Informal Mentoring Research Articles

Individualizacija izobraževanja vodi v mentorsko gibanje Znaš, nauči drugega

Z razvojem vseživljenjskega izobraževanja se učenje vedno bolj individualizira. Obseg skupinskega izobraževanja (tečaji, seminarji) se zmanjšuje, individualno, samostojno izobraževanje s podporo mentorja nenehno narašča. Značilnost informacijske družbe ali družbe znanja je, da imajo ljudje od zaznave potrebe po znanju do trenutka, ko bi to morali že obvladati, na razpolago zelo malo časa. Iščejo najbolj racionalno pot učenja, tako da je pri- lagojena njim osebno. Nova družba potrebuje unikatnega človeka, ker s tem povečuje osebno konkurenčnost. Že več desetletij smo priče novim pojavom izobraževanja tudi v Sloveniji. Ljudje se ne zanesejo več samo na poklic, kompetentnost si izgradijo še v drugih izobraževanjih (vzporedni študij, specializacije v drugi stroki, izkušnje, dopolnilno izobraževanje) in vse skrbno shranijo v portfelj. Neformalno mentorstvo in učenje v parih smo na Slovenski univerzi za tretje življenjsko obdobje promovirali prek gibanja »Znaš, nauči drugega« od leta 2009 dalje. Neformalni mentorji ponudijo svoje znanje iz računalništva še drugemu. Steče učenje v parih mentor-učenec o elektronski pošti, uporabi skypa, facebooka, interneta, urejanju in pisanju tekstov, digitalni fotografiji itd. Mentor se vživlja in prilagaja učencu. Če učenec želi, da se uči doma na svojem računalniku, ker ga bolje pozna in je napredovanje v znanju tako najhitrejše, imamo patronažno izobraže- vanje. Podjetje ST Slovenija podpira gibanje »Znaš, nauči drugega« in ga širi v podjetja: Each one teach one. Mentorstvo je vedno pogostejša oblika individualnega izobraževanja. Razlike so med formalnim in neformalnim mentorstvom. Prvo daje poudarek pridobivanju znanja, mentor je uradno določen, drugo omogoča tudi osebnostni razvoj: odpravo strahov, večjo samozavest, nove načrte. Učenec in mentor se morata osebnostno ujeti. Neformalnega mentorja si učenec navadno poišče sam. Ni za vsakega učenca primeren isti mentor. Pri mentorju učenci cenijo: prijaznost, iskrenost, zaupanje, da zna poslušati, svetovati na eni strani in znanje, strokovnost na drugi strani.

The different faces of principal mentorship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine principal mentoring, a process that is significant in principal identification, socialization, development, and retention.Design/methodology/approachThe study was framed within the social constructivism paradigm and thematically examined individual perspectives to develop the thematic constructs relevant to the participants’ experiences of and perceptions about principal mentoring.FindingsThematic analysis of the interview data from 16 principals from the state of Georgia, USA, revealed five major themes related to leaders’ experiences of and perceptions about principal mentoring: mentoring as recruitment; mentoring as socialization; mentoring as support; mentoring as professional development; and mentoring as reciprocal learning.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings were limited to the sample of principals used for this analysis. Researchers are encouraged to examine principal mentoring in other contexts.Practical implicationsThe results of this inquiry suggest the need for formal and informal mentoring opportunities for new and experienced principals and call for further research on comparing mentoring practices between the large and small schools systems.Originality/valueThe paper identifies mentoring as an important path to principal effectiveness and contributes to the corpus of literature on educational mentoring by examining the perceptions and experiences of new and experienced principals about the mentoring they received and provided.

Teachers’ sources of knowledge for field trip practices

Teachers draw from many personal and professional experiences when organising and leading field trips. In order to identify the influences on teachers’ field trip practices, I used surveys, interviews, artifacts and observations gathered from teachers who led trips to an aquarium. Findings clarified the types of influence and the impact that these influences had on practice. For example, teachers adapted knowledge acquired for use in their field trips from four types of training (1) informal mentoring, (2) past experience on various trips, (3) various outdoor education training and (4) traditional classroom education training. A focus was the nature of each of these training types and how teachers acquire and adapt their knowledge. Previous research has shown that, while a variety of cognitive and affective outcomes often results from field trips, there is also a pattern of underutilised resources and missed learning opportunities during trips. This study offers insight regarding strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ preparation for leading field trips by documenting how and what skills are learned and applied. Therefore the findings presented here are suggestive of ways in which efforts to formally support and enhance teachers’ trip-leading skills by means of professional development might build on teachers’ existing sources of knowledge.

An Exploration of Science Teachers' Informal Mentoring Experience in Their First Years and Their Professional Development

An Exploration of Science Teachers' Informal Mentoring Experience in Their First Years and Their Professional Development

The Role of Legal Clinics in Leading Legal Education: The Model from the Middle East

The central thesis of this article is that legal education is at a crossroads, facing uncertainty and pressures for change on multiple fronts, and we have a choice. We can either see this as a ‘curse’, or as a unique opportunity to actively embrace change, re-thinking our fundamental premises and questioning received wisdom and mental models or conceptualisations about ‘the way we do things round here,’ to harness our ‘creative energy’. The article discusses (i) re-conceptualising law schools as ‘learning organisations’, including learning to constantly scrutinize and interrogate our mental models; and (ii) adapting conventional notions of leadership to incorporate distributed leadership, marrying this with ideas from the literature on change management relating to leading school reform. It then addresses the sustainability of change, drawing on principles from environmental law to suggest how innovation in legal education can be embedded and maintained over time in an organic and dynamic process of renewal. Finally, it demonstrates the possibilities inherent in adopting a whole-of-school shared model of leadership, and the capacity of students to act as leaders and change agents. It briefly describes a student/ staff collaboration to design and implement a structured peer tutoring and informal mentoring program in Law, as an example of a student-initiated program that integrates the co-curriculum, taught curriculum, and broad curriculum.

Mentorship in anesthesia: how little we know

Mentorship has been shown to be an important factor during career progression in the spheres of both medicine and business. While mentorship is frequently related to success in research, it likely has an impact on many aspects of medical practice, including clinical and educational skills. Mentorship has been defined as a relationship in which a person with useful experience, knowledge, skills, and/or wisdom offers advice, information, guidance, support, or opportunity to another for that individual’s professional development. ‘‘Mentees’’ are typically more junior than their mentors, and they may have several mentors for various aspects of their career development. Mentors may offer general career guidance, specialized knowledge, research advice, and networking opportunities. Mentorship may result from formal programs or through informal relationships. Formal mentorship is facilitated through programs that provide matching of mentor-mentee pairs, while informal mentorship exists when both parties voluntarily establish the relationship. With both types of mentorship, the mentor and mentee should be compatible in personality, interests, and goals. The current literature strongly supports the benefits of mentorship in medicine. Mentored physicians have been shown to have increased career satisfaction and greater confidence as educators. In addition, physicians who are mentored are more successful in acquiring promotions, publishing their work, and obtaining peer-reviewed grant funding. Having an identified mentor may influence career choice, as multiple studies have suggested that physicians who are mentored are more liable to pursue an academic career. Finally, mentored physicians may be more likely to mentor others and thus impart the benefits of mentorship to others. Mentors often wonder if any benefit accrues to them. Providing mentorship is associated with increased personal satisfaction and professional stimulation. If the mentee is successful, the mentor may benefit from increased productivity and professional recognition. Increasingly, providing mentorship is considered during assessment for academic promotion and thus may directly influence the mentor’s career progression. Although mentorship is beneficial to both mentors and mentees, several barriers to achieving mentorship have been identified in the literature. Two common problems in establishing mentorship are a lack of skilled mentors and insufficient time available for mentoring. The establishment of mentorship training programs and regional or national mentorship networks are potential ways to augment the mentorship pool. Access to protected non-clinical time for mentorship is a potential solution to the time constraints on both parties. Additionally, certain mentee characteristics may be associated with obstacles to obtaining mentorship. For example, some studies have shown that women and minority groups are less likely to have an identified mentor. Female or minority mentors may have increased understanding of the issues faced by these groups and may be even more difficult to identify. Formal mentorship programs targeting these populations A. M. Flexman, MD Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Mentoring adolescents to prevent drug and alcohol use

