Challenges and complexities of developing mentors’ practice: insights from new mentors

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Gardiner ◽  
Nina Weisling
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Sense Of Efficacy ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Axial Coding ◽  
Complex Relationships

Purpose Induction mentoring for early career teachers is a complex practice, requiring knowledge and skills distinct from teaching. However, more is known anecdotally than empirically about the challenges new mentors face and the type of support they need as they transition from teacher to induction mentor. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study investigated how nine first-year mentors developed, conceptualized and enacted their mentoring practice by asking, what supports/inhibits new mentors’ professional learning and practice? Are there patterns of struggle/challenge that new mentors face? Primary data sources included three 45–60-minute structured, individual interviews across each mentor’s first year. Data analysis was inductive, involving open and axial coding. Findings Mentors struggled to navigate multiple complex relationships with administrators, teachers and students. The quality of these relationships impacted their sense of efficacy and mentoring ability. Despite receiving what mentors perceived as effective professional development (PD), all mentors found it difficult to apply knowledge in practice. Mentors also experienced a steep and varied learning curve and identified supports that enhanced their knowledge and situated application of new teacher-centered mentoring. Originality/value Despite increases in mentoring programs, there is a lack of research addressing new mentors’ needs and development. This study makes a contribution by identifying new mentors’ needs and challenges and by providing recommendations for situated, responsive, and ongoing PD.

scholarly journals External mentoring for new teachers: mentor learning for a change agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Daly ◽  
Emmajane Milton
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
New Teachers ◽  
Early Career ◽  
First Year ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Career Teachers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative study of the learning and development of 70 external mentors during the first year of their deployment to support early career teachers’ professional learning as part of a national initiative aimed at school improvement in Wales. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a narrative methodology that elicited accounts of external mentors’ learning experiences that were captured as textual data and analysed using an inductive approach to identify: first, the manifest themes that appeared at declarative level, and second, the latent (sub-textual) themes of external mentor learning and development. Findings Four key themes emerged that indicate the complexity of transition to the role of external mentor in high-stakes contexts. From these, eight theoretically-informed principles were derived which support mentors to embrace uncertainty as essential to their learning and development, and to harness the potential they bring as boundary-crossers to support the development of new teachers. Research limitations/implications The study investigated the first year of a three-year programme and worked with one form of qualitative data collection. The research results may lack generalisability and a longitudinal study is necessary to further explore the validity of the findings. Practical implications The eight principles provide a foundation for mentor development programmes that can support ambitious goals for mentoring early career teachers. Originality/value The study addresses the under-researched area of the learning and development of external mentors at a national scale.

Superintendent leadership under shifting governance regimes

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 812-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Merok Paulsen ◽  
Olof Johansson ◽  
Lejf Moos ◽  
Elisabet Nihlfors ◽  
Mika Risku
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Superintendent Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Historical Legacies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the superintendent position, its relation to the local political system and the function as superior of principals in the school district in order to illuminate important district-level conditions for student learning. Influences from historical legacies and policy cultures are investigated by means of cross-country case analyses. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on data from national surveys of superintendent leadership in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Findings – A key point is the observation of a mix-mode system of hard and soft governance. Municipalities, schools, teachers and pupils are – in different degrees across the Nordic countries – subjected to external evaluation and assessment by central control agencies, where the streams of reports, assessments and performance data are assembled. However, shifts in the governance systems are only modestly reflected in the self-reports on the superintendents’ role. Overall, superintendents in the cases express a self-preferred leadership style as professional learning facilitators who focus on pupil orientation, which positions the superintendent in “crossfires” between conflicting stakeholder demands. Research limitations/implications – The paper reinforces the importance of superintendent leadership in local school governance. It underscores the importance that superintendents facilitate learning conditions for school leaders, teachers and students, which we see as a promising path for further research. Originality/value – The paper provides empirical evidence regarding superintendent leadership situated in local social and political contexts within the Nordic countries. The cross-country analysis illuminates how path-pendent historical legacies mediate current reform trends.

I’ll do it myself: self-leadership, proactivity, and socialization

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 684-698
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Cranmer ◽  
Zachary W. Goldman ◽  
Jeffery D. Houghton
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Socialization ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communicative Behaviors ◽  
Organizational Attitudes ◽  
Workplace Interactions ◽  
Mediating Mechanisms ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Organizational Newcomers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore newcomers as active participants within their own socialization, through the influence of self-leadership on proactivity and subsequently organizational socialization and organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 193 organizational newcomers (i.e. individuals within their first year at an organization) working in a variety of industries were examined within three serial mediation models in PROCESS. Findings The results of these analyses suggest that self-leadership influences organizational newcomers’ adjustment and subsequent commitment by assisting them in seeking organizational resources. Research limitations/implications This study answers calls to explore both the mediating mechanisms through which self-leadership processes influence organizational outcomes and the complex relationships between human workplace interactions and the proximal and distal outcomes of socialization. Practical implications The findings indicate that organizational stakeholders should enhance the self-leadership abilities of newcomer, thereby easing the socialization burden on organizations. Originality/value This paper offers a novel framework (i.e. self-leadership) for understanding newcomer socialization and provides an encompassing model that recognizes individual capacities, communicative behaviors, adjustment and subsequent organizational attitudes.

First-job educational and skill match

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomaž Deželan ◽  
Danica Fink Hafner ◽  
Mateja Melink
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Communist Country ◽  
Period Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Match ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Study Programs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the education-job match of political science graduates from Slovenia, as well as from selected EU countries, in the context of other disciplines. In the frame of contested theoretical approaches, the implications of matching the knowledge that is acquired during education to the skills that are needed on the job are also examined. Design/methodology/approach – Using the REFlex HEGESCO database, as well as other secondary data, the wider disciplinary and contextual environments are presented. Disciplinary and contextual mapping is followed by binary logistic regression of primary data collected from Slovene political science graduates. Based on the results, the authors determined the validity of certain theoretical premises of human capital, credentialist, and assignment approaches, specifically regarding education-job matching. Findings – In terms of graduate education-job match, the results indicate that the relevance of the sector of employment relates to educational as well as skill match. The results also indicate that matched candidates utilize the skills acquired during the education process to a greater degree, which adds weight to the assignment theory's presumption. The effect of formal credentials is relevant, because graduates with Bologna degrees, despite having attended programs with virtually identical curricula at the same institution, are significantly less matched when compared to non-Bologna graduates. Accordingly, the effect of the change to the structure of the system of higher education (HE), which is amplified by the period effect of the economic crisis, implies a serious change to graduates’ opportunity structure. Practical implications – The study should motivate a re-examination of the teleological purpose of the study by professional associations in the state. It should also motivate the adjustment of the study programs to the new conditions graduates face and strengthen the educator-employer relationship to make the latter cognizant about the study programs and the skills of graduates. In addition, the study should provide grounds for a critical discussion about the implications of governmental austerity measures on the public sector. Originality/value – The paper provides new insights into the early careers of political scientists and social scientists at large. It also offers early evidence on the effect of the Bologna's HE reform and indications about the early career achievements in a crisis-struck post-communist country.

scholarly journals Judgementoring and how to avert it: introducing ONSIDE Mentoring for beginning teachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Hobson
Keyword(s):  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
College Leaders ◽  
Beginner Teachers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to extend existing knowledge on the nature, reach, causes and consequences of judgementoring; second, to present a new framework for mentoring beginner teachers that has the potential to forestall and combat judgementoring, and enable the full potential of institution-based mentoring to be realised. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a thematic analysis of: previously published findings from three empirical studies undertaken between 2003 and 2015; new data from two empirical studies undertaken between 2012 and 2016; and recent literature (2013-2016) on judgementoring. Findings – The paper provides further evidence of the nature, reach, causes and consequences of judgementoring as a national and international phenomenon. In doing so, it extends previous knowledge about the conditions that enhance or detract from the successful enactment of beginner teacher mentoring. Practical implications – The findings presented have implications for the work of education policymakers, school and college leaders, mentor trainers, mentors and others concerned with enhancing mentorship and effectively supporting the professional learning, development and well-being of beginning teachers. Originality/value – The paper presents ONSIDE Mentoring as an original, research-informed framework for mentoring beginner teachers. The framework may also be applicable to other contexts, especially for the mentoring of early career professionals.

