This study examined coaches as potential mentors who could influence adolescent problem behaviors. By using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study compared adolescents who self-reported not having any adult mentors in their life against adolescents who self-reported having a coach mentor in their life on various problem behaviors (i.e., sexual attitudes and behaviors, tobacco, marijuana, steroid, and alcohol use). This study also looked ages of adolescents to see what, if any, influences age presented. Results of this study indicated that in some areas coaches might have a positive effect, albeit slight. When age was analyzed it became apparent there were significant differences between younger and older adolescents' problem behaviors. Discussion addressed implications, theory, limitations, and directions for future research related to coaches as mentors of adolescents.

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Peer mentoring is the exchange of skills or knowledge from a more experienced individual to a novice in the same field. Due to the constraints placed on nursing education, many students struggle to complete the nursing curriculum. This leads to high attrition rates within colleges of nursing. Without maximizing graduate rates, the current nursing shortage is exacerbated. This integrated literature review examines the impact of more experienced nursing students mentoring their junior peers. With implementation of peer mentoring attrition rates were reduced. Additionally, the research showed that mentees experienced an enhanced feeling of support and were able to learn more efficiently. Mentors benefited from the arrangement with enhanced leadership and teaching abilities. Instructors of nursing programs also benefited from the arrangement by having decreased demand for review sessions, which could be taken over by the mentors, and could focus on enhancing their lessons or other educational obligations.

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The purpose of the study was to identify the components of an effective workplace mentorship. Twenty-five panelists participated in a three-round Delphi study to reach a consensus on these components. The panelists were (1) local school-site teachers and school-to-work coordinators, (2) community college school-to-work coordinators, (3) directors of tech-prep consortia, and representatives from (4) business and industry, (5) labor and management, (6) corporate rsearch, and (7) federal government. A two-round pilot study was conducted to test the initial open-ended questions for round 1 and to test the survey instrument developed for round 2. Feedback from the pilot study was used to develop the open-ended questionnaire instrument in round 1 and the Likert scale used in round 2 of the study. Criteria of an effective workplace mentorship were retained in both rounds 2 and 3 if 80% of the respondents rated them "important" or "very important." The study produced 93 criteria in five categories necessary for an effective workplace mentorship. The five categories were: (1) program structure; (2) recruitment, selection, and placement; (3) support activities; (4) program outcomes and evaluation; and (5) ethics. A sixth category, barriers and obstacles to an effective workplace mentorship, was included in the survey and contained four responses. These four responses were summarized along with the 93 criteria of an effective workplace mentorship. A checklist of criteria is included for the assessment of existing programs or to aid those implementing new programs. / Ed. D.

Many school divisions throughout the U.S. are having a difficult time retaining teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Ingersoll, R. M., 2004). 'High levels of attrition, estimated to be nearly 8% of the workforce annually, are responsible for the largest share of teacher demand' (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, and Carver-Thomas, 2016, p. 2). According to Ingersoll and Strong (2011), Ingersoll and Perda (2011), and Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2016), reasons as to why teachers decide to leave the profession or change teaching locations include: job satisfaction, school demographics, student discipline, lack of administrative support, lack of teacher autonomy, and new teacher mentor programs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify mentor and mentee teachers' perceptions about the current mentoring program and their recommendations for future revisions that will increase teacher retention. An urban, central Virginia school division was selected for this study. Participants selected for this study have served as a mentor teacher for new teachers hired into the selected division or have recently been hired into the division. The division has approximately 260 full-time teaching professionals. From the beginning of the 2013-14 school year to the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year, 125 teachers were replaced. The attrition rate of the selected division is approximately double the attrition rate in the Commonwealth of Virginia (Pitts, 2017). Mentoring programs appear to be among the prominent approaches to teacher retention (McCann and Johannessen, 2010). The researcher sought to determine perceptions of mentor teachers regarding their suggestions for improvement in the current mentor program as a determining factor in whether teachers decide to remain in their current positions. This study yielded eight findings and six implications. / Ed. D. / School divisions throughout the United States have struggled to retain teachers from year to year. Several reasons for this phenomenon were identified in the review of literature. Teacher mentor programs was the specific area the researcher selected to guide this study. This quantitative study focused on the perceptions of teacher mentors and teacher mentees and how their mentor program addressed teacher retention. Data were collected using survey methodologies. Participants for the study were selected from one small urban school division in Virginia. Through this study, the researcher identified eight findings and six implications. One limitation for this study was the small sample size. A suggestion for future research would be to expand the population of participants to include many more school divisions.

