Mentoring and Professional Teacher Development: A Case Study of Mentors and Mentees at a Rural North Carolina High School
By
Patricia Clark
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Gardner-Webb University School of Education
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctor of Education
Gardner-Webb University
2015
Approval Page
This dissertation was submitted by Patricia Clark under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Gardner-Webb University School of Education and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Gardner-Webb University.
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Mary Beth Roth, Ed.D. Date
Committee Chair
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Steven Bingham, Ed.D. Date
Committee Member
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Rhonda Hager, Ed.D. Date
Committee Member
______
Jeffrey Rogers, Ph.D.Date
Dean of the Gayle Bolt Price School
of Graduate Studies
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Mentoring and Professional Teacher Development: A Case Study of Mentors and Mentees. Clark, Patricia, 2016: Dissertation, Gardner-Webb University, Mentoring/Teacher Efficacy/Professional development/Relationships
Table of Contents
Page
Chapter 1: Introduction...... 1
Statement of the Problem...... 1
Chapter 2: Literature Review...... 10
Overview...... 10
Chapter 3: Methodology ...... 39
Data Collection ...... 43
Chapter 4: Results ...... 60
Introduction ...... 60
Chapter 5: Discussion ...... 61
References ...... 62
Appendices
A Interview Guide Examples...... 66
BMember Checking Guiding Questions...... 68
Tables
1 Example...... 1
2Example...... 1
Figures
1 Example...... 1
2 Example...... 1
1
1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview
Experienced teachers in North Carolina face an increasing number of external pressures on their professional practice. Teacher accountability models, implementation of numerous state standards, pay freezes, and larger class sizes have all played a role in adding to the daily workload of North Carolina teachers. With little funding for mentor training programs and professional development, teachers must work harder in order to serve their students, meet their own growth needs and assist beginning teachers in skill acquisition. According to research from The New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Clara (2009) regarding the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey, “one-third of new teachers assigned a mentor report never planning during the school day (32 percent) or planning instruction with their mentor (33 percent). One-fifth of new teacher indicate that they were not observed by their mentor” (Hirsch, p. 2). In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of mentoring programs on mentor teachers, further research needs to be conducted.
Statement of the Problem
Researchers in the field of teacher mentoring provide a wealth of information regarding both the importance and necessity of providing high-quality mentoring experiences for beginning teachers. However, a gap exists in terms of the impact of mentoring on the professional practice of the cooperating mentor teacher. Hirsch (2009) reported evidence from the 2008 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey that indicated,
mentors, like new teachers, are not receiving systematic support across schools and districts. While three-quarters (77 percent) of North Carolina educators serving as mentors to new teachers received some mentor training (i.e. seminars or classes), other supports are rare. About one-third of mentors report receiving release time to observe their mentee (38 percent), receiving common planning time with their mentee (31 percent), and regular communication with school administration (34 percent). Less than one out of ten receive release time to observe other mentors (7 percent) and virtually none receive a reduced number of preparations (2 percent) or teaching schedule (2 percent). (p. 3)
Given the current political climate and lack of financial incentive for mentor teachers to participate in these endeavors, developing a clear understanding of the professional and personal benefits of mentoring will provide much needed insight into how it relates to teacher leadership, professional practice and workplace satisfaction. Key researchers have indicated that further investigation needs to be conducted in order to determine how mentoring programs benefit experienced teachers and contribute to an increase in both teacher efficacy and teacher retention (Glickman, 2007; Denmark & Podsen, 2000; Danielson, 2006; Drago-Severson, 2009; Boreen, 2000; Daloz, 1999). Traditionally, the focus of mentor programs has centered on the needs of the beginning teacher and as such, few case studies have evaluated the process from the perspective of the mentor teacher. With a continued focus on collaborative teaching models and adult learning theory, district and school support strategies for mentor teachers would be better served by further research to determine the needs and benefits associated with mentoring for experienced teachers.
Significance of the study
Awell-executed case study evaluating and chronicling the specific experiences of mentor teachers within the bounds of their prescribed relationship with a beginning teacher will provide valuable qualitative data regarding their teacher leadership experiences, professional practice and job satisfaction. The specific research required for this study directly relates to the lack of focus on mentors by previous scholars and fills the need for data as requested by many researchers in their recommendations for further research. Utilizing naturalistic methodology, this case study of mentor-mentee pairings will provide opportunities for themes to emerge from the qualitative data as conducted from a phenomenological perspective. Yin (2009) noted that single case studies provide beneficial research into representative cases of a particular phenomenon and can “capture the circumstances and conditions of an everyday or commonplace situation” (p. 48). In order to meet the need for reliability, the data collected will be triangulated by collecting information from a variety of sources (mentor, mentee, administration, students), as well as using multiple methods (interviews, observations, field notes, documents and school records). The naturalistic perspective allows for the research to become emergent.As a result, the researcher can become part of the environment and truly understand the issues the participants may be facing (Fitzpatrick, Sanders & Worthen, 2011, p. 198). Data will be collected over a semester long period; this will provide a longitudinal component to the study and serve to further strengthen the data set. This theoretical framework will allow the emergence of insight on the career needs of mentor teachers as well as their particular needs as adult learners. As noted by Elliot, Isaacs, and Chugani (2010),
Understanding the connection between self-efficacy beliefs and teacher retention might provide information to enhance retention rates or retain qualified teachers in the schools that need them the most. Further research exploring the effects of mentoring and frequent targeted feedback as they relate to improved performance and increased self-efficacy for teaching has the potential to assist principals in developing building level induction, mentoring, and supervision programs that work to retain teachers. (p. 136)
Setting and Audience
The setting for the study will be conducted at a small town high school in rural North Carolina. The school enrolls around 850 students annually and has a diverse ethnic population with high poverty in the community. The school staff does not reflect the diversity of the student membership and has less than 5% ethnic minority employment. The school administration will notify all potential subjects of their inclusion in the pool of applicants and the researcher will accept a minimum of three and up to five mentor-mentee pairs. After appropriate consent and debriefings take place, the qualitative data collection can occur.
