Perceptions Of Mentoring Research Articles

Subject teachers’ perceptions of academic mentoring and counseling services

In developing students’ potential requires, among others, psycho-education services. This effort can be provided not only by counselor but also by subject teachers at school. This research is aimed at investigating subject teachers’ perceptions of academic guidance and counseling services provided by the teachers to students who had learning difficulties. Employing descriptive method, this research involved fifty counseling and guidance teachers to participate as research participants. To collect data, paper- and online-based questionnaires were used. The data gathered were then categorized and analyzed. The results indicated that the majority of the subject teachers have sufficient understanding on their roles in substantially providing academic guidance and counseling related to the students’ academic problems. In addition, it was found that the counseling teachers always give the students referral to their respective teachers whenever the students get learning difficulties.

Mentor vs. mentee perceptions of career mentoring partnerships and work outcomes: A multi-institutional study of faculty mentoring programs

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Introduction: Formal mentoring programs are a professional development approach to help junior faculty develop an academic medicine career. This study investigated the perceptions of mentors versus mentees in formal career mentoring partnerships across multiple institutions. Methods: The authors implemented departmental mentoring programs for junior faculty at four academic medical centers. They collected post-program data from mentors and mentees in order to examine the predictors of mentoring satisfaction, mentee outcomes, and work-related variables. Results: The pattern of relationships between the variables differed for mentors versus mentees. Mentoring focus, mentor accessibility and mentee initiative predicted partnership satisfaction and mentee progress. Partnerships that used a mentoring agreement reported greater progress and satisfaction. There were some relationships between partnership outcomes and work-related outcomes. While partnership satisfaction predicted job and administrative/leadership satisfaction for mentors, it predicted positive perceptions of the department's mentoring culture and professional development opportunities for mentees. Conclusions: The study identified unique antecedents and consequences of mentoring partnership satisfaction and mentee outcomes. The varying perspectives of mentors versus mentees indicated a need to clearly communicate partnership expectations and desired outcomes. Overall, the positive impact of formal mentoring programs on partnership and work-related outcomes was supported with implications for future programs and research.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS: IDENTIFYING FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO CAREERS IN GEROPSYCHOLOGY

This symposium presents data from a mixed method study designed to explore how to harness the power of professional networks to increase the pipeline of trainees pursuing careers in academic and clinical geropsychology. Participants were recruited through professional websites, listserves, announcements at annual meetings, and emails from directors of clinical training at pre-and post-doctoral training sites. A total of 107 geropsychologists completed the survey, including 28 graduate students/interns and 76 post-doctoral psychologists ranging from early to late career. The mean age of respondents was 39.18 (SD = 12.05). The sample was largely female (71.7%) and Caucasian (88.7%), paralleling previous work. The first paper describes attractive and unattractive aspects of clinical and academic career options, including gender differences in perceptions of the feasibility of changing career foci. The second paper examines perceptions of clinically-focused and academic jobs, and discrepancies between professional psychologists’ actual and ideal job activities. Examining content analysis of 28 qualitative transcripts, the third paper focuses on VA training and the convenience and comfort of transitioning into a VA job after training within this system, identifying benefits and challenges of work in the VA. The fourth explores these 28 transcripts to identify perceptions of mentorship and supervision during training, including time spent in the training sites (graduate school vs internship) and observations of how working environments impact future career choices. Discussion will address the critical shortage of geropsychologists in academic and clinical settings and strategies to improve the professional pipeline to increase the numbers of trainees pursuing these careers.

Describing the perceptions of student nurses regarding barriers and benefits of a peer-mentorship programme in a clinical setting in KwaZulu-Natal.

