Main Content
Session Information
11 SES 01, Beginning the Process as Educators
Paper Session
Contribution
In this paper, the author presents the results of a research project which had as overarching objective to understand the practices, purposes and effects of research mentoring for ECRs in universities in two different contexts (the UK and Norway). This paper will explore the different perspectives mentees, mentors and mentoring coordinators have of mentoring as a tool for professional learning and development and career development. The particular focus of this paper will be on the concept of mentoring as a support mechanism for the complex environment of academia. Findings from this study show mentoring for ECRs is perceived as being supportive, developmental, empowering, individualised and supporting resilience. This research also shows that factors that impact on mentoring are linked with both mentor and mentee mindset, but also with the culture of the academic institution and the support mechanisms that are in place to ensure mentoring relationships fulfil their goals.
Method
This paper stems from a qualitative research project that collected data through face to face interactions with participants in a multi case study. The selection of participating countries in this research project was purposive. The initial tasks for this project included a literature review on research mentoring in higher education, in particular, mentoring for ECRs. This allowed for the identification what is already known about research mentoring in higher education. This also informed the creation of the data generation instruments (i.e. focus group and interview protocols) and analysis in the subsequent stages of the research, and helped to contextualise findings. Documentary data, such as mentoring frameworks and policies, satisfaction questionnaires, performance indicators and others, was content analysed using a content analysis software (NVivo). Common themes or references to specific policies for ECRs professional learning and development needs and career development needs were coded and analysed in order to look for cross-references and overlapping themes to inform the production of the focus groups and interview protocols. Interviews and focus groups with mentors, mentees and academics who oversee the mentoring programmes of the participating institutions were carried out during the academic year 2016-2017. These interviews and focus groups allowed to explore the multi case study mentors, mentees and programme leaders’ accounts of how the mentoring for ECRs programmes work, what are the factors for success or failure of the mentoring programmes, how is this evaluated and impact on the overall career development of ECRs. These interviews and focus groups were piloted in a UK higher education institution to check for fitness for purpose of the focus group and interviews protocols. The data resulting from these focus group discussions and interviews was content analysed and forms the basis of the findings in this paper.
Expected Outcomes
Findings from this study show mentoring for ECRs is perceived as being supportive, developmental, empowering, individualised and supporting resilience. This research also shows that factors that impact on mentoring are linked with both mentor and mentee mindset, but also with the culture of the academic institution and the support mechanisms that are in place to ensure mentoring relationships fulfil their goals.
References
Bean, N. M., Lucas, L., & Hyers, L.L. (2014). Mentoring in Higher Education should be the norm to assure success: lessons learned from the faculty mentoring program, West Chester University, 2008-2011. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 22(1), 56-73, doi: 10.1080/13611267.2014.882606 •Castanheira, P. (2016). Mentoring for educators’ professional learning and development: a meta-synthesis of IJMCE volumes 1-4. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Volume 5, Issue 4, pp. 334-346, DOI: 10.1108/IJMCE-10-2015-0030 Godden, L., Tregunna, L., & Kutsyuruba, B. (2014). Collaborative application of the Adaptive Mentorship© model. The professional and personal growth within a research triad. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 3(2), 125-140, doi: 10.1108/IJME-09-2013-0054 Keyser, D. J., Lakoski, J. M., Lara-Cinisomo, S., Schultz, D. J., Williams, V. L, Zellers, D. F., & Pincus, H. A. (2008). Advancing institutional efforts to support research mentorship: A conceptual framework and self-assessment tool. Academic Medicine 83(3), 217–25. Lumpkin, A. (2011). A Model for mentoring university faculty. The Educational Forum, 75(4), 357-368, doi: 10.1080/00131725.2011.602466 Marcellino, P. A. (2011). Fostering sustainability: A case study of a pilot mentoring program at a private university. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 19(4), 441-464, doi: 10.1080/13611267.2011.622079 Mathews, P. (2003). Academic mentoring. Enhancing the use of scarce resources. Educational Management and Administration, 31(3), London: Sage Mullen, C.A., & Hutinger J. (2008) At the tipping point? Role of formal faculty mentoring in changing university research cultures. Journal of In-Service Education, 34(2),181-204 Mullen, C. A., & Kennedy, C. S. (2007). It takes a village to raise faculty: Implementing triangular mentoring relationships, Florida Educational Leadership, 7(2), 24-27,. http://cnx.org/content/m14546/1.2/
Programme by Network 2019
00. Central Events (Keynotes, EERA-Panel, EERJ Round Table, Invited Sessions)
Network 1. Continuing Professional Development: Learning for Individuals, Leaders, and Organisations
Network 2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Network 3. Curriculum Innovation
Network 4. Inclusive Education
Network 5. Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education
Network 6. Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures
Network 7. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Network 8. Research on Health Education
Network 9. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement
Network 10. Teacher Education Research
Network 11. Educational Effectiveness and Quality Assurance
Network 12. LISnet - Library and Information Science Network
Network 13. Philosophy of Education
Network 14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Network 15. Research Partnerships in Education
Network 16. ICT in Education and Training
Network 17. Histories of Education
Network 18. Research in Sport Pedagogy
Network 19. Ethnography
Network 20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments
Network 22. Research in Higher Education
Network 23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education
Network 24. Mathematics Education Research
Network 25. Research on Children's Rights in Education
Network 26. Educational Leadership
Network 27. Didactics – Learning and Teaching
Network 28. Sociologies of Education
Network 29. Reserach on Arts Education
Network 30. Research on Environmental und Sustainability Education
Network 31. Research on Language and Education (LEd)
Network 32. Organizational Education
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