The audience for the study will be those teachers involved in the research as well as all other staff members and administrative officers in the school district as they may potentially benefit from the findings. The emergent themes from the research may aid the district in identifying and evaluating issues within the current mentoring program and create policy to better serve the professional development and workplace satisfaction of their experienced mentor teachers.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine if participation in a mentor-mentee relationship benefits these mentor teachers in terms of teacher leadership, professional practice and workplace satisfaction. Mentor training is required in the state of North Carolina but monetary compensation has been withdrawn due to budgetary constraints at the state level. In order to determine the motivations and perceived benefits for potential mentor teachers, research must be conducted in the field to evaluate the realities of the day to day mentoring experience including intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. One of the central concepts of the study will focus on ascertaining whether serving as a mentor teacher allows attainment of greater access to teacher leadership opportunities within their school building or district. The researcher will also evaluate through the qualitative data what components, if any, of the mentor experience allow the teacher to gain skills in their professional practice. The third and final central concept or focus of the study will evaluate if the mentor teacher perceives increased workplace and job satisfaction as a result of participating in the mentoring relationship. Results from the study may help guide the evaluation of the mentoring program for the local school district and help the administration in providing professional growth for mentor teachers.
Limitations
The case study of these mentor teachers has several potential limitations that will limit the findings to a this unique phenomenological experience.
- A weakness of this study rests on the fact that due to the small sample size of three to five mentor-mentee pairings, it will prove difficult to generalize the findings to broad groups of mentor teachers. Consequently, future researchers should strive to perform additionalstudies on broader populations.
- Since the selection of the candidates will be voluntary, it is possible that more intrinsically motivated individuals will become involved in the research and that could narrow the results as those not as engaged in the mentoring relationship may not be open to participating.
- The validity of the research will also depend on the actions of the researcher in a naturalistic methodological research approach. Every precaution will be taken to ensure reliability of the findings.
Delimitations
The research in this study will include three to five mentor/mentee pairings chosen as a sample of convenience based on administrative recommendation and consent.
Due to the substantial amount of data collection necessitated by using a naturalistic model, the number of participants had to be limited.
Due to the focused nature of the study, the views of administrators, students and parents will not be included. The focus will remain firmly on the mentor teachers and their relationships with their mentees and the impact the mentoring experience has had on their personal and professional life.
Definition of Terms
The following list of terms relates directly to the study and are specific to the field of mentoring:
Adult learning theory. A developmental theory that suggests that all adult learners have multiple intelligences and a variety of learning styles (Boreen, 2000).
Beginning teacher. Educator with less than three years of experience working as a professional teacher.
Case study. A research method that allows the researcher to investigate the richness of the phenomenon and the extensiveness of the real life context within a particular topic or relationship (Yin, 2009).
Coaching. A modern construct utilized to describe mentoring relationships most often in business settings (Drago-Severson, 2009).
Collaboration. A key skill needed to help teachers grow in their professional practice as working with other teachers broadens the educator's skill set. (Denmark & Podsen, 2000).
Induction programs. Typically, one to three day programs to initiate new teachers to a local school district. Often assume that all new teachers have the same needs in terms of initial professional development (Boreen, 2000).
Mentee. A novice teacher often paired with an experienced teacher in order to gain experience and guidance.
Mentor. A professional educator with more than four years in the classroom that is a friend, guide and teacher (Merriam, 1983).
Naturalistic study. The researcher remains part of the environment and “through observations, documents, records, interviews and unobtrusive measures, come to understand” the issues facing the subjects under scrutiny (Fitzpatrick, Sanders & Worthen, 2011).
Professional development. Opportunities for all teachers to broaden their content and pedagogical knowledge. Mentoring cannot be separated from professional development (Boreen, 2000).
Professional learning communities. Groups created by administration or other teachers that are collaborative in nature and reflect acquisition of the most current academic research (Boreen, 2000).
Psychosocial functions. Benefits that emerge on a personal level and that are directly related to the mentoring relationship (Ragins & Kram, 2007).
