University Mentors Research Articles

Collective learning in pre-service teacher education: exploring challenges, negotiations, and co-constructed solutions towards continuing professional learning and development

ABSTRACT Despite extensive research on professional learning and development in education, there is a significant gap in adopting action research methods as a localised approach to explore professional learning, especially in the pre-service domain. This article delves into the process of collective experiences, joint negotiations, co-constructed solutions, and reflective practices among pre-service teachers, cooperating teachers, and the university mentor throughout the five-phase teaching practicum, driven by action research methods. Through first- and second-person inquiries, observations, reflective notes and sharing sessions as research instruments, findings reveal that joint reflective discourse among stakeholders led to a deeper understanding of unvoiced challenges in teaching practicum, including teaching approaches, classroom management, diversity, learner differences, multiple roles, and heavy workloads. Findings explore how interactive processes within and among individuals facilitate ongoing negotiation and the development of shared solutions, fostering a dynamic and transformative professional learning environment for both pre-service teachers and in-service educators. Creating a platform for the recursive sharing of perspectives is crucial for promoting continuous professional learning during a teaching practicum. This entails promoting active dialogues among school placements, universities, and local authorities, facilitating the exchange of critical reflections, and ultimately supporting continuing professional learning and development in education.

Changes in high school students attitudes toward health sciences following a hands-on outreach STEM program.

Despite attempts to diversify healthcare workplaces and education, racial and ethnic minorities (REM) remain underrepresented in these fields. This study investigated changes in high school students' health science interest following a single exposure, hands-on anatomy laboratory visit. One hundred and eighty-eight high school students participated in a single day, one-hour visit to a human anatomy laboratory on a university campus. Participants engaged in hands-on activities centered around both human and animal specimens led by university mentors. Using a modified Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics-Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) questionnaire, health science STEM interest was calculated before and after the visits and compared using a paired t-test (α = 0.05). A 2 × 2 ANOVA (α = 0.05) was run on pre-to-post-visit interest score differences with factors of Race (White/REM) and Gender (Male/Female) to determine if race/ethnicity and/or gender moderated the gains observed. Overall, health science STEM interest increased significantly from pre- to post-visit (p < 0.001), and these gains were greater in REM students (p < 0.05) but did not differ as a function of gender. These findings indicate that a single visit to an anatomy laboratory with hands-on activities can be used as a tool to engage high school aged students in STEM and may be particularly beneficial for racial/ethnic minority students, potentially influencing health science STEM interest.

Supporting early-career teachers with external mentoring: a scoping review

ABSTRACT This article presents a scoping review addressing the pressing issue of high attrition rates among early-areer teachers (ECTs), which poses a significant challenge to the development of a robust teacher workforce and student outcomes. Focusing on the role of external mentoring programmes, our study explores their potential in retaining ECTs within the teaching profession. Through a scoping review of the literature, we identified three central themes: (a) defining the role of external mentors, (b) elucidating the benefits of external mentoring and (c) examining the impact of external mentoring on ECT identity development. Our analysis revealed a scarcity of programmes emphasising university–school partnerships. Consequently, we propose the implementation of an ECT mentoring initiative involving university mentors collaborating with ECTs in their respective school environments. This study contributes significantly to the field of teacher education by shedding light on effective strategies for ECT induction and the transformative role of mentoring in cultivating ECTs as proficient educators capable of autonomous decision-making, networking, and enhancing overall teaching quality within schools.

A Strengths Awareness Pilot for an Australian University Mentoring Program

Strengths-based initiatives for university students to identify and develop their strengths are increasing in popularity in the tertiary sector. An understanding of strengths provides students with greater resilience in their transition in and out of university. While such strengths-based initiatives have been studied among first-year student populations at large universities in the United States, scant research has been conducted on strengths development in the Australian tertiary sector. This mixed methods study evaluates the efficacy of the use of the CliftonStrengths Assessment and targeted strengths workshops on a group of mentors and mentees within a peer mentoring program at a university in Australia. Quantitative analysis indicated increases in strengths awareness. Qualitative analysis also revealed participants could positively view their strengths, identify a plan for future strengths use, and view others and themselves in a new light. This study served as a base for further research into strengths development at Australian universities.