Leadership, uncertainty and risk: how leaders influence teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaye Twyford ◽  
Deidre Le Fevre
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Teacher Perception ◽  
First Year ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how the actions of leaders influence teachers’ perceptions of risk and sensemaking during professional learning (PL).Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study primarily involving semi-structured interviews was utilized to collect teacher-perception data. In total, 21 teachers across three New Zealand schools were interviewed as they participated in the first year of a school-wide PL initiative. Data were analyzed using a risk perception lens focused on uncertainty.FindingsTeachers’ perceptions of risk were influenced by leaders’ actions. Leaders built supportive relationships by knowing the teacher as a learner; showing empathy and respect; providing support; and engendering trust. Teachers reported that the quality of relationships combined with their own state of knowledge influenced their perceptions of risk and learning.Practical implicationsLeaders are reminded that learning is inherently uncertain and uncomfortable and that they have an important role to ensure an environment that is safe and supportive for teacher risk taking and change. A risk lens enables leaders and PL facilitators to consider their influence on teachers’ uncertainty and feelings of vulnerability and take action to reduce these where possible so that both teacher and student learning may be maximized.Originality/valueThis research advances the conceptualization of perceived risk in professional learning, emphasizing the importance of leadership in supporting teacher learning. It adds further detail to our understanding of trust, vulnerability, identity and risk in the development of professional capital and community and their connection to the professional and emotional lives of teachers.

Professional learning communities of teachers: Israeli principals’ perceptions

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-674
Author(s):  
Orit Avidov-Ungar
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Principals Perceptions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on professional learning communities (PLCs) run for and by teachers to achieve their ongoing professional development and greater pupil attainment. The paper examined principals’ perceptions of how such PLCs influence teachers, teacher learning and school processes, and their own involvement in PLCs operating in their schools.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 of 97 principals from three of the four educational districts participating in a pilot programme to achieve in-service teacher professional development through supported PLCs.FindingsMost of the participating principals considered PLCs to influence not only the teacher-leader, but also PLC members and other teaching staff and processes. Principals perceived PLCs as influencing pedagogical processes for both teachers and students, as well as staff leadership processes. Principals reported facilitating the operation of PLCs in their schools by providing the necessary conditions or participating in PLC meetings.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough nearly 20 per cent of principals involved in the pilot agreed to participate, it was not possible to ensure a representative sample. Self-selection bias cannot be ruled out. Most participants were interviewed individually, with a minority later interviewed as a group to obtain a deeper understanding. Thus, the research should be regarded as exploratory.Originality/valueThe study provides a detailed description of how principals perceive and engage with PLCs. Its findings are relevant to international efforts to understand and leverage teacher PLCs for the purposes of teachers’ professional development and pupil attainment.

scholarly journals COVID-19: it’s impact in Hajj and Umrah and a future direction

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aishath Muneeza ◽  
Zakariya Mustapha
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
First Year ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
The Impact

