Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / In die verhandeling word mentorskap as 'n begeleidingshandeling ondersoek. Die oorsprong van mentorskap word nagespeur, enkele deur tyd beproefde kenmerke van mentorskap word bespreek en heersende praktyke ter bevordering van mentorskap word met die van vervloe eras vergelyk. 'n Uiteenlopende verskeidenheid opvattinge oor mentorskap word aan die orde gestel: benewens die standpunte van eietydse ontwikkelingpsigoloe, beroepskundiges, onderwys- en opvoedkundiges word die klassieke opvatting van mentorskap (socs wat dit weergegee is in die Odusseia en die Les Adventures de Telemaque, die werke van onderskeidelik Homerus en Fenelon) ook ender die loep geplaas. In die laaste afdeling word 'n aantal gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak met betrekking tot die doelstellings, aard, kenmerke en waarde van mentorskap, faktore wat die eindresultate van mentorskap kan beinvloed en die bekwaamhede en persoonseienskappe van mentors. Die aanbevelings sluit riglyne vir die effektiewe hantering van problematiese aangeleenthede rondommentorskap, ender meer die verpragmatisering en formalisering daarvan, in. / In this dissertation mentoring as a form of guidance is researched. The origin of mentoring is investigated, a few characteristics of mentoring which have stood the test of time are discussed and prevailing practices promoting mentoring are compared with those of bygone eras. A diverse variety of approaches to mentoring are presented: in addition to the views of contemporary behavioural psychologists, vocationalists, educationists and teaching specialists, the classic interpretation of mentoring (as presented in the Odyssey and the Les Adventures de Telemaque (the works of Homer and Fenelon respectively) is also considered. In the last section a number of conclusions and recommendations are made regarding the aims, nature, characteristics and value of mentoring, factors affecting the outcome of mentoring and the skills and personal characteristics of mentors. The recommendations include guidelines for the effective handling of problematic issues regarding mentoring, such as the pragmatization and formalization thereof. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Studies)

Lecturers’ research output in higher education in Zimbabwe is low in general and at Mentors University (pseudonym) in particular. Although lecturers at Mentors University are expected to publish to avoid career stagnation, most lecturers are not tenured due to lack of publications in peer refereed journals with an aggregate impact factor of 0.5. The study aimed at formulating a model for developing lecturers’ research skills and its empirical testing to address the problem. A literature review examined theories of competency development and mentoring models. The informal group mentoring strategy was structured for application in a qualitative participatory action research design. A questionnaire captured factors influencing lecturer research output from a purposive sample of 260 lecturers at Mentors University. Another purposive sample of five lecturers participated in implementing the informal group mentoring intervention for model empirical testing. All participants had failed to publish, were available volunteers and committed to the intervention. The intervention comprised determining qualities of publishable papers through desk research; an evaluative reading of published and rejected papers; peer discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of papers; practice of research; the oral reporting of findings; peer evaluation of papers and the incorporation of peer critique into papers to improve quality prior to paper submission to journals. Survey findings indicated that research output was affected by a lack of both research and publishing skills and mentoring by research supervisors. Participants in the intervention entertained misconceptions of problem formulation, research design and application of probability sampling concepts. Computer skills for data analysis and oral presentation were poor. Further, the university had no policy for lecturer research skills development. As a result of the intervention, all five participants published a paper. The study concluded that lecturers can develop research skills for publication by forming informal mentoring groups; obtaining the services of a mentor; and applying the informal group mentoring model. It was recommended that the universities include development of research skills in their policies and train mentors for the application of the informal group mentoring research skill development model in new universities in Zimbabwe. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Induction for teacher development is important for quality teaching and learning to take place in schools. The process of induction should be well-structured so that it is not mistaken as just an orientation to school procedures; it should be well-planned and implemented for the purposes of professional development and support (Rolley, 2001). The main aim of this study was to investigate beginner educators’ experiences of the induction process for professional development in the Bochum East Circuit of Limpopo Province. The assumption was that if schools are held accountable for learner performance, then support measures in terms of induction should be provided to newly appointed educators. Poor performance or educator turnover can sometimes be ascribed to inadequate interventions or the design of educator induction programmes. Although educators may have received the best training at university or training college, they still need to adjust to the realities of classrooms. To achieve the aim of the study, a qualitative research approach was followed to collect data through semi-structured interviews. The study is ensconced in the Educator Development Theory which acknowledges that educator preparation is rarely sufficient to provide all the knowledge and skills necessary for successful teaching. A great deal of knowledge and many skills are, mostly, acquired while on the job and principals should, therefore, adequately induct newly appointed educators. Four beginner educators and two principals from average performing primary schools were purposively sampled in the Bochum East Circuit of the Limpopo Province. A thematic analysis was carried out to generate themes that addressed the problem of the study. The findings from participant responses revealed differences in an understanding of the induction process. Support from the principal, HoDs and fellow colleagues were considered to be part of induction. Recommendations include that educators should be given continuous professional development through standardised induction programmes which could be adjusted to the needs of the school. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The study seeks to examine the role of mentoring and how it could be used in the process of professional development of mathematical literacy teachers in the Greater Taung area. The study attempts to flag the importance of mentoring in professional development, especially for mathematical literacy teachers. To obtain data for the study sixteen mathematical literacy teachers from Taung area (within Ruth Mompati District) were purposively selected. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect relevant data. Literature review, based on previous studies on mentoring also provided data for the study. The following findings emerged from the study: a) that mentoring has over the years has been an effective process for developing early-career teachers’ practices b) that there are no formal mentoring programmes to assist mathematical literacy teachers in the Greater Taung area c) there is a need for effective communication between the mentor and the mentee, since the learning that takes place in a mentoring relationship is usually through regