Year
2019
Season
Spring
Paper Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
College of Education and Human Services
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Department
Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sports Management
First Advisor
Dr. Kristine Webb
Second Advisor
Dr. Matthew Ohlson
Rights Statement
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Third Advisor
Dr. Jeffrey Cornett
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Amanda Pascale
Department Chair
Dr. Elizabeth Gregg
College Dean
Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey
Abstract
Mentoring is an effective tool for the professional development of novice teachers (Eby & Lockwood 2005; Kram, 1985; Stanulis & Ames, 2009). Mentors to preservice teachers have conveyed that they receive benefits and face barriers when mentoring (Ambrosetti, 2014; Burk & Eby, 2010; Hobson, Ashby, Malderez, & Tomlinson, 2009; Iancu-Haddad & Oplatka, 2009). Graduate students who serve as mentors to undergraduates have also reported advantages and drawbacks to being a mentor (Conway, Eros, Pellegrino, Kras, Gale, & Campbell, 2009; Reddick, Griffin, & Cherwitz, 2011). This study examined the perceived benefits and barriers for graduate students serving as mentors to undergraduate, preservice teachers. It also considered the affect that graduate school had on a teacher’s decision to engage in a mentoring relationship. The participants were all PK-12 teachers who were also graduate students in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) at the University of North Florida (UNF). The data for this qualitative case study was collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings yielded three themes (helps me, helps others, helps profession) which summarized the perceived benefits and barriers for graduate students mentoring preservice teachers. The results were connected to the Social Exchange Theory and it was determined that some graduate students will weigh rewards and costs before deciding to mentor, while others will lean more towards rewards or costs regardless. This study may have implications for undergraduate and graduate curriculum, mentor matching, and for mentor training.
Suggested Citation
Omeechevarria, Melissa, "Graduate Students’ Perspectives of the Benefits and Barriers to Mentoring Preservice Teachers" (2019). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 865.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/865
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons