Browsing by Subject "Mentoring"
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Item Constructing the framework for mentoring African American male student-athletes at predominately white institutions of higher education(2012-08) Kelly, Darren David; Dixon, Marlene A., 1970-; Hunt, Thomas M.; Green, B C.; Moore, Leonard N.; Harrison, LouisThe goal of this study was to develop a detailed understanding of the academic, athletic, and psychosocial needs and issues of African American male student-athletes attending a predominately White public flagship institution of higher education during their transitional first year and determine if, how, and who were meeting these needs. In addition to the well-known lower graduation rates and academic struggles of African American male football players, there are numerous psychosocial and cultural issues and barriers these young men face during their transition such as commitment, discrimination, and isolation (Hyatt, 2003). Mentoring has been used as a tool for developing organizational members in many different contexts and disciplines such as business (Kram, 1985), higher education (Johnson, 2007), and sport management (Jones, Harris, & Miles, 2009). Further, since African American male student-athletes have an array of academic and psychosocial needs, researchers need to look beyond the traditional model of having one primary mentor and explore the potential of a “critical mass” or network of mentors. Twelve first-year African American male student-athletes participated in semi-structured interviews at the conclusion of the first and second semesters of their first year of college. Additional key institutional stakeholders included four upperclassmen African American male student-athletes, three former African American male student-athletes and four faculty and staff members, also participated in interviews with the researcher to add further insights into the first-year experience. Results indicated that African American male student-athletes went through five major transitions: an academic transition, an athletic transition, an athlete status transition, a transition into a less diverse environment, and a transition away from home. Ideal mentors for these individuals were typically African American men who provided role modeling, promoted critical thinking through interactive dialogue, and gave advice on personal and academic issues. Mentoring networks for this population must at least include African American males from the faculty and staff at the university and professionals in the community along with older teammates. Research findings will be of interest to researchers, administrators (academic and athletic), and practitioners who desire to improve the academic, psychosocial, athletic, and overall college experience of African American male student-athletes.Item The effects of mentoring standards as a policy instrument on the mentor-mentee relationship of beginning math and science teachers in high-poverty middle schools(2013-05) Dietz, Laurel Kathleen, 1963-; Vasquez Heilig, JulianInduction and mentoring programs are often portrayed as commonsense policy solutions to lower teacher attrition, build beginning teacher capability and ultimately, raise student achievement. Mentoring standards however, have rarely been examined to see how their interpretation and implementation influence the relationship of mentor-mentee pairs in local contexts under a state voluntary induction and mentoring program. In this multi-cased qualitative study, I interviewed nine mentor-mentee pairs and conducted separate mentor and mentee focus groups as well as observing the mentor and mentee interact during an observational cycle in seven high poverty middle schools under Texas' Beginning Teacher Induction and Mentoring (BTIM) program. I also performed a content analysis of mentor training and support materials. Using Cohen and Moffitt's policy implementation framework I found that due to the lack of specificity and formalness of mentoring standards in BTIM-specific and non-specific documents, and the spottiness of mentor initial training, most mentors and mentees needed to rely on their capabilities and dispositions to define their roles. Consequently, it seemed that in the eyes of the mentors and mentees their relationship was informal; this was reflected in the roles that they assumed. Based on the study results, I recommend that mentoring standards for the mentor and mentee be more specific and formally defined. Indeed, there appears to be a need to formally conceptualize mentoring from its policy aims to its policy instruments within mentoring policy.Item An examination of the mentoring strategies and match quality indices that effect both a child’s change in social competency and a mentor’s sense of sufficiency(2010-05) Collins, Sarah Margaret, 1977-; Borich, Gary D.; Pituch, Keenan A.; Dodd, Barbara G.; Emmer, Edmund T.; Rehnborg, Sarah JaneMuch of the recent literature in mentoring centers on the effectiveness of volunteers who donate their time to relationships with children in need of a positive adult role model (DuBois & Karcher, 2005). Because mentors generally take on a great deal of responsibility with youth who are often at-risk either personally or academically (Commonwealth Fund, 1998; McLearn, Colasanto & Schoen, 1998; McLearn et al., 1999), researchers want to identify those variables and practices that increase the chance of a successful and beneficial relationship (Nakkula & Harris, 2005). This study examined the benefits of adult-child mentoring and looked for connections between the mentees’ growth in