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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2011

Katerina K. Sarri

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mentor training intervention for experienced entrepreneurs in order to support and advise new and early stage…

2922

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mentor training intervention for experienced entrepreneurs in order to support and advise new and early stage female entrepreneurs in an attempt to enrich the limited literature of empirical data in the area of mentor training intervention assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

For the evaluation of the mentor training programme, a three‐level process has been used (reactions to training, knowledge and skills, behavior). Empirical research consists of quantitative research and different questionnaires were used to obtain information from respondents on a post basis. The sample consists of 52 mentors (experienced entrepreneurs) and 52 female mentees (early stage entrepreneurs). Descriptive statistics were generated by the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.

Findings

Mentors responded positively to the training, they acquired knowledge and improved their skills, and they were able to transfer their improved knowledge and skills to their mentoring relationship and to their personal and professional lives.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are based on preliminary research and a more comprehensive evaluation could be devised using pre‐ and post‐programme evaluation and resultant relationships could be further evaluated through a qualitative study.

Practical implications

A mentor training intervention evaluation is needed to enhance delivery of mentoring functions tailored to the needs of female entrepreneurs. This study serves as a starting‐point for further research in the field of female entrepreneurial learning and particularly mentor training to policy makers, academics and professionals.

Originality/value

Although the literature on female entrepreneurship, mentoring and training is growing, very little has been done to assess mentor training interventions. The present paper is one of the first to address and explore this issue.

Details

Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 35 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0590

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Stephanie C. House, Kimberly C. Spencer and Christine Pfund

The purpose of this paper is to explore how a mentor training intervention affected research scientists’ perceptions of diversity and their subsequent behaviors.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how a mentor training intervention affected research scientists’ perceptions of diversity and their subsequent behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were originally collected as part of a randomized controlled trial measuring the effectiveness of a research mentor training intervention that covered six mentoring competencies, including addressing diversity. Here, the results of a secondary qualitative analysis of interviews with trained mentors, 135 faculty from 16 institutions from across the USA and Puerto Rico, are reported.

Findings

Analyses provide insights into how the diversity content of a mentoring intervention is interpreted, internalized, and acted upon. Mentors reported increased awareness, an expanded understanding of diversity and the implications of human differences, as well as a greater recognition of personal biases. While some were able to act on that increased awareness and make changes to their mentoring practice, most did not report doing so.

Social implications

Well-designed mentor training incorporating culturally aware practices could better prepare mentors to work successfully with mentees from diverse backgrounds. Cultivating a more culturally diverse scientific community is of benefit to science as well as society.

Originality/value

Little is known about how faculty perceive diversity or internalize training content on the topic, either within the context of mentoring or more broadly. This exploratory study provides unique insights into these phenomena and invites further research. Implications for mentoring relationships, mentor training initiatives, and efforts to address diversity are discussed.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 November 2023

W. Marcus Lambert, Nanda Nana, Suwaiba Afonja, Ahsan Saeed, Avelino C. Amado and Linnie M. Golightly

Structural mentoring barriers are policies, practices and cultural norms that collectively disadvantage marginalized groups and perpetuate disparities in mentoring. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

Structural mentoring barriers are policies, practices and cultural norms that collectively disadvantage marginalized groups and perpetuate disparities in mentoring. This study aims to better understand structural mentoring barriers at the postdoctoral training stage, which has a direct impact on faculty diversity and national efforts to retain underrepresented groups in research careers.

Design/methodology/approach

A diverse sample of postdoctoral scholars (“postdocs”) from across the USA were asked to participate in focus groups to discuss their training experiences. The authors conducted five 90-min focus groups with 32 biomedical postdocs, including 20 (63%) women and 15 (47%) individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups (URG).

Findings

A social-ecological framework was used to categorize both the upstream and downstream manifestations of structural mentoring barriers, as well as mentoring barriers, overall. Notable structural barriers included: academic politics and scientific hierarchy; inequalities resulting from mentor prestige; the (over) reliance on one mentor; the lack of formal training for academic and non-academic careers; and the lack of institutional diversity and institutional mentor training. To overcome these barriers, postdocs strongly encouraged developing a network or team of mentors and recommended institutional interventions that create more comprehensive professional development, mentorship and belonging.

Originality/value

For postdoctoral scientists, structural mentoring barriers can permeate down to institutional, interpersonal and individual levels, impeding a successful transition to an independent research career. This work provides strong evidence for promoting mentorship networks and cultivating a “mentoring milieu” that fosters a supportive community and a strong culture of mentorship at all levels.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2012

Iris Snoeck and Elke Struyf

The aim of this study is to analyse the experiences of student teachers and mentors regarding in‐service teacher‐training or the “Learning in the Workplace Trajectory” (LIW) in…

869

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to analyse the experiences of student teachers and mentors regarding in‐service teacher‐training or the “Learning in the Workplace Trajectory” (LIW) in Flemish secondary schools. How is this trajectory perceived by mentors and student teachers, i.e. do their individual expectations and capacities match with the formal guidelines implemented by the teacher‐training institutes (and how)?

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigates the LIW trajectory on a pragmatic level, using qualitative research methods such as semi‐structured interviews. The focus of this study is twofold: coaching during the LIW trajectory and evaluation during and at the end of the LIW trajectory.

Findings

The majority of the respondents (mentors and student teachers) indicated that adequate communication and partnership between school and teacher‐training institute (on both organizational and individual level) is essential for a successful trajectory. The challenges which both organizations have to face in order to establish an effective partnership and to effectively guide future student teachers towards their future profession, were made transparent: invest in intensive coaching and install structural involvement of both school and institute during the trajectory.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to a qualitative methodology and therefore has very few universal implications. Furthermore, this study originated from a practical point‐of‐view, with no interest in finding new theoretical insights on workplace learning.

Social implications

This study shows that without sufficient financial and structural support from the government, schools and teacher‐training institutes are left facing the challenges (finding ways to invest in and increase coaching the LIW student teachers and structural involvement in the organization of the LIW trajectory of schools) on their own.

Originality/value

This study aimed to highlight the perspective of student teachers and mentors – in other words to see this “Learning in the Workplace Trajectory” through their experience, as they experience(d) it in order to get a look inside the daily practice of both LIW students and mentors during coaching and evaluation.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2019

Marta Santos, Cláudia Pereira, Daniel Silva, Maria Antónia Cadilhe and Liliana Cunha

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a programme designed to welcome and train new employees, implemented in a chemical industry, privileging the transmission of know-how as a…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a programme designed to welcome and train new employees, implemented in a chemical industry, privileging the transmission of know-how as a dynamic process where learning is co-constructed in the course of the activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of the programme was based on the analysis of the work performed in real context by operators and supervisors. The data about the programme’s evaluation were collected by questionnaire, assessing the trainees’ global development and the impact of the training programme (after six months).

Findings

This paper involves designing, planning and implementing “4 × 4 Training”, a training programme for young trainees. Combining in-class training with an extensive component of on-the-job mentoring, the programme involved trainees, mentors and internal trainers, monitored by work psychologists. The results show both the trainees and the mentors evaluate the programme positively. The professional transmission stands out as an activity that is thought through and defined in group, assisted by a mentoring relationship of mutual learning.

Practical implications

When planning and developing intergenerational transmission processes, it is crucial to consider the organisational conditions, to involve from an early stage the key players of each work situation and to guarantee that the mentoring activity and the productive activity overlap coherently.

Originality/value

It is an innovative process to integrate trainees in the chemical industry in Portugal. The methodological approach and the findings provide a first framework that justifies the relevance of the transmission of know-how through a real work situation.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2014

Kathleen Sciarappa and Christine Y. Mason

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived efficacy of a US-based national principal mentor training program.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived efficacy of a US-based national principal mentor training program.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 370 protégés who received services from principal mentors in a national mentor internship program were invited to complete an electronic survey. Responses were obtained from 54 protégés.

Findings

The 54 respondents rated the mentor program highly, indicating that mentors were well prepared, good listeners, and instrumental in strengthening their instructional leadership.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides preliminary information on the perceived efficacy of the program. To more fully understand the needs of new principals and the value of varying mentor approaches, follow-up interviews, a research design that provides for data to be disaggregated by specific mentor trainers and dates/locations of training sessions, and comparative data from protégés supported by mentors prepared by other programs are needed.

Practical implications

Protégés reported high job satisfaction and recommended the program to others.

Originality/value

New principals reported that the principal mentoring was critical to their adjustment and success during their first year. This is the only known principal mentor program requiring a nine-month internship. The outcomes revealed the value of evaluating perceptions of protégés for continuous quality improvement.

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2016

Toshiya Chichibu

The purpose of this paper is to explain how initial teachers in Japan can develop instructional and thinking skills through lesson study with mentors. It will clarify the point of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain how initial teachers in Japan can develop instructional and thinking skills through lesson study with mentors. It will clarify the point of view in which mentors evaluate the lesson plan, research lessons and kyouzai-kenkyuu of initial teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a case analysis that shows how a mentor gives advice to an initial teacher in the post-lesson discussion. In Japanese lesson study, the time schedule of the post-lesson discussion is well structured, so the time for a mentor to state his or her comment is limited to around ten minutes. Mentors try to help initial teachers develop instructional and thinking skills.

Findings

From simple problem to high-level cases in which finding the problem of a lesson is difficult, only a highly competent mentor can find the problem and suggest improvements. Mentors need the competency to observe the lesson and the knowledge and skills to improve the lesson.

Research limitations/implications

This paper focusses on how mentors can help develop the kyouzai-kenkyuu understanding of initial teachers. More studies that focus on how mentors can train initial teachers to understand how students learn during lessons are needed.

Originality/value

This paper discloses what Japanese teachers think of lesson plans and kyouzai-kenkyuu and how mentors help develop kyouzai-kenkyuu understanding among initial teachers.

Details

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 October 2017

Nicola Martin, Damian Elgin Maclean Milton, Tara Sims, Gemma Dawkins, Simon Baron-Cohen and Richard Mills

The Research Autism Cygnet Mentoring project was a two-year pilot study, completed in 2016, which aimed to develop, trial and evaluate a mentoring scheme designed with input from…

Abstract

Purpose

The Research Autism Cygnet Mentoring project was a two-year pilot study, completed in 2016, which aimed to develop, trial and evaluate a mentoring scheme designed with input from autistic people, their families and supporters. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The mentoring scheme involved 12 matched pairs (mentor/mentee) meeting once per week for one hour, over a six-month period. All mentors attended a training day, led by the principles of personal construct theory and an emancipatory research ethos. The project and training involved significant involvement of autistic people in both its design and delivery.

Findings

Participants on the autism spectrum found their mentoring experience very helpful in enabling them to progress towards self-identified goals, and mentees felt empowered by the person-centred ethos and the methods employed on the project. However, a number of aspects of the mentoring project have been identified that require further investigation, including: caution over offering mentoring without formal structures, boundary setting, supervision, flexibility and the matching of mentees with mentors.

Originality/value

The project has highlighted the potential benefits of time-limited goal-orientated mentoring and the negligible evidence base underpinning current mentoring practice with adults on the autism spectrum. In order for the project to realise its emancipatory aim, there is a need for a large-scale quantitative study and a health-economics analysis to provide the necessary evidence base for mentoring to be recommended as a cost-effective intervention with clear benefits for individual wellbeing.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2023

Julia Maxwell, Faith Rusk, Jordan Nielsen, Andrea Guidara, Elizabeth Borges and Jamie Lamberti

This article shares an academic library's transition from traditional reference services to a peer support model during a campus reopening post-COVID-19 closure. It examines the…

Abstract

Purpose

This article shares an academic library's transition from traditional reference services to a peer support model during a campus reopening post-COVID-19 closure. It examines the conception, implementation and implications of the Peer Mentor program amidst shifts in campus priorities, Library research and reference paradigms and the Library workforce, from the perspectives of library faculty and staff, alongside feedback from student workers.

Design/methodology/approach

The article uses a case study approach to detail the Library's Peer Mentor Program by authors involved in various stages of the program's lifespan and discusses the beginnings, implementations and challenges of the program and introduces the unique curriculum used to train student Peer Mentors.

Findings

The authors chronicle their own experience after two semesters of the Peer Mentor program alongside qualitative feedback from the first cohort of Peer Mentors. The Peer Mentor feedback points to positive impacts in other academic pursuits and in gaining a greater understanding of the information landscape and the library field.

Originality/value

The case study presented is a valuable example for academic librarians considering beginning peer-to-peer learning models within their own research and reference services units, especially those who may be creating these peer learning networks in the wake of library service disruption or restructure (such as due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 51 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 November 2019

Tamar Tas, Thoni Houtveen and Wim Van de Grift

The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, what progress student teachers make during one academic year, while being trained in a professional learning community, using…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, what progress student teachers make during one academic year, while being trained in a professional learning community, using objective classroom observation, using lesson preparation templates that match their developmental stage and stage-focused mentor feedback.

Design/methodology/approach

The teaching skills of the student teachers (n=101) were measured at the start and at the end of the academic year. For the measurements, the standardized and psychometrically tested International Comparative Analysis of Learning and Teaching observation instrument is used.

Findings

The student teachers achieved a small growth on the basic teaching skills and a medium growth on two of the three advanced skills for teachers.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the lack of a control group, causal conclusions cannot be made. This research provides knowledge on the actual observed level of teaching skills of student teachers trained in a close collaborating professional learning community.

Originality/value

Little is known about the actual growth of observable teaching skills of student teachers in elementary education. Teacher training colleges and internship schools in the Netherlands are in search of better ways to collaborate more closely in order to improve the quality of teaching of their student teachers. These findings can inspire teacher training communities to improve their own teaching quality and the teaching quality of their student teachers.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

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