Teachers need to re-create their role to suit new situations and relationship in Lithuania; teacher educators – create approaches and methods allowing teachers make a transition. Teacher competencies in this context come into the centre of reform. After renovation of the primary education concept, primary education program, primary school teacher’s education standards, certification provisions according to European Community agreements on the free professional movement, qualification recognition the need to research ant to help primary school teachers to acquire and develop the professional competence has emerged. Survey shows that young and inexperienced people while joining the organization of pedagogical process usually suffer stress and face variety of problems. Consequently students- practicians and teachers who are working for the first year are in need of a mentor i.e. experienced patron, able to take the role of the patron, helper, counselor, assessor and a friend. However we are in need of profound research to be able to analyze the competence of the teacher-mentor or patron. The mentors or primary education teachers’ problem is ones expression of competence functionality and assessing. In Lithuania this problem is not enough examined neither in theoretical neither in practical aspects. The mentors competence and qualities are not assigned. In Lithuania up to this day mentor was reputed as the guide for practical studies, or patron of the student practician. The... [to full text]

Tiriant mentoriaus ir studento sąveiką mokomosios socialinio darbo praktikos procese yra svarbu atsižvelgti į mentoriaus pasiruošimą (kompetencijas) bei atliekamus vaidmenis, taip pat vadovavimo stilių, kurį jis pasirenka dirbdamas su studentu. Taip pat svarbu apžvelgti ir studento pasiruošimo praktinei veiklai galimybes. Analizuojant mentoriaus ir studento sąveiką praktikos procese galima įžvelgti studijų kokybės aspektą – mokymąsi praktikos procese, kuris lemia studentų pasiruošimą savarankiškai profesinei veiklai. Todėl mentoriaus vaidmuo ir motyvacija labai svarbūs. Tikslas – išanalizuoti mentoriaus ir studento sąveikos aspektus mokomosios socialinio darbo praktikos procese, išryškinant sąveikos turinį. Buvo atliktas kokybinis tyrimas (pusiau struktūruotas interviu). Tyrimo dalyviai buvo pasirinkti darant prielaidą, jog skirtingų specifikų socialinio darbo organizacijose atsiskleis skirtingi mentorystės bei mokomosios socialinio darbo praktikos aspektai, kas leis mentoriaus ir studento sąveiką apžvelgti įvairiais aspektais. Pasirinktos tokios organizacijos, kuriose socialinio darbo praktiką atlieka studentai iš Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto. Tyrime dalyvavo po vieną mentorių iš vienos organizacijos. Iš viso tyrime dalyvavo 7 mentoriai. Tyrimo dalyviams buvo pateikti klausimai, susiję su mentoriaus kompetencijomis, studentų išankstiniu pasiruošimu bei mentoriaus ir studento sąveika mokomosios socialinio darbo praktikos procese. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, jog studentų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Study of interaction between mentor and student teaching in social work practice is an important consideration in the process of mentor preparation (competencies), and roles, as well as leadership style, which he chooses in the student. It is also important to review the student's preparation and practical work opportunities. Analyzing the interaction between mentor and student can see the process of practice quality aspect - learning practices in the process that determines the students' preparation for self employment. Therefore, the role of mentor, and motivation is very important. Purpose - to analyze the interaction between mentor and student teaching aspects of social work practice in the process, highlighting the interaction between the content. It was a qualitative study (semi-structured interviews). The study participants were selected on the assumption that the different specificities of social work revealed different mentoring organizations, and educational aspects of social work practice, which will allow the mentor and the student an overview of various aspects of the interaction. Choice of such an organization in which social work practice by students from the Vytautas Magnus University. The study included one on one mentoring organization. A total of seven mentors. The study participants were questioned in connection with the mentor competency, students advance preparation and interaction between the mentor and student teaching in... [to full text]

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In this study, an innovative 'peer tutoring' programme at a high school in KwaZuluNatal was examined. The aim of the study was to explore the limits and possibilities of this approach to enhancing learning at the school from the perspective of teachers, tutors and tutees. 30 learners who were tutees in the programme, 10 tutors, and 5 educators were interviewed through semi-structured interviews into order to examine how they were experiencing the programme. In addition, the researcher conducted non-participant observations of selected peer tutoring sessions at the school. The findings revealed that overall peer tutoring has positive benefits for learners and has the potential to enhance learning and teaching at the school. Some of the benefits that emerged are: increased motivation; enhanced self-concept; reduced inhibition; learning in a supportive, enabling environment; increased communication and dialogue; development of learner autonomy and independence. The study revealed there are areas in the programme that need to be systematically monitored, for example, peer interactions to ensure that they are not at a purely concrete knowledge telling level. Training has to ensure that deep level thinking and problem solving occurs. The active involvement of teachers is necessary at all levels, in particular to monitor discipline. The findings also suggest that the success of a peer-tutoring programme may be linked to the culture and ethos of the school as a whole. A school that upholds the principles of inclusivity, values of caring and affirming others, collaboration, and an ethos of working together may be an environment in which a peer-tutoring programme will flourish. The whole school community needs to build this kind of an ethos and culture - teachers, learners, parents, school management. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