The Effectiveness of a Tailored Faculty Development Program for Undergraduate Mentoring and Its Impact on Mentor's Perceptions: A Mixed Methods Study.

"Anubandh" the existing mentorship program at our institute used to start with enthusiasm but lacked sustainability throughout the year. This study aimed to assess the need for designing and conducting a faculty development program (FDP) and evaluating its impact on effective mentoring. FDP was designed by assessing the perception of 50 teachers regarding undergraduate (UG) mentoring at a tertiary care teaching institutein central India, the NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center and Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur, India.It was developed and conducted by focusing on the global overview, mentoring policies of the instituteand rationale while implementing mentorship. The effectiveness of FDP was tested by a change in pretest-posttest scores for assessing their knowledge and reflections on undergraduate mentoring. In the pre-FDP perceptions by mentors, the majority agreed that mentorship should be an integral part of the UG curriculum. Teachers felt that mentorship is an additional workload that needs to be given weightage in self-appraisal forms. A total of 81.2% of mentors emphasized on need for academic, social, and personal mentoring. After the FDP, there was a statistically significant improvement in the knowledge and attitude of mentors in all the assessed domains (χ2=2.648; df=6; p<0.05) like the need for UG mentoring in medical college and the role of faculties as a mentor. FDP sessions were appreciated by mentors for being motivating, interactive, and highly engaging with speakers having good oratory skills and using inspiring techniques with an overall rating of 9.2/10. There was an overall positive attitude about mentoring but many expressed the need for training in mentorship. The FDPwas highly effective in improving the knowledge and attitude of mentors for effective mentoring.

PILOTING THE IMPACT OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS FOR PRE-SERVICE TEACHING PRACTICE EVALUATION

The Purpose of the Study. The focus of the current research was to investigate classroom observation as an effective tool for TP of pre-service teachers of English. The Research Methodology. The survey was conducted to analyze checklists designed by the authors of the article and completed (45 items) by pre-service teachers of English while developing their observation skills during teaching practice throughout the year 2023-2024. In the context of our piloting project pre-service teachers of English represent bachelor’s and master’s degree students majoring in 014 Secondary Education (Language and Literature (English)), T.H. Shevchenko National University "Chernihiv Colehium", Chernihiv, Ukraine. Two kinds of classroom observation checklists for bachelor students and three kinds of classroom observation checklists for master students were used to gather data. The checklists for bachelor students are focused to evaluate teacher’s behavior and learner’s behavior in the classroom environment according to certain criteria: rapport, dynamics, teacher talk, social-emotional support. The focus of the classroom observation checklist for master students was on their analytical and creative thinking development while they observed the growth of professional competence in the context of teacher planning and preparation, instruction, classroom environment. The Scientific Novelty. 45 checklists for classroom observation app were cross checked by pre-service teachers of masters degree level and their observers (university mentors) to analyze the checklists and define the evidence of data for classroom observation app. The Conclusion. The analysis of data suggested that classroom observation played a significant role in the year 2023-2024 in enhancing pre-service teachers’ English professional growth. They got real experience in TP while planning, conducting and evaluating their own English lessons of their peers and themselves. The analyzed data will be implemented while designing our classroom observation app. The further steps in the context of our investigation are to use the piloted checklists in classroom observation app design and issue the app.

Comparing the Feedback of University Supervisor and Cooperating Teachers for Preservice Science Teachers within the Scope of Pedagogical Content Knowledge

To comprehend the perspectives of school and university mentors in evaluating practicum experiences based on educational reform, this study aimed to investigate the feedback, within the framework of pedagogical content knowledge, provided by two cooperating teachers and a university supervisor to preservice teachers. Observation and document were used for data collection. Data collected within the context of the Teaching Practice course were analyzed deductively, considering the components of pedagogical content knowledge. Findings showed that although feedback given by mentors was positive or corrective, specific changes suggested by mentors about the preservice teachers’ teaching practices were rather corrective. Although mentors’ feedback seems to be concentrated in the fields of ‘instructional strategies and representation’ and ‘pedagogy,’ the majority of feedback provided in other PCK components points out those mentors focused on student learning within the knowledge of ‘student understanding’. Feedback indicated that mentors especially attached importance to students’ understanding of the subject and active participation in the learning, which are the goals of a science teaching program. The other aims of teaching based on inquiry and students’ self-responsibilities in learning seemed to be in the background. Although mentors’ feedback pointed out some differences in the categories of curriculum and assessment, they were consistent in general.

Reading Inside Out: A Resilience-Driven Mentoring Approach to Enhancing Reading Fluency for at-Risk Students of Color

This study investigated the effects of a mentoring program for atrisk students of color by integrating reading fluency instruction and resilience-building activities. Three 4th and 5th-grade students identified as having reading difficulties participated in the program, which involved college mentors providing one-on-one instruction for 30-40 minutes, two days per week, over 10 weeks. Resiliencethemed books were used during reading sessions to improve reading skills and resilience understanding. Data collection included pre- and post-assessments of reading fluency using the easyCBM assessment and the student resilience survey. Mentee interviews were conducted to gather additional insights. The easyCBM data of the three participants indicated that their participation in the mentoring program was effective in improving their reading fluency. The student resilient survey showed positive changes from preto posttest, implying the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ resilience. The outcomes of the study contribute to a deeper comprehension of the impact of mentoring initiatives coupled with resilience-focused reading instruction on at-risk students of color. Implications for future research are discussed.

국내 대학에서의 디지털배지 도입과 활용: 교육현장과 산업체의 인식 및 요구분석을 중심으로

[Objective] This study explored the perceptions and needs for digital badges in education and industry, aiming to devise a feasible plan for their introduction in Korean universities.&#x0D; [Contents] To investigate the perceptions and requirements of digital badges, an online survey was conducted among students at A University in Seoul and employees who serve as university mentors at Korea's top 100 companies.&#x0D; [Conclusions] First, despite low awareness, students and companies expressed high interest in and need for digital badges. Second, digital badges were perceived as useful for managing learners' portfolios or personal histories of skills and experiences, as assessment tools to validate skills and abilities, and for providing information to employers and demonstrating competencies. Third, both students and organizations most wanted badges that reflected educational history, followed by badges that demonstrated qualifications and roles. Finally, when it came to information on digital badges, students prioritized endorsements from industry and professional organizations, whereas businesses emphasized a description of the achieved competencies. Based on the findings of this study, we propose practical implications for the adoption and utilization of digital badges.

The interplay between identity and emotion of young LOTE (languages other than English) teachers in their early careers: A sociocultural theory perspective

There is conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between teachers’ identities and emotions. The inconsistency may be explained by a one-way causal relationship or two-way support. However, from a sociocultural perspective, the two might dialectically influence each other. Furthermore, most studies on teacher identities have focused solely on teaching and research identities without considering their social service roles as well. Further, little is known about LOTE (Languages Other than English) teachers in higher education, and even less is known about younger novice teachers. To fill these gaps, this study included a survey of 843 young LOTE teachers and in-depth interviews with three respondents at universities to gain a deeper understanding of their identities and emotions. As a result, the interaction between the two variables in the teaching dimension was observed to have a more robust relationship. Teachers’ identities and emotions were inextricably linked in either a positive or negative manner. Specifically, a higher sense of identity and positive emotion correlated closely, whereas a lower sense of identity and negative emotion walked together. As a result of the weak sense of research identity, this relationship was evident in teaching and social service, de-emphasizing research. The present study provides additional evidence with respect to the dialectical relationship between teacher identity and teacher emotion. FUNDING INFORMATION. The project has been primarily supported by Research Fund for Yunshan Outstanding Scholar, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (No. 2023RC031), the MOE Project at Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Shanghai International Studies University Peak Discipline (Linguistics) Construction Project (N0. 41004525/001), and Shanghai International Studies University Mentor Academic Leadership Program (N0. 2022113041). The paper has also been supported by: An Empirical Study on the Impact of Public Sponsored Study Abroad on the Professional Development of University Teachers-Taking Guangdong as an Example (N0: GD22CJY10).

ACS is seeking a college mentor for the US National Chemistry Olympiad program for the 2025–27 term

ACS is seeking a college mentor for the US National Chemistry Olympiad program for the 2025–27 term

The influence of physical space on university mentoring

The influence of physical space on university mentoring

Meeting eye to eye: the power relations in triadic mentoring of the degree project in teacher education

ABSTRACT This study highlights and discusses power aspects within discourses discerned in articulations on triadic mentoring in degree projects in teacher education in Sweden. Each mentoring triad consisted of a pre-service teacher, a professional teacher acting as co-mentor, and a university mentor. As teacher education is to be based on a scientific foundation and proven experience, a symmetrical and complementary approach was to be implemented. Data from interviews, logbooks, and observations of mentoring were analysed discursively using CDA. Two main discourses were distinguished: The hegemony of science, and A gateway to the profession and science: The potential third space. The study shows that the academic paradigm tends to overshadow the symmetrical and complementary approach, but that the third space, the metaphorical meeting outside of the participants’ comfort zone, potentially balances up the mentoring triads through the pre-service teachers’ ownership of the process.

Developing profession ready teacher education graduates through school-university partnerships: an Australian study

ABSTRACT The engagement of both school and university has played a significant role in initial teacher education. The focus of this paper is the growth of an alternative style of school-university partnership from a single school to a Hub of 19 school-university partnership, in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Four school and university mentors who have participated over a seven-year period have completed surveys on their engagement. Using a Community of Practice (CoP) theoretical framework to underpin model development, it is possible to showcase the growth of the partnerships as important in informing discussion relating to the implementation of integrated school-university partnerships and practice.

Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability of Final Year Entrepreneurship Undergraduates in Sri Lanka: A Mediating Effect of Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy

With technological advancements and the increasing nature of complexity and uncertainty in the business world, the development of career adaptation skills is one of the significant factors affecting the success of undergraduates. However, the controversial findings regarding the determinants of career adaptability have triggered this study to question what antecedents would predict undergraduates' career adaptability. Proactive personality on career adaptability in the literature is a hotspot for study in the subject of career adaptability. However, it has been recognized that empirical research on this issue in the context of Sri Lanka is insufficient. Furthermore, the mediating role of this relationship as an intervening mechanism is about to be understood, and there is a knowledge gap in the literature. The major contribution of this research is to expand the knowledge and examine the direct and indirect impact of proactive personality on career adaptability under the mediation role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Data is collected using self-administered questionnaires and distributed using the convenience sample technique among 120 undergraduates studying entrepreneurship degree programs at five state universities in Sri Lanka. The results indicate that a proactive personality significantly and positively impacts career adaptability. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the indirect impact of a proactive personality on career adaptability, mediated through entrepreneurial self-efficacy, was significant. The results of this research assist university mentors, coaches, and policymakers in conceptualizing and implementing relevant interventions and projects that incorporate university support for transitioning undergraduates to a more dynamic work world.

Does information affect homophily?

It is common for mentorship programs to use race, gender, and nationality to match mentors and mentees. Despite the popularity of these programs, there is little evidence on whether mentees value mentors with shared traits. Using novel administrative data from an online college mentoring platform connecting students and alumni, we document that female students indeed disproportionately reach out to female mentors. We investigate whether female students make costly trade-offs in order to access a female mentor. By eliciting students’ preferences over mentor attributes, we find that female students are willing to trade off occupational match in order to access a female mentor. This willingness to pay for female mentors declines to zero when information on mentor quality is provided. The evidence suggests that female students use mentor gender to alleviate information problems, but do not derive direct utility from it. We discuss the implications of these results for the design of initiatives that match on shared traits.

University Mentoring Programs during the Pandemic: Case Study of Hungarian Roma University Students

To improve the chances of Roma students succeeding in higher education, several initiatives have been established in recent decades, such as the Roma szakkollégium network (Roma Special Colleges), which joins various institutions around Hungary with the goal of helping Roma youth in higher education. This study inquiries into Roma university students and their support network during the pandemic through the work of Roma Special Colleges, considering that during the pandemic, it was the marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as the Roma, who disproportionally experienced challenges that affected their education. The aim of this study is to examine how Roma Special Colleges through their mentoring programs (1) were able to identify the specific needs of Roma university students during the pandemic; and (2) adapted their work to better assist Roma students during remote education. These findings, generated during a series of interviews with directors and program organizers of Roma Special Colleges, point out the importance of the personalized assistance that mentors in Roma colleges were able to provide, not only supplying needed IT tools and promoting academic success, but also fostering wellbeing, a sense of belonging and positive self-esteem among Roma students.