Novice teachers need support as they enter their career in education. Supports can be given through various forms including mentoring and instructional coaching. The supports are put into place by school districts to assist with student achievement as well as teacher retention. This case study examines a school districts elementary schools and the supports put into place for novice teachers, with a particular focus on mentoring and instructional coaching. The case study drew from interviews, observations, and document reviews from four different elementary schools and eight individuals, including novice teachers, mentors, and instructional coaches. Coding took place and a thematic analysis took place. Triangulation of all three data points kept this qualitative study reliable and accurate. The three findings include: 1) Perceptions of mentoring and instructional coaching program components, 2) Novice teachers perceptions of mentoring and instructional coaching support, and 3) Mentors and instructional coaches perceptions of their roles in supporting novice teachers. The findings focus on recognizing the perceptions of those involved in induction programs for novice teachers and how those supports provide the necessary needs for new teachers to stay in the field of education. Specifically, perceptions were identified to indicate if one program served a better purpose for what novice teachers want and need to be successful. The purpose of the research was to understand how novice teachers perceive types of support and how the supports effect their retention and performance. The results of the study would assist a school system in terms of where to invest funds to provide the most needed support for novice teachers. / Ed. D. / Novice teachers need support as they enter their career in education. Supports can be given through various forms including mentoring and instructional coaching. This case study examines a school district’s elementary schools and the supports put into place for novice teachers, with a particular focus on mentoring and instructional coaching. The case study research drew from interviews, observations, and document reviews from four different elementary schools and eight individuals, including novice teachers, mentors, and instructional coaches and will serve for a basis for school systems to examine which supports best assist in the retention of new teachers. The three findings of the study related to the research questions and were determined through a preponderance of evidence as a result of a thorough data analysis based on the triangulation of data. The findings resulted in showing the need for classroom procedures over initial academic support and also a need for emotional support that was provided by mentors more so than instructional coaches.

Doctor of Education / The Perceptions of Elementary Teachers on their Induction Program and Retention Bernette D. Brock General Audience Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine teacher perceptions of induction programs and their decision to remain in teaching. The participants in this study included elementary teachers in one rural Virginia school division. Quantitative research methods with a survey methodology were used to gather data about the participants induction experiences, induction program length, and induction activities. Three open-ended questions were also included to allow participants to share additional information about their induction experiences that was not captured in the survey questions. School divisions can benefit from this quantitative study to attract, train and retain teachers as they look for strategies to recruit and retain teachers. Findings indicate that a well-organized structured induction program that include the assignment of a mentor, facilitator, or coach, along with participation in professional development were perceived to be the most valuable induction activities by elementary teachers in this study for both development and retention.

The aim was to find out the experiences of mentoring and its introduction in social services. The object was achieved by interviewing experienced social worker who had a few years of work experience in social services. Our study was an attempt to understand how mentoring can be seen during the induction period for newly qualified social workers in social services. To get an understanding of the interviewees' perceptions of mentoring, we tooke help of a Human Resources perspective. In the study, we used a qualitative research with data collection based on semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of a convenience sample of five experienced social workers in department’s financial assistance and child and youth care. According to the study result it is important to have a mentoring and a comprehensive introduction, since it benefits the entire organization. All respondents in the study felt that a mentoring provides security and a check for recent graduates. Based on the results we have seen that even if an organization has an elaborate mentoring program/introduction program it’s not guaranteed to be completed. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka erfarna socialsekreterares uppfattningar kring mentorskap samt den introduktion nyutexaminerade får inom socialtjänsten. Syftet uppnådes genom intervjuer med erfarna socialsekreterare som har arbetslivserfarenheter inom socialtjänsten. Studien kan ses som ett försök till att förstå hur mentorskap kan uppfattas under introduktionsperioden för nyutexaminerade socionomer inom socialtjänsten. För att få en förståelse för intervjupersonernas uppfattningar kring mentorskap har ett Human Resource (HR) perspektiv använts. Studien är kvalitativ och baserad på semistrukturerade intervjuer. Urvalet bestod av ett fem erfarna socialsekreterare inom avdelningarna ekonomiskt bistånd och barn- och ungdomsvården. Resultat påvisade vikten av att tillämpa ett mentorskap och en innehållsrik introduktion. Detta var något som gynnade hela organisationen. Mentorskapet upplevdes bidra till trygghet och kontroll för de nyutexaminerade. Utifrån resultatet har vi kunnat konstatera att även om en organisation har ett utarbetat mentorskapsprogram/introduktionsprogram är det inte garanterat att det fullföljs.