This study explores the experiences of the master teacher in mentoring teachers. Education officials have acknowledged that capacity and skill gaps are impeding progress in education, especially at schools. Within the school context many teachers are either under-qualified or poorly qualified for their job description and this to a large extent has contributed to the schools being dysfunctional. Therefore a well-structured mentorship programme is integral in upgrading education. Within the new occupation specific dispensation (OSD) for educators in the public sector, the category of master teacher has been created to fulfill their roles as mentors in schools. The purpose of the study therefore attempts to critically examine and explore the experiences of the master teacher in a mentoring role. The rationale for choosing the study ("Master teacher experiences of mentoring teachers") is that I am presently a master teacher at Stanger South Secondary, a school 75 kilometres north of Durban, in the KwaDukuza area of KwaZulu-Natal. However the mentoring role by the master teacher, which has been in existence at schools for over two years, is in some cases non-existent or done in a very fragmented way. The phenomenon of the master teacher as a mentor is relatively new in the context of South African education. Hence very little or no research has be done in this domain. Moreover, most of the literature on mentoring focuses on the plethora of definitions of mentoring, the role of the mentor and the experiences of beginning teachers in the induction programmes at schools and very little research on experiences of mentors, especially within the context of education in South Africa. A qualitative methodology was used using the phenomenological approach. The study employed a purposive sampling technique, choosing 3 respondents from 3 different public schools in the Ilembe district of KwaDukuza area (viz. Cranbrook Secondary, Greyridge Secondary and Doesberg Secondary), who are each subjected to a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data revealed that three master teacher mentors embraced the discourses of collaboration, collegiality and critical dialogue in their mentoring relationship with their mentees, which forms an important part of the radical humanistic approach to mentoring, which is a shift from the rigid functionalist approach to mentoring that emphasizes conformity and maintaining the status quo. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The National Cadetship Programme (NCP) is part of a comprehensive Education and Development Programme within the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra (KZNPO). The NCP offers promising young South African players focused coaching and first hand experience of playing in a professional orchestra. One of its main aims is to increase the number of South African musicians in the pool of present and future orchestra musicians. However, though the NCP has been in existence for just over ten years, the demographic representation of the KZNPO remains largely unchanged. This research investigated whether it is necessary to make changes to the NCP in order for it to be more effective. It began by revealing the intended overall structure of the Programme through interviews with the orchestra management, comparing it to what is actually happening, and discussing the implications that this has for learning within the Programme. It also obtained the expectations of the various participants of the NCP regarding the educational process, and evaluated the level at which these expectations were being met. Further, it analysed the reasons why these expectations were or were not being met in terms of experiential learning and programme development, and discussed the implications for the Programme. The research found a lack of clarity amongst the mentors and cadets about the structure of the NCP and the roles expected of them. It also revealed that the formal assessment and feedback procedure needed to be improved in order for it to be more educative, and that the cadets needed to be given more performance opportunities. The research concluded that it would be beneficial to the NCP for experiential learning to be formalised within the Programme with the systematic adoption of an experiential learning model. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

As nursing leaders, nurse managers are critical to the future of the healthcare system, as well as the nursing profession. Becoming a new manager or leader requires considerable development (Conners, Dunn, Devine, & Osterman, 2007); however, there is limited literature that focuses on the development of the nurse manager (Cadmus & Johansen, 2012). The purpose of this study was to explore the development of self-efficacy in nursing leaders, specifically new nurse managers. Albert Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory was used to guide this study. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Two themes emerged from the data, describing experiences of self-efficacy, and the development of self-efficacy. A positive connection between experiencing a mentoring relationship and perceived self-efficacy emerged from the data. The findings of this study provide healthcare stakeholders an in-depth understanding of the importance of mentoring and it outcomes related to the development of self-efficacy in new nurse managers.

Organizational memory has significant potential for companies’ competitive advantage, with mentoring considered a particularly effective method of transferring this knowledge. Older workers are often considered ideal mentors because of their experience and alleged willingness to pass on their knowledge. There is an associated assumption that these workers anticipate and experience positive outcomes from mentoring others. This thesis tested if these assumptions hold up in 21st century workplaces - some discriminatory practices towards older workers and a career contract that no longer guarantees employment, may discourage knowledge sharing. An organizational memory scale was constructed to help test the assumptions and an exploratory factor analysis involving 143 employees from eight companies resulted in 21 items and five correlated factors including socio-political knowledge, job knowledge, external network, history, and industry knowledge. Two confirmatory factor analyses, the first involving 287 employees and the second 115 retirees, found support for five correlated first-order factors and a second order factor, organizational memory. In a third study involving 134 employees, support was found for a model of organizational memory and empowerment. Age was found to relate to organizational memory but this relationship was mediated by organizational tenure. In turn, organizational memory was found to relate to psychological empowerment and the frequency with which participants were requested to share knowledge at work. Organizational memory, empowerment and request to train and mentor others also positively related to organization-based self-esteem. In the fourth study, an organizational case study involving 78 employees, support was found for a model of organizational memory and the intention to mentor within the context of an aging workforce. Generativity and the expected cost of the time and effort involved in mentoring mediated the relationship between organizational memory (specifically, socio- political knowledge) and the intention to mentor. Furthermore those participants with high scores on both organizational memory and occupational self-efficacy anticipated more cost in time and effort, and indicated less intention to mentor, than those with high organizational memory but low occupational self-efficacy. These findings challenge the assumption that experienced workers are, as a matter of course, willing to mentor others. In a final study involving 96 retired individuals, there were no significant differences found between retirees with and those without experience as a mentor, in career satisfaction and unwelcome work ruminations. However notably, the study showed that participants did experience unwelcome work ruminations even (as in the case of some) well into retirement. The thesis concludes with a summary of findings as they relate to the assumptions under examination, an outline of the overall implications of the findings for future research and for organizational practice, and closing remarks about the overall research contribution of the thesis.

The current study sought to examine the marriage mentoring model as a method to restore marriages among Christian believers. This thesis first assessed the dissolution of marriages through divorce in order to understand its causes, and included a study of the Christian Scriptures regarding divorce and the topic of marriage. In addition, current literature was reviewed in an attempt to better comprehend how mentoring worked and how it may be utilized as a divorce prevention method among troubled marriages. Interviews were then conducted with Christian couples who had experienced marital distress but were reconciled. The responses were then analyzed. The study was unique in that it examined Christian couples in established marriages that were in marital distress when they started the mentoring process. Thirteen couples participated in the study. The couples lived in various states across the country: Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Christian couples were sought through churches and Christian counseling centers in the continental United States that have a marriage mentoring ministry and also through the recommendation of select seminary professors, church practitioners, or online marriage mentoring websites. Past studies on marriage mentoring have shown that mentoring resulted in an increase in communication and a decrease in marital conflict among pre-marital or newly married couples. The results of the current study indicated that marriage mentoring was also beneficial to Christian couples who had been married for several years and were on the verge of divorce. This study has shown that no matter the severity of the marital distress, marriages can be repaired and can flourish with marriage mentoring.

The purpose of this study was to determine if mentoring functions provided within a head coach — assistant coach dyad correlated to overall job satisfaction and occupational turnover intent of Division I Assistant Women Soccer Coaches. This study attempted to identify gender differences in perceived mentor functions and overall occupational turnover intent of Assistant Soccer Coaches. Data from this study helps define the head coach — assistant coach relationship and is applicable to the further development and retention of female collegiate coaches.A purposeful sample of Division I Assistant Women's Soccer Coaches was identified using the 2005 — 2006 National Directory of College Athletics, corresponding institutional athletic websites, and on-line email directories. Participants (N = 182) completed the questionnaire that contained four scales: Mentor Role Instrument, Abridged Job Descriptive Index, Job in General Scale, and an Occupational Turnover Intent Scale.Descriptive tests analyzed the perceived mentor functions that Division I Assistant Women's Soccer Coaches. Participants reported receiving slightly more psychosocial functions (M = 81.1, SD = +1- 32.318) than career-related functions (M = 76.6, SD = +1- 25.001). An independent T-test identified the psychosocial function of social as the only significant gender difference of perceived mentor functions.A Pearson Correlation identified a significant moderate correlation (r = .596; p < .05) between all of the mentor functions and job satisfaction with the exception of the mentor function of parent that demonstrated a low correlation value (r = .236; p <.05). Variance levels demonstrate that mentoring does play a moderately significant role in the job satisfaction of Assistant Women Soccer Coaches; however, other employment factors also contribute to their overall job satisfaction.A regression analysis (p < .05) determined the relationship between mentoring and occupational turnover intent. Psychosocial functions (p = .030) and gender (p = .002) were found to be significant predictors as to how frequently Assistant Women's Soccer Coaches think about getting out of coaching. However, only psychosocial functions (p = .038) presented a significant prediction relationship to actual occupational turnover intent in Assistant Women's Soccer Coaches.According the findings of this study, similar perceived mentor functions were reported by both male and female participants. Mentoring was found to play a significant role in the overall job satisfaction of Assistant Soccer Coaches. In addition, the variables of psychosocial functions and gender were identified as significant predictors of occupational turnover intent. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science