Purpose There is a misconception that Hajj and Umarah is just a worship matter and the consequences of suspending these religious gathering due to the pandemic is only limited to delay of going Saudi Arabia to perform it. However, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of the pandemic in Hajj and Umrah by exploring its impact on different stakeholders affecting its disruption due to the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This is a library-based study that uses qualitative method to explore the impact of COVID-19 on Hajj and Umrah. Thus, provisions of Quran and hadith on Hajj and Umrah were examined as primary data for the research to establish the importance of the rituals in Islam. Guidelines set by Hajj regulators and instruments enabling them in that behalf were examined likewise. In addition, content analyses were made of relevant secondary data from published sources including articles, books, newspapers and web resources that embody scholarly, scientific and religious views on the issue being studied. Findings It is realised that in the first year of the pandemic, while Umrah is entirely suspended, Hajj was scaled back and performed by 10,000 people altogether, a tiny segment of the over two and half million that partook in the ritual previously. Hajj and Umrah have been greatly inhibited and jeopardised by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in religious, social, economic, psychological effects on the eligible but affected Muslims and Muslims countries. Along these lines, recommendations were accordingly proffered on the way forward to better Hajj and Umrah management. Originality/value It is anticipated that the findings of the research would assist policy makers to comprehend the impact of the pandemic on Hajj and Umrah to ensure that the policies they make in this regard would adequately cover every aspect affecting the stakeholders which is deliberated in this research. It is also expected that the recommendations provided in this paper will assist stakeholders of Hajj and Umrah to grasp the importance of taking precautions for any crisis similar to COVID-19 when it happens.

Sharing a powerful IDEA: learning organizations collaborating to innovate and design engaging applications in STEM education

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-12
Author(s):  
William L. Sterrett ◽  
Rauf I. Azam ◽  
Mahnaz Moallem ◽  
Jess Boersma ◽  
Ahsan Bashir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Schools ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers And Students

Purpose This study sought to better understand how to support and plan for a collaborative effort that brought educators together from three universities in the United States and Pakistan. This project sough to foster collaborative relationships between the two countries by expanding knowledge, collaboration, and capacity in middle schools in the Punjab region of Pakistan with a particular focus on underrepresented students and middle grades STEM instruction. Design/methodology/approach This study was informed through the use of formative survey data gathered from the workshop participants throughout the course of the week. The researchers conducted pre and post surveys of 22 participants using Likert scale items. Findings This project provided insights regarding curriculum alignment, engaging communication, teacher-centered formative data. These findings offered insights on how to grow as reflective practitioners and researchers, and how to form a robust multi-national professional learning community. Research limitations/implications The survey data were gathered from participants who willingly sought professional development in one region of Pakistan. The sample was small (four participating middle schools and one local university) and thus the findings cannot be necessarily generalized to a greater population. Practical implications This project provides practical insights of how teams can work together in regard to building a professional learning community. Teams can plan with intentionality, foster various modes of discussion, and empower both teachers and students to inquire, solve problems, and share their insights. Social implications The STEM topics in this study are important across continents. Navigating time constraints and distance is feasible through communication, attention to objectives and clarity in goals, and a desire to learn outside of one’s usual comfort zones. Originality/value This project was unique in the time and space in which it was designed and implemented, yet it offers value in fostering ongoing collaboration through various modalities and in being intentional in the planning process.

Early childhood teachers’ efficacy in the US rural Midwest: teaching culturally diverse learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Teresa Atiles ◽  
Jonathan Robert Douglas ◽  
Martha Allexsaht-Snider
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sense Of Efficacy ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore early childhood teachers’ sense of efficacy for working with immigrant children. In addition, this study examined the relationship of early childhood teachers’ sense of efficacy to their multicultural attitudes. Design/methodology/approach Ninety early childhood teacher participants completed a demographic questionnaire, as well as the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale, long form (Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) and Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (Ponterotito et al., 1998). Findings The statistical analysis resulted in a significant difference found between teachers’ sense of efficacy when working with Latinos versus when working with Marshallese students, t(82) = 4.64, p < 0.001, and that the teachers’ sense of efficacy was positively correlated with their multicultural attitudes score, r = 0.266, p = 0.013. Research limitations/implications The finding that early childhood teachers have differing levels of efficacy for working with different populations of immigrants, and that efficacy seems to be linked to multicultural attitudes, has implications for teacher educators and for professional development initiatives. Practical implications This appears to be an important starting point for professional learning efforts directed at teachers with lower levels of efficacy for working with their diverse students. Originality/value There was no prior research done focusing on different immigrant populations and the corresponding teachers’ sense of efficacy when working with them. The results shown support the idea that teachers’ multicultural attitudes appear to be significantly linked to their sense of efficacy, when working with immigrant students, especially within the area of student engagement.

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