Teacher-Efficacy. Intellectual activity by which one forges one’s beliefs about his or her ability to achieve a certain level of accomplishment and has a direct link to the way students perform in the classroom (Yost, 2002).
Research Questions
The following study will evaluate the relationships between selected mentor-mentee pairings with a focus on the broader significance of the mentoring relationship and how it may relate to teacher leadership, professional practice and workplace satisfaction for the experienced teacher. Using a naturalistic model based on a case study philosophy, the researcher will evaluate themes as they emerge from the qualitative data and construct meaning from that information in order to provide a clearer understanding of teacher efficacy and mentoring for experienced teachers. The study will investigate how mentor teachers view their experiences, what motivates them and what benefits, if any, they derive from the relationship with their beginning teacher. More specifically, the following questions will be addressed:
What themes emerge as relevant in the professional practice of mentor teachers as evidenced by qualitative coding methods?
How does being a mentor cause teachers to critically examine their practice?
What do the emergent themes from the research demonstrate about the impact of mentoring on the mentor teachers?
Conclusion
The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the phenomenological experience of mentor teachers in their workplace as they engage in a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a beginning teacher. This chapter illustrated the nature of the problem and the need for further research. Many researchers have posited that additional researchshould be carried out in order to determine how mentoring programs benefit experienced teachers and contribute to an increase in both teacher efficacy and teacher retention (Glickman, 2007; Denmark & Podsen, 2000; Danielson, 2006; Drago-Severson, 2009; Boreen, 2000; Daloz, 1999). The significance of the study will involve collecting qualitative data regarding the experiences of mentor teachers in terms of their teacher leadership experiences, professional practice and critical reflection. The framework of the study will also lend itself to the emergence of themes relating to the mentoring experience as well as to their particular needs as related to adult learning theory. The purpose of the study will be to ascertain if the mentoring relationship benefits the mentor teacher. The results of the study will assist the local district in providing professional growth for mentor teachers. Due to the small sample size of this case study, several limitations exist including a lack of ability to make generalizations. The findings of this study will be phenomenological in nature and only provide a picture of the experiences of these teachers during this place and time. However, the themes that emerge can provide a meaningful view into the experiences of mentor teachers and provide insight into the role adult learning theory plays in the mentoring process.
Chapter 2 will provide a detailed overview of the mentoring literature and more elaborate evidence of the need for additional research into the mentoring experience. A comprehensive review of the literature will provide the background for this study and create a framework for effective mentoring relationships.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Overview
This literature review addresses a comprehensive overview of the current literature and scholarship on mentoring and new teacher induction programs. Teacher attrition and turnover remain a major problem for cash strapped school districts across the country. “The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future reported the following national attrition data: 14 percent of beginning teachers leave after the first year; 24 percent after two years; 33 percent after three years; 40 percent after four years; and 46 percent after five years...and they estimate that teacher turnover costs the nation's school districts approximately $7 billion annually for recruiting, hiring and training” (Boreen, 2000, p. 6). The need to provide guidance and support for beginning teachers has never been more important. Scholars indicate that mentoring provides benefits for both the mentor and the protégé, however, the majority of the studies focus on the benefits for the protégé. A research gap exists in terms of benefits for the experienced mentor teachers. In a time when states continue to decrease monetary mentor compensation, what are the professional, psychosocial and career needs of the mentoring teacher? “Studies have shown that those who are mentored earn higher salaries, receive more promotions, and have greater career and job satisfaction than those who are not mentored” (Ensher & Murphy, 2005, p. 256). A comprehensive study of the mentoring literature will provide the background for this research study and may shed light on the needs, goals, and motivations of the mentor-protégé dichotomy.
The structure of this literature review will provide a framework for the studies relating to this research on mentoring. A thorough look at the history of the practice of mentoring will evaluate the origins of the practice and demonstrate the roots of the practice in both business and in educational settings. The studies will clarify key terms, theoretical constructs and developmental literature. Literature and studies relating directly to the practice of mentoring in education will reveal trends and best practices for the mentor-protégé interaction. The benefits and repercussions of new teacher induction programs will shed light on how mentoring impacts those initiatives. The purpose of evaluating those studies will clarify if scholars believe new teacher induction programs are valid and lead to increased teacher efficacy in the classroom. The literature review will also evaluate the role of adult learning theory within the framework of effective mentor and induction programs as well as identifying the characteristics of successful mentoring programs including an explanation of the phases needed for implementation. A synthesis of the authors and their literature will identify the distinguishing features of quality mentors and the skills they need to adequately prepare beginning teachers for their new careers. The evaluation of the research gap will demonstrate the need for further research on the needs and motivations of mentor teachers. With a deficit of research on the mentor related issues such as teacher retention, job satisfaction and professional development, a need for further research will be demonstrated. A clear theoretical framework for the topic will provide guidance for the remainder of the study and by making connections to the various components of the topic of mentoring. Developing the research under a participant based naturalistic study suggests that stakeholders such as the researcher, administration, mentors, beginning teachers and other related staff will be heavily involved in the process and will in fact be instrumental to the success of the study.