Many adolescents receive mentoring. There is no systematic review if mentoring prevents alcohol and drug use. Assess effectiveness of mentoring to prevent adolescent alcohol/drug use. Cochrane CENTRAL (issue 4), MEDLINE (1950-to July 2011), EMBASE (1980-to July 2011), 5 other electronic and 11 Grey literature electronic databases, 10 websites, reference lists, experts in addictions and mentoring. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of mentoring in adolescents to prevent alcohol/drug use. We identified 2,113 abstracts, independently assessed 233 full-text articles, 4 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risks of bias. We contacted investigators for missing information. We identified 4 RCTs (1,194 adolescents). No RCT reported enough detail to assess whether a strong randomisation method was used or allocation was concealed. Blinding was not possible as the intervention was mentoring. Three RCTs provided complete data. No selective reporting.Three RCTs provided evidence about mentoring and preventing alcohol use. We pooled two RCTs (RR for mentoring compared to no intervention = 0.71 (95% CI = 0.57 to 0.90, P value = 0.005). A third RCT found no significant differences.Three RCTs provided evidence about mentoring and preventing drug use, but could not be pooled. One found significantly less use of "illegal" drugs," one did not, and one assessed only marijuana use and found no significant differences.One RCT measured "substance use" without separating alcohol and drugs, and found no difference for mentoring. All four RCTs were in the US, and included "deprived" and mostly minority adolescents. Participants were young (in two studies age 12, and in two others 9-16). All students at baseline were non-users of alcohol and drugs. Two RCTs found mentoring reduced the rate of initiation of alcohol, and one of drug usage. The ability of the interventions to be effective was limited by the low rates of commencing alcohol and drug use during the intervention period in two studies (the use of marijuana in one study increased to 1% in the experimental and to 1.6% in the control group, and in another study drug usage rose to 6% in the experimental and 11% in the control group). However, in a third study there was scope for the intervention to have an effect as alcohol use rose to 19% in the experimental and 27% in the control group. The studies assessed structured programmes and not informal mentors.

Review of The Cambridge handbook of creativity.