BackgroundNovice student nurses encounter challenges when making the transition to clinical learning because of the complex and unpredictable nature of clinical settings. A selected campus initiated a peer-mentoring programme based on research findings, which revealed that student nurses were inadequately mentored in clinical settings because of mentors experiencing work overload, time and resource constraints, staff shortage and patient-care demands.AimThe aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of student nurses regarding barriers and benefits of a peer-mentorship programme in a clinical setting.SettingThe study was conducted in a clinical setting in KwaZulu-Natal.MethodsA quantitative, descriptive design was used, whereby data were collected through questionnaires. A total of 56 mentors (third- and fourth-year nursing diploma student nurses) and 94 mentees (first- and second-year nursing diploma students) participated in the study.ResultsThe mentors highlighted insufficient practice opportunities because of the short duration of the placement, time and resource constraints, and the simultaneous mentoring of too many students as barriers, while the mentees highlighted the reluctance of mentors to fulfil their roles and lack of dedication and unfriendliness as barriers to effective mentorship. The benefits of being a mentor were self-achievement, enhancement of skills and acquiring of positive work ethics, while the major mentee benefits included experiencing less anxiety, adapting to the clinical environment easily and being less intimidated in the clinical setting.ConclusionsThis study revealed that both mentors and mentees perceived peer-mentoring programmes as important to their clinical growth. However, these programmes require formative evaluations to address negative perceptions of student mentees and mentors and to identify challenges faced by them.

Mentorship Needs for Radiation Oncology Residents: Implications for Programme Design

AimsMentorship during residency guides and supports professional and personal development. Despite this, mentorship programmes within many postgraduate medicine programmes, including radiation oncology, are not standard. The objective of this qualitative study was to carry out a needs assessment to determine the perceived mentorship needs and experiences of radiation oncology residents and faculty. Materials and methodsRadiation oncology residents and faculty from a single university were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews in September 2017. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo Pro version 11. Data collection occurred until saturation. Codes were derived and a systematic framework was applied to yield emergent themes. Trustworthiness was verified through triangulation and member checking. ResultsTwenty interviews (10 residents and 10 faculty) took place between October and December 2017, at which point thematic saturation was achieved. Four major themes emerged: (i) the perceived experiences of residents and faculty with mentorship, (ii) the evolution of mentorship needs during residency training, (iii) the mechanisms of creating mentorship relationships and (iv) peer mentorship. ConclusionsIn this study, the perceptions of mentorship from the perspective of radiation oncology residents and faculty were explored. Important areas of alignment and discordance were discovered. These insights will inform the development and implementation of a mentorship programme that can be adapted for use by other oncology training programmes.

High enthusiasm about long lasting mentoring relationships and older mentors

BackgroundMentoring plays a pivotal role in workplace-based learning, especially in the medical realm. Organising a formal mentoring programme can be labor and time intensive and generally impractical in resource constrained medical schools with limited numbers of mentors. Hence, informal mentoring offers a valuable alternative, but will be more likely to be effective when mentors and protégés share similar views. It is therefore important to gain more insight into factors influencing perceptions of informal mentoring. This study aims to explore mentors and protégés’ perceptions of informal mentoring and how these vary (or not) with gender, age and the duration of the relationship.MethodWe administered an Informal Mentor Role Instrument (IMRI) to medical practitioners and academics from Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed for the study from other validated instruments. It contained 39 items grouped into 7 domains: acceptance, counselling, friendship, parenting, psychological support, role modelling and sociability.ResultsA total of 103 mentors and 91 protégés completed the IMRI. Mentors had a better appreciation for the interpersonal aspects of informal mentoring than protégés, especially regarding acceptance, counselling and friendship. Moreover, being older and engaged in a longer mentoring relationship contributed to more positive perceptions of interpersonal aspects of mentoring, regardless of one’s role (mentor or protégé).ConclusionIt can be concluded that the expectations of mentors and protégés differed regarding the content and aim of the interpersonal characteristics of their mentoring relationship. We recommend mentors and protégés to more explicitly exchange their expectations of the informal mentoring relationship, as typically practiced in formal mentoring. Additionally, in our study, seniority and lasting relationships seem crucial for good informal mentoring. It appears beneficial to foster lasting informal mentoring relationships and to give more guidance to younger mentors.

Improving Retention of Home Health Nurses

Home healthcare plays an increasingly vital role in contemporary postacute healthcare. Staffing instability and lack of perceived organizational support is a stimulus for nursing attrition from the organization with far-reaching impact on staff morale, patient care, agency budgets, and relationships with other healthcare settings. The purpose of this article is to describe a redesign of an agency's nursing orientation and the development of a mentorship program for newly hired home healthcare nurses within a large Midwestern integrated health system. During this time frame, 154 nurses completed the newly designed orientation program and, of those, 91 participated in the mentorship program. In this article, we evaluate 1-year new-hire nursing retention rates over a 4-year period, examine new-hire job satisfaction and perceptions of preceptors and mentors during their first year, and discuss issues of outcome sustainability. Agency-wide turnover rates for all home healthcare nurses decreased from 15.4% in 2016 to 10.1% in 2018, demonstrating the associated impact of these initiatives on staffing stabilization.

Peer mentors' experiences and perceptions of mentoring in undergraduate health and sports science programmes

Peer mentoring schemes are increasingly visible within professional practice, and in recent years, universities have integrated mentoring across undergraduate programmes. In order to provide the appropriate support to peer mentors and contribute to the future development and success of peer-mentoring schemes, it is necessary to investigate not only the benefits afforded to mentees, but also peer mentors' perceptions of their experiences. This small-scale qualitative study was conducted with participants who were recruited from the peer-mentoring scheme across two professional undergraduate health programmes: Podiatry and Sports Therapy. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the early experiences and expectations of being a mentor, mentorship activities, reasons and personal narratives for becoming a mentor, and the effectiveness of the training they received. Findings suggest that constructive and destructive friction exist between how mentors perceive their mentorship role and the strategies and skills they develop and use during their mentorship experiences.The study concludes with recommendations for new mentors and implementation of mentorship schemes within the widening population context of higher education.

Faculty and staff perceptions of undergraduate mentoring

ABSTRACTThe connection between students and faculty is a recognized component of student belonging and engagement. To better understand how these relationships are formed, we utilized a qualitative design to explore the ways in which faculty and staff at a mid-sized public university perceived their roles in supporting, and connecting with, students. Based on our focus group data, we identified three themes. The first theme defined the mentoring relationship in the university context. The second theme addressed the unique features of mentoring Underrepresented Minority (URM) and First Generation (FG) students. Our third theme focused on perceived barriers to mentoring, including personal, institutional, and student-related barriers. Our findings provide a first step in developing a framework for colleges and universities working to promote a culture of mentoring as a means to support students.

Making mentoring meaningful: hospitality and tourism students’ perceptions of mentoring

ABSTRACTMentoring has received considerable attention in higher education and industry, but little is known about perceptions of mentoring within disciplines, including that of hospitality and tourism. This study investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions of mentoring to learn more about the factors that might need to be considered when implementing a formal discipline-related mentoring program. Differences in perceptions of mentoring were found between male and female students and first-generation and non-first-generation college students. Overall, students appeared to lack knowledge of mentoring. Implications for hospitality and tourism educators with regard to mentoring are provided.

Undergraduate Mentoring: Knowledge and Perceptions of Mentors in A Diverse Group of Institutions

Undergraduate Mentoring: Knowledge and Perceptions of Mentors in A Diverse Group of Institutions

Aligning Best Practices in Student Success and Career Preparedness: An Exploratory Study to Establish Pathways to STEM Careers for Undergraduate Minority Students

Undergraduate minority retention and graduation rates in STEM disciplines is a nationally recognized challenge for workforce growth and diversification. The Benjamin Banneker Scholars Program (BBSP) was a five-year undergraduate study developed to increase minority student retention and graduation rates at an HBCU. The program structure utilized a family model as a vehicle to orient students to the demands of college. Program activities integrated best K-12 practices and workforce skillsets to increase academic preparedness and career readiness. Findings revealed that a familial atmosphere improved academic performance, increased undergraduate research, and generated positive perceptions of faculty mentoring. Retention rates among BBSP participants averaged 88% compared to 39% among non-participant STEM peers. The BBSP graduation rate averaged 93% compared to 20% for non-participants. BBSP participants were more likely to gain employment in a STEM field or enter into a professional study. This paper furthers the body of research on STEM workforce diversity and presents a transferrable model for other institutions.

Does the Sex of Mentors and Students Affect Students’ Perceptions of Research Mentors?

Does the Sex of Mentors and Students Affect Students’ Perceptions of Research Mentors?