social competence and the relationship length, match quality, and specific mentoring strategies employed. The mentors’ perceptions of sufficiency about the match, the mentee’s additional resources, and their own abilities were also examined. A survey was distributed electronically to 890 Austin, Texas mentors about their relationships, and a separate school level survey was distributed to the 90 mentor contacts located in each school that utilizes mentors. School demographic data was also collected from the Texas Education Agency. The results indicate that longer and more high-quality matches, an increased importance placed on getting the mentee to care more about others, and spending more time with the mentee’s teachers all predict higher levels of growth in specific social competencies. The strength of the match was also a positive predictor of the mentors’ sense of sufficiency about themselves and about the impact of mentoring with their mentee. The results suggest a need for increased training in the specific caring and teacher-involvement mentor strategies, and for more discussion with mentors about the importance of committing to long-term, high-quality matches.Item Guiding the entrepreneurial odyssey : the impact of mentors on strategy formation in nascent ventures(2020-05-08) Marquez, Andrea Caldwell; Bermiss, Y. Sekou; Hannah, Douglas P; Martins, Luis; O'Mahony, SiobhanFounders of early-stage ventures do not form their strategy in a vacuum. In fact, founders of high-potential startups typically seek strategic advice regularly throughout the strategy formation process. This is particularly true for founders participating in accelerators and other entrepreneurial support organizations, which provide robust access to training and mentorship. Accelerators have proliferated over the past decade and stress the important role that mentors play during these fixed-term programs – yet much of the research on strategy formation in nascent ventures has focused on the role of the founders as internal strategists. This limits our understanding of the impact that key external strategists such as mentors have on venture strategy. In particular, we lack insight into two important questions: 1) How do founders solicit and integrate advice from many external advisors?, and 2) How do mentors attempt to shape strategy formation in the ventures that they advise? Given the lack of research on this topic, I employ an inductive, theory-building methodology to perform a multi-case comparative study of nine ventures participating in a Texas-based accelerator. Using data from 84 interviews conducted with accelerator founders, mentors, and staff as well as over 80 hours of observation, I investigate the interactions between mentors and founders over the course of a three-month accelerator program. I find that founders have advice-seeking heuristics that guide their approach to soliciting strategic advice from mentors. In particular, founders use a broad or narrow approach when engaging mentors, and approach them in either a transactional or relational manner. By considering the intersection of these two dimensions, I identify four distinct strategic advice-seeking approaches, labeled as the crowdsourcing, broker, listening tour, and proto-board approaches. Findings also suggest that how founders seek advice can have an important impact on strategy formation. Finally, this research identifies key practices (labeled co-creating, provocating, delineating, and stage-gating) that mentors use to shape strategy formation. These findings contribute to the literatures on entrepreneurial mentoring, strategic advice, and strategy formation. In addition, this research offers several practical implications to founders who seek strategic advice, mentors who give it, and entrepreneurial support organizations who facilitate these interactions.Item Mentorability : understanding and exploring first-year students’ perception of engaging in a mentoring relationship at a Hispanic serving institution(2020-08-12) Black, Victoria Gandaría; Saenz, Victor B.; Reddick, Richard, 1972-; Bukoski, Beth; Haber-Curran, PaigeHigher education institutions have emphasized retention as one of the measurable outcomes linked with institutional performance, state and federal funding appropriations, and publicized rankings (Hagedorn, 2012). Therefore, higher education institutions intentionally have become more focused on providing a robust first-year college experience, including high-impact practices intended to help with adjustment, transition, and retention of students during their first year. One high-impact practice is a formal mentoring program focused on relationship building, positive peer support, and social guidance (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges & Hayek, 2006). More specifically, peer mentoring is an important component of a student’s first year and undergraduate experience (Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Crisp et al., 2017; Gershenfeld, 2014; Jacobi, 1991; Miller, 2004). Mentorability is a term that conceptualizes mentees’ ability to engage in a mutually beneficial and developmental relationship (Reddick, 2014). It focuses on mentees understanding of their role and responsibilities engaging in the relationship. This study employed a phenomenological approach in examining how 17 mentees described their lived experiences of and how they perceived their ability to commit, contribute, and engage in a peer mentoring partnership in a formal mentoring program at an Hispanic Serving Institution. The key findings of the study demonstrated: (1) mentorability as a