Cambridge Handbook of Creativity, by James C. Kaufman and Robert J. Sternberg (Eds.) Cambridge University Press, 2010, 508 pages (ISBN 978-0-521-51366-1, CA $145.95 Hardback; ISBN 978-0-521-73025-9, CA $65.95 Paperback) Reviewed by SUSAN O 'NEILL DOI: 10.1037/a0025504 Over a decade has passed since Sternberg edited the Handbook of Creativity for Cambridge University Press. In the intervening years, Kaufman and Sternberg tell us that more than 10,000 publications have been devoted to the topic of creativity. In our modern world, manifestations of have become practically synonymous with what it means to reach our human potential. Today, companies such as Research In Motion, the creators of the Blackberry Smartphone, are almost as likely to hire graduates from the liberal arts and humanities as they are from science and technology. Creativity has become a valued resource. And yet, as Kaufman and Sternberg point out in this volume, even after six decades of research, definitions of remain elusive. Creativity research continues to be the subject of much debate. Still, the chapters in this volume demonstrate that progress is being made with an increasing convergence of components, contexts, and complexity. handbook is informative for students and newcomers to the field, as well as for those looking for up-to-date reviews of major theories and applications of research. A quick scan of the contents reveals an impressive array of topics by esteemed authors. book is divided into three main sections: 1) basic concepts, 2) diverse perspectives on creativity, and 3) contemporary debates. sections relate to three main questions: 1) can we define and measure this complex construct? 2) can we make use of its potential in a variety of areas and contexts? 3) can we recognise and negotiate the constraints on creativity? Section 1 presents an introduction to that examines historical contributions to research, theories of creativity, assessments of creativity, and the roles of in society. Aspects of have long been known as the P' s of creativity: person (or personality), process, product, and place. More recent conceptualisations have added persuasion, because creative people change the way other people think, and potential, which is the actualization of personality and place in combination with attitudes and values. According to Seana Moran in Chapter 4 The Roles of Creativity in Society, it is the function and purpose of that has become more important than traits or positions. I found her chapter compelling as she described how Internet communities provide people with opportunities for creativity-as-expression as a way of coping with the challenges of living in today's world. She argues, creativity results from a community, which is similar to participatory cultures that both inspire and support young people's creative engagement in digital media. Participatory cultures foster creative engagement by providing relatively low barriers to artistic expression, strong support for creating and sharing one's creations, informal mentorship, and a sense of social connection. I believe that these online communities offer a rich area for future research. Section 2 offers a broad selection of topics that include key perspectives on such as cognitive, developmental, educational, cross-cultural, and evolutionary approaches. As a music psychologist, I was particularly drawn to Paul Locher' s Chapter 7 entitled, How Does a Visual Artist Create an Artwork? Reading through the real-life case studies of the art-making process, I was reminded of past research involving protocol analysis and similar approaches that explored the process composers engage in while composing a piece of music. Creative activity is not only a byproduct of being involved in a creative process; it can act as a catalyst for moving through blocks and blind alleys in the creative process. …

The Mentoring Relationship as a Complex Adaptive System: Finding a Model for Our Experience

Mentoring theory and practice has evolved significantly during the past 40 years. Early mentoring models were characterized by the top-down flow of information and benefits to the protégé. This framework was reconceptualized as a reciprocal model when scholars realized mentoring was a mutually beneficial process. Recently, in response to rapidly changing organizational and social environments, scholars have explored other models of mentoring such as developmental networks. However, as we, the authors, reflect on our own experience of an informal mentoring process in an academic context we find existing models inadequately describe our experience. The model that best fits our story is a complex adaptive systems (CAS) perspective of the mentoring relationship, and we offer this lens to reconfigure current models.

Observed Implementation of a Science Professional Development Program for K-8 Classrooms

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a teacher professional development program on the classroom teaching practices of the participants. This particular professional development program included an intensive summer institute, 8 monthly follow-up sessions, informal participant-professor mentoring and peer networking. The majority of participants were teachers (grades 4–8) in rural school districts. Qualitative and descriptive measures were used to assess the impact of this program in terms of participants’ science content learned, teacher self-efficacy, classroom teaching performance and an informal program survey.

THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITIONS

Multi-university student design competitions can be very effective in achieving desired learning objectives relating to the engineering design process, teamwork and leadership skills, and design communication. These interdisciplinary projects provide a highly motivating engineering challenge, and develop valuable practical skills. Students are typically involved for more than one year, so they experience more than one significant design iteration. Furthermore, the self-managed teams use informal mentorship and apprenticeship to develop technical and leadership skills. It is important that these projects be student-directed, with faculty in an advisory role only. In order to incorporate these projects into the design curriculum, innovative assessment methods may be required.

Culture dimensions in software development industry: The effects of mentoring

Software development is a human centric and sociotechnical activity and like all human activities is influenced by cultural factors. However, software engineering is being further affected because of the globalization in software development. As a result, cultural diversity is influencing software development and its outcomes. The software engineering industry, a very intensive industry regarding human capital, is facing a new era in which software development personnel must adapt to multicultural work environments. Today, many organizations present a multicultural workforce which needs to be managed. This paper analyzes the influence of culture on mentoring relationships within the software engineering industry. Two interesting findings can be concluded from our study: (1) cultural differences affect both formal and informal mentoring, and (2) technical competences are not improved when implementing mentoring relationships.