A Survey of the Mentor's Perceptions about the Mentorship Program of the Science Gifted Educational Center Attached to University

본 연구는 전국 대학부설 과학영재교육원에서 이루어지고 있는 사사교육의 문제점 및 지향 목표에 대한 지도교수의 인식을 알아보기 위한 것이다. 전국 대학부설 과학영재교육원에서 사사교육 학생을 지도하고 성과발표회에 참가한 27개 대학의 과학영재교육원에 사사교육 지도교수를 대상으로 하여 대학의 사사교육 담당 지도교수 142명에게 온라인 설문지를 발송하여, 최종적으로 응답한 46명의 설문내용을 분석하였다. 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 사사교육 지도교수들은 현재의 사사교육 학생 선발과 정의 적합성과 선발된 학생들의 열의 및 연구 수행 능력에 대해 대체적으로 보통 이상이었다. 둘째, 사사교육 수행 과정과 관련하여, 연구 주제와 학생 연구 논문 지도수준은 평균 이상, 연구 장비 및 기자재 지원과 교육 및 연구 기간에 대해서는 대체적으로 보통 수준의 평가를 보였다. 그러나 사사교육을 위한 연구비 지원에 대해 보통 이하의 부정에 가까운 인식을 나타냈다. 셋째, 사사교육의 성과 측면에서, 조사대상 지도교수들은 학생들의 연구 능력, 창의성 및 과학적 문제 해결력, 지적 호기심 향상에 미치는 사사교육의 기여도에 대해 매우 긍정적인 반응을 보였다. 그러나 사사교육의 성과에 대한 긍정적 인식에도 불구하고, 현행 사사교육 과정의 전반적 개선 필요성을 묻는 질문에 대해 조사 참여 지도 교수의 44%가 현행 사사교육이 개선될 필요가 있다는 응답을 보였다. 넷째, 사사교육 과정의 주요 요소에 대한 중요도와 만족도 차이를 분석한 결과, 중요도의 전체 평균은 3.90, 만족도의 전체 평균은 3.53으로 중요도가 더 높았다 . 사사교육의 연구 주제와 실험 지도의 중요도와 만족도가 높은 것으로 평가된 반면, 과학영재교육원의 지원에 대해서는 만족도가 가장 낮은 평가를 받았다. 사사교육 각 요소별 중요도와 만족도 간에 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있는지 분석한 결과, 연구주제를 제외한 모든 요소에서 중요도와 만족도가 유의한 차이를 보였다. 조사 결과를 바탕으로, 학생 선발 과정 및 학생 자원 관리, 사사교육의 수행, 사사교육의 목표 및 성과 평가의 측면에서 필요한 개선점을 제언하였다.The purpose of this study is to investigate the mentors perception of the goal of the gifted education center and the mentor s opinion about the mentorship program. The mentors were selected among professors teaching the science gifted students at the science gifted educational center attached to 20 universities. The questionnaires were sent to 142 mentors in 20 universities, and 46 questionnaires were analyzed. The results of the study were as follows. First, it was generally accepted that the evaluation of the degree of enthusiasm and research ability of the selected students in the science gifted educational center attached to university was usually above average. Second, it was evaluated that the research topic selection was appropriate, and the research period was over the average. However, it showed negative to the research funding for the mentorship programs. In spite of the positive perception of the performance of the mentorship program, 44% of the survey participating mentors answered that the current mentorship program needs to be improved. Third, in terms of performance of mentorship program, the mentors responded positively to students research ability, creativity, scientific problem solving ability, and contribution of mentee to improvement of intellectual curiosity. However, in spite of the positive perception of the performance of the mentorship program, 44% of the survey mentors mentioned the necessity of improvement of the present program. Fourth, as a result of analyzing the difference between the importance and satisfaction of the main elements of the curriculum, the overall average of importance and satisfaction was 3.90 and 3.53, respectively. The importance and satisfaction of the research topic and the instruction of the mentorship program were evaluated to be high, but the satisfaction of the science gifted educational center was the lowest. As a result of analyzing whether there is statistically significant difference between the importance and satisfaction of each element of education, all elements except the research topic showed significant differences. Based on the above results, the improvements in student selection, management of the mentorship program, and the goal and evaluation of the program were suggested.

Developmental relationships in schools: pre-service teachers’ perceptions of mentors’ effort, self-development orientation, and use of theory

ABSTRACTFor the last two decades mentoring as a developmental relationship has been investigated and elaborated on by several researchers. In our study, 382 pre-service teachers answered questions about aspects of developmental mentoring relationships. Using structural equational modelling, we investigated relations between mentors’ effort, self-development orientation and theory-use as possible predictors of perceived developmental support. Our findings indicated that pre-service teachers’ perceptions of school mentors’ effort and self-development orientation were positively associated to their perceptions of developmental support in mentoring. Mentors’ emphasis on theory in mentoring discussions was negatively, although weakly, related to pre-service teachers’ perceptions of receiving developmental support.