process: from unclear expectations to viewing a mentor as a lifeline for success; (2) mentees as information seekers and mentors as influential contributors; and (3) communication and open-mindedness as key mentee contributions, trust as a gatekeeper for relationship formation, and mentorability as multi-level of exchange including understanding a mentee’s role extends beyond the reciprocity with the mentor to other peers. Drawing from three social science theories, this study introduces a mentorability conceptual model for practice derived from findings from the study (Astin, 1993; Lin, 2001; Cropanzano et al., 2017). Additional findings, and implications for future research, practice, and theory are discussed.Item Reframing the c onversation : faculty mentoring undergraduate women students in engineering(2011-05) Ferguson, Sarah Kiersten; Vincent, Gregory J.; Ritter, Gretchen; Holme, Jennifer; Reddick, Richard; Sanders, SherriWomen and members of underrepresented populations remain a relatively small proportion of the engineering faculty and students on university campuses. The lack of diversity potentially reduces the number of innovative and diverse perspectives contributing to these fields. One critical area missing in the research literature concerns faculty mentoring of engineering undergraduate women students. This qualitative study explores the narratives of six engineering faculty member mentors, two student affairs practitioners, and three undergraduate women student mentees and their mentoring experiences in a large public research university. Drawing on relevant frameworks from best practices in mentoring and pedagogy, this study will reframe the conversations surrounding faculty mentoring of undergraduate students by utilizing a feminist lens, which seeks to explicitly address the need to create and sustain an inclusive and engaging classroom environment and mentoring relationships. The following research questions guided the study: 1) how do mentors and mentees make meaning and conceptualize the act of mentoring, 2) how are these mentoring relationships situated within the context of the institution in which they are embedded, and 3) what implications emerge for retention and representation of underrepresented students for faculty mentors and student mentees? With this in mind, a feminist lens was useful for expanding the ways in which mentoring is conceptualized and explored because traditional approaches did not effectively explore or capture the benefits received by the participants. The engineering faculty mentor and undergraduate student mentee participants largely formed mentoring relationships informally, often through a connection established in a classroom. Faculty members were purposeful and thoughtful in their pedagogical choices, fostering an engaging and supportive classroom environment. Unlike the research literature, these faculty mentors perceived real benefits from mentoring undergraduate students. In addition, the faculty mentors participating in this study were particularly aware of the challenges and opportunities facing women and underrepresented undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty in engineering.Item Sustaining hope : a teacher's stories of teaching reading for 46 years in one urban school(2012-05) Hampton, Angela Joy; Worthy, Jo; Bomer, Randy; Maloch, Beth; Schallert, Diane; Hoffman, JimThis dissertation examines the life stories of Marsha Ethridge (all names are pseudonyms), a teacher who has taught for 46 years in one urban elementary school. The stories Marsha tells about her life are used as lenses to consider the following: (1) What influences most shaped Marsha’s practices and stories to live by as a teacher? (2) What has it been like for Marsha teaching reading in an urban elementary school for 46 years? and (3) What is the nature of caring in Marsha’s stories? The study draws on life story and portraiture methods. Data were collected over a period of three years and includes life story interviews, one focus group interview, observations, and artifacts. Through the process of constant comparative method, three themes emerged: literacy and accountability, teacher development and identity, and caring and connecting. The most salient theme was caring and connecting throughout Marsha’s stories, and it served as a unifying thread to pull her stories together. This study found that in Marsha’s first years of teaching there were few forms of accountability. She felt that this was the primary reason many of her sixth graders had made it through school without learning to read. In the following years she used a variety of measures for accountability, including high-stakes accountability, which caused her to experience increasing professional dissonance. The form of accountability she believed improved her teaching practices the most was accountability situated in the context of caring relationships and it led to hope for future success. Marsha experienced this face-to-face accountability in the teacher-initiated group she had been meeting with for 27 years. Research implications from this study include the need to further explore discourse in teacher-initiated groups over time and in different contexts, as well as consider how the relational dynamics and accountability within collaborative teacher groups contribute to teacher growth. Additionally, the analysis of Marsha’s life stories indicate a need for teachers, parents, researchers, and policy makers to lay aside discourse of blaming and shaming to create opportunities for extended conversations about alternatives to high-stakes accountability.