Dissertation

Beginning again: Mentoring the novice teacher

Niday, Donna Mae

1996

Overview

The aim of this study is to advance our understanding of the nature of mentoring relationships for novice teachers. One purpose is to identify and describe the experiences, goals, and perspectives that beginning and experienced teachers bring to the mentoring relationship and to examine how these personal histories influence and affect the ensuing partnership. Other purposes are to explore the various conflicts which arise during mentoring and their resolution, to examine the intentions and expectations that the two individuals had of their own and each other's roles, and to determine how these were situated in the social and cultural environment of the school. Five case studies of novice teacher/mentor teacher relationships are presented, one of which examines the traditional mentoring situation of a student teacher/cooperating teacher pair and four case studies which view first-year teacher/mentor teacher relationships. Data sources included interviews, conference sessions, classroom observations, teacher journals, and various teaching artifacts such as unit plans and teacher portfolios. Each case study describes the different backgrounds and expectations contributing to the influences and tensions within each mentoring relationship. This study offers three conclusions. First, mentoring relationships are highly complex and cannot be categorized simply as effective and ineffective since most relationships include elements of successes and problems. Second, particular factors may tend to either promote or hinder the relationship. Factors which enhance mentoring relationships include shared time, a prior relationship, a supportive school structure, and self-selection of mentors. On the other hand, factors which may inhibit mentoring relationships include differences in philosophical beliefs, personality traits, gender differences, extensive age gaps, and physical classroom distance. Third, mentor teachers may play multiple roles, either changing from one role to another or moving back and forth among such roles as advice giving, problem solving, questioning, listening, and reflecting. We will begin to understand more about complexities in mentoring when we view collegial relationships as ongoing, reciprocal, and active forms of professional growth.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Language arts / Secondary education / Teacher education
• ISBN: 0591057743, 9780591057744