Peer mentoring in entrepreneurship education: towards a role typology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the contributions of peer mentoring as a learning support for mentee students in higher entrepreneurship education.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a single embedded case study focussing on mentee students’ perceptions of peer mentors’ support of their entrepreneurial learning during an experiential master’s course. Employing an abductive approach, the researchers conducted cross-sectional, thematic analyses of individual mentee interviews complemented by data from joint reflection sessions, reflection reports and observations during the course timeline.FindingsThe peer mentors contributed to the mentee students’ learning through various forms of support, which were categorised into mentor roles, mentor functions and intervention styles. The analysis found that peer mentors fulfil three coexisting roles: learning facilitator, supportive coach and familiar role model. These roles constitute the pillars of a typology of entrepreneurial peer mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes theoretical and empirical insights on peer mentoring in entrepreneurship education. It represents a first benchmark of best practices for future studies.Practical implicationsThe case study suggests that adding peer mentoring represents more efficient support for entrepreneurial learning than a teacher alone is able to provide. The typology can also be used for training peer mentors.Originality/valueThe researchers construct a new typology for entrepreneurial learning support, which contributes to theory development within the field of entrepreneurship education.

Perceptions of subject mentors of pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach economics and management sciences in the development of South Africa

Perceptions of subject mentors of pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach economics and management sciences in the development of South Africa

Mentoring and gender: perception is not reality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore whether the disconnect between mentoring theory, which posits that women receive less workplace mentoring than men, and empirical results, which have found that women report equivalent or more mentoring received than men, is due to differences in perception rather than in actual mentoring provided.Design/methodology/approachUsing an MTurk sample of working adults (n=251), a 2 (protégé/participant gender: male/female) × 2 (mentor gender: male/female) × 3 (amount of mentoring: high/medium/low) between-subjects experimental design was tested. This approach held relationship characteristics constant, allowing for an examination of the role of gender in mentoring perceptions.FindingsGender was associated with the way protégés viewed a mentoring relationship and their reports of mentoring received. When identical relationships were described, women were more likely than men to identify a senior colleague as a mentor, and protégés in heterogeneous gender mentoring relationships reported more mentoring received than those in homogeneous gender relationships.Research limitations/implicationsWhen examining mentoring, perceptual differences need to be considered before drawing conclusions.Practical implicationsThis study calls into question findings of equivalent mentoring – refocusing attention on the importance of informal mentoring for improving women’s workplace outcomes.Originality/valueUsing an experimental design that holds relationship characteristics constant, this study is able to examine whether perceptions of mentoring are affected by gender. No study has previously done so, and results from the current study help to explain why there has been a disconnect between theory and empirical results.

Using Local Data to Improve Care and Collaborative Practice

A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the experiences and perceptions of project leaders, clinicians, managers, and mentors associated with the implementation of a strategy aimed at enhancing clinicians' ability to use data to guide quality improvement projects. Our study findings elucidated the value and benefits including (1) using data to understand local context and move forward and (2) improving care and engaging in collaborative professional practice.

Exploring the Student Peer Mentor's Experience in a Nursing Peer Mentorship Program.

The mentor's role is often underreported in the literature. Given the pivotal role peer mentors play in mentorship efforts, the current study sought to explore the experiences and perceptions of peer mentors enrolled in a university-affiliated, nursing student, peer mentorship program. A qualitative descriptive design was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. A one-time interview was conducted with participants using a semistructured interview guide. Inductive thematic content analysis occurred concurrently with data collection. Eight mentors participated revealing four major themes: Doing What I Wish Someone Had Done for Me, Initial Face-to-Face Contact Is Key, Being Thrown to the Wind, and Practicing What I Will Use as a Nurse. Aspects of self-directed learning may benefit future careers for student peer mentors. Opportunities for program enhancement include coping and communication skills for peer mentors. Future "scaled-up" evaluations are needed for ongoing quality improvements using multimethod approaches. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(7):422-425.].