Qualitative exploration of the physical activity engagement among college students with intellectual disabilities

Higher education institutions today have offered a range of postsecondary transition programs for adults with .intellectual disabilities (ID). Applying the social-ecological framework, this study was aimed to analyze qualitative data about the experiences and perceptions of physical activity (PA) among eight college students with ID at a post-secondary transition program in the United States. The phenomenological approach was utilized to describe participants’ lifeworld experience of PA. Results indicated that the most PA opportunities on campus merely derived from the availability of adapted programs. Only one participant met the minimum requirement of engaging moderate-intensity exercise weekly. Based on the analysis using the social-ecological framework, the results include twelve themes at the intrapersonal level (self-efficacy, personality, emotion, past experiences, knowledge, and time), interpersonal level (family support and friend support), and institutional level (specifically, university recreation center, available adapted programs, adverse weather, and COVID effect) that influenced their PA participation. The current transition program seemed to promote sedentary behaviors during school hours. Strategies to enhance PA engagement for this population should include increasing students and parents’ knowledge of PA and health, providing adequate social support from college mentors and more adapted PA opportunities and alternative options on campus. These recommendations could boost PA self-efficacy and overcome barriers at multiple levels in students with ID.

Study on the Collaboration between University and Educational Centers Mentors in the Development of the In-School Education Placements in Official University Degrees Qualifying for the Teaching Profession: The Case of the University of Santiago de Compostela

An in-school education placements is considered a crucial axis in the training of the future teacher. This first immersion in the school context allows interaction between theory and practice, contextualized learning of the profession and reflection on the processes, skills and competencies to be acquired, as well as the student’s personal development. The successful achievement of these goals requires close collaboration and communication between all the agents involved in the internship: university mentors, school mentors, and the student intern. The present study focuses on a diagnosis of the collaboration between mentors (university and school) in the development of the training activities and processes that take place during the school internships. These internships correspond to the teaching degrees and the master’s degree in secondary education of the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Through a non-experimental study with descriptive methodology, using an online questionnaire, the perceptions of both profiles of mentors are collected. The first objective is to know the degree of collaboration that exists in the processes and in the different training activities that are currently carried out in the practicum; the second aim is to know the perception of the importance and necessity of such a collaboration in each of the proposed activities. The main results show the need to improve the collaboration and teamwork processes of the mentors and reinforce the relevance of designing and implementing specific technological solutions. It is necessary to connect both teaching profiles and educational contexts and to establish a hybrid training scenario that strengthens the training link between mentors and students in the practicum, allowing permanent and personalized support. This work is part of a Doctoral Thesis developed within the framework of the International Competitive research project EKT—Educational Knowledge Transfer-(Knowledge Alliance reference number 612414-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-KA). The purpose is to develop and test collaborative educational methodologies for internships through an intelligent technological framework that aims to impact on a more effective, scalable, and sustainable system that is closely linked to professional contexts.

과학·수학 영재를 위한 온라인 멘토링 프로그램의 개발 및 적용

The purpose of this study was to develop and implement an online mentoring program for gifted in science lower elementary students. The process of program development followed ADDIE(Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) which is a systematic instructional design model. The subjects of this study were 15 lower elementary students(1st and 2nd graders), and selected based on their dynamic assessment evaluation on science and math performance. During the mentoring program, the students participated in various online science and math activities with mentors who were students in a university of education. The mentors had to participated in pre-training sessions on scientific and mathematical concepts, hands-on activities, and general understanding of gifted students in science and mathematics. Since the program was designed to be a flipped learning, the participants had read stories in science- or mathematics-themed books before the online programs. Then, during the online sessions, the participants engaged in hands-on activities related to the stories that they had read in advance. The college mentors provided instructional guides to the conceptual understanding as well as hands-on activities. After the program, the online survey on students’ improvement and program satisfaction was conducted with mentors and parents of the participants, in order to verify effectiveness of the program. The participating students were able to engage in the program without difficulty, and the expected effects of the program were observed. In conclusion, it is expected that online mentoring programs for gifted students in early childhood would be developed variously and appropriately.