meant to attract different populations of teachers; however, prior literature suggests they may not provide as much of an alternative as initially intended. Drawing on surveys of nearly 800 preservice student teachers and their mentor teachers, we offer a descriptive overview comparing traditional, alternative, and residency pathways preparing teachers in Chicago Public Schools. Our study provides evidence that nontraditional forms of teacher preparation in Chicago do indeed provide unique routes of entry into the profession. We find substantive differences in the kinds of preparation that these pathways offer, including features of preparation such as program and student teaching duration and methods course load, which are often assumed to differ. We also find differences in features not historically studied including mentor characteristics and experiences, types of mentoring provided, and supports received by mentors.

Designing a mentoring model to enhance the human capital of faculty members in medical universities

Introduction: The purpose of present study was to analyze the content of domestic and foreign articles in the field of mentoring faculty members to provide a model for promoting the human capital of faculty members in medical universities. Methods: This research has been compiled by a synthesis research review (Meta-synthesis strategy). Therefore, after designing the research questions (what are the main components of the faculty mentoring model? What are the factors influencing the faculty mentoring model? What are the main characteristics of mentoring and mentoring faculty members? What are the faculty mentoring challenges? Systematic search of articles in time period (1390-1399) (2000-2020) in Persian and English in Magiran databases, SID; Human, Noormags, ScienceDirect, Eric, Sage with the keywords of "Mentoring Faculty Members" and "Mentoring in Higher Education". Consequently, out of 73 researches, 38 researches acquired the final analysis. Result: Findings in response to the first question, with 5 sub-categories (regular prior planning, preparation, correct implementation, systematic feedback and results management), in response to the second question, in 3 sub-categories (incentive capacity development, effective cooperation, interests and expectations) Mentor and Menti), in response to the third question, with 3 secondary sub-categories (Menti personality traits, Menti specialized traits and Menti cognitive traits) and Mentor faculty members, including 5 traits (Mentor personality traits, Mentor specialized traits, counseling services, empowerment research and educational empowerment) were classified. In response to the fourth question, they were categorized into 6 sub-categories (inappropriate interactions, weak mental performance, weak mental performance, unfamiliarity with academic norms, inefficient management, lack of planning). Conclusion: Considering the importance of Mentoring programs in the development of human capital of faculty members of medical universities, the identified components should be considered by the managers of the higher education system to improve the performance of faculty members.