Mentoring: ir ou não ir, eis a questão: um estudo qualitativo

Para melhor compreender a adesão dos alunos a um Programa de Mentoring, o Programa Tutores FMUSP, este estudo qualitativo explorou as razões apresentadas pelos estudantes em relação ao seu envolvimento com a atividade, no período 2004-2005, antes e depois de mudanças estruturais no programa (inserção da atividade na grade horária). Os estudantes avaliam anualmente o programa por meio de um questionário estruturado - "O Tutorando". Nele, uma questão específica sobre adesão é apresentada e foi analisada neste estudo. A análise dos resultados mostra que a troca de experiência entre alunos de diferentes anos, mediada por um tutor habilidoso, promove uma visão ampliada do curso e da profissão e motiva os alunos a participarem mais do programa. Tutores que se desligam do programa, agendamento irregular dos encontros, comunicação não efetiva, discussão de temas desinteressantes contribuem para uma baixa adesão. A inserção do programa na grade horária oficial resolveu importantes problemas, mas muitos alunos ainda preferem usar o tempo do Mentoring para outras atividades acadêmicas ou necessidades pessoais. O mentoring informal e grupos com uma dinâmica ruim também justificam, para os alunos, uma menor adesão. O sucesso de um Programa de Mentoring, no que diz respeito à adesão dos alunos, mostra estar vinculado não apenas a uma estrutura adequada, mas também às características pessoais e valores dos participantes.

Evaluating community-based interventions for young people: measuring the impact of informal mentoring

This paper emerges from a study conducted by the author into the effectiveness of a communitybased intervention scheme. The scheme, run in association with a professional football club, provided informal, personalised mentoring and a range of sports-based activities (primarily football) to young people in schools and housing estates in areas suffering from high levels of deprivation in the South of England. The interventions were intended to raise the aspirations of the young people and divert them away from crime and antisocial behaviour. While being mindful of the limitations of mentoring, this paper discusses the value of the positive male role models provided by the informal relationships between the young people and the football coaches and their role in enhancing the self-esteem and self-efficacy of the young people involved.

An HIV mentorship programme for rehabilitation professionals: lessons learned from a pilot initiative

Aims: This article describes a pilot programme aiming to identify the strengths and challenges associated with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mentorship programme for rehabilitation professionals. Methods: This unique pilot programme incorporated elements of problem-based learning, interprofessionalism and multiple mentoring models. A group of five physiotherapy mentees met initially with three clinician mentors, and three mentors who were persons living with HIV, for a one day workshop to develop relationships, identify learning needs and engage in learning through discussion of case scenarios. Subsequently they met formally every month via teleconference, over a five-month period, followed by a final one-day workshop. Qualitative evaluation included interviews and focus group methodology. Transcripts from these were analyzed through qualitative content analyses. Findings: Participants viewed the mentorship programme positively, in particular the networks they were able to establish, and learning from the mentors living with HIV. However, barriers to participation were related to scheduling and lack of support to devote time to the programme from the mentees' clinical managers. Other challenges related to the mentees' limited opportunities to implement new knowledge, and to difficulties in engaging in informal mentorship activities. Conclusions: Lessons learned from this pilot programme are of value to those interested in developing HIV-related mentorship experiences for rehabilitation health professionals or for those in other emerging areas of practice.

Undesired side effect? The promotion of non-commitment in formal vs. informal mentorships

This article deals with the ‘promotion of non-commitment’ from mentor to protégé, that is the process by which mentors may provide their protégés with a discourse encouraging them to distance themselves from their organizations rather than commit themselves to them. It is based on two surveys of managerial-level employees, one using a mentor sample and the other one using a protégé sample. Results of the first study indicated that mentor promotion of non-commitment was negatively related to mentor affective organizational commitment. The second study showed that the mentor promotion of non-commitment was negatively related to protégé affective organisational commitment. However, this relationship was weaker in the case of formal mentorships than in that of informal mentorships.

Formal Versus Informal Mentoring Of MAS Professionals

<span>CPA firms have consistently experienced high turnover and poor performance amongst their management advisory and information systems professionals. As Keller (2008) suggests, mentoring programs are a mechanism to help attract and maintain good employees. The extant accounting literature well documents the benefits of mentoring such as enhanced communication, greater organizational commitment, higher professional performance and reduced personnel turnover (Scandura & Viator, 1994; Siegel & Reintein, 2001; Siegel et al., 1997). In light of their potential benefits, CPA firms have begun to develop formal mentoring programs for accounting specialists to ensure that the advantages of mentoring are maintained rather than relying on happenstance (Siegel et al., 1997). The extant literature also addresses the benefits and shortcomings of formal mentoring programs for both auditing and tax professionals. (Viator, 2001; Siegel, et al., 1997; Herbohn, 2004). However, to date, no research addresses formal mentoring relative to management advisory services (MAS) professionals employed by CPA firms. MAS professionals work milieu is generally less structured than other professionals employed by CPA firms. In addition, they have greater operating autonomy than is usually the case in public accounting. Thus the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of formal and informal mentoring program effects on MAS professionals working at international public accounting firms. To evaluate the different mentoring programs, the study examines the mentoring processes within the tax departments of two international CPA firms that employ both formal and informal mentoring programs. The results indicate no significant differences between formal and informal programs on MAS professionals career development. However, the statistical analysis did show a significant difference in the perceived influence of the programs at two professional levels on personal development that appears at the middle range of the programs. The results suggest that the informal mentoring approach leads to stronger personal relationships but does not extend to higher professional firm levels. Neither formal nor informal programs appear to have a significant influence to staff level professionals.</span>

Mentoring Promotion/Tenure‐Seeking Faculty: Principles of Good Practice Within a Counselor Education Program

Approaches to mentoring junior faculty in counselor education departments have received minimal attention in the counseling literature. In this article, the authors describe a successful program based on the 10 principles for good mentoring recommended by Sorcinelli (2000). Application of the principles within a combined formal and informal mentoring approach is described, as are the experiences of junior faculty whose careers have been shaped within this system.

First-Year Library Mentorship Opportunities

The first-year experience at any university library sets the foundation for the future relationship between the new faculty member and the library as a whole. Not only is the librarian being acculturated to the organization, but he or she must decide if the library and university will provide a supportive environment for his or her career goals. In this probationary process, the tenured librarians evaluate their tenure-track colleagues’ professional progression and merit. Many libraries institute a formal first-year mentoring program in order to facilitate the immersion of new faculty members into the organizational culture of the library and university. There are excellent examples of flourishing mentorship programs in libraries, but one can also find examples of informal mentoring that aids in the success of tenure-track faculty. This article discusses the benefits and drawbacks of various forms of library mentorship and how one can make the most of being mentored in diverse university settings.

From the perspective of new nurses: What do effective mentors look like in practice?

New nurses entering practice experience a challenging transition, one that can be moderated by the presence of mentors in the practice setting. Seeking mentors who enter into informal mentoring relationships with new nurses can be difficult for those new nurses who don’t know what to look for in a mentor. In this Grounded Theory study, the author explored nurses’ perspectives on what makes a mentor effective, and how they engaged in mentoring relationships with their informal mentors. Two key factors in the development of these mentoring relationships was 1) the relational connection that existed between new nurses and one of their more experienced colleagues in the practice setting, and 2) the perception of new nurses of the quality of the experienced nurses’ practices. New nurses entered practice expecting to learn from their more experienced colleagues but recognized that they wanted to emulate the practice of experienced nurses who practiced nursing in the way new nurses idealized. In this article, the author describes the characteristics of effective mentors, from the perspectives of nurses who had mentors, and described their processes of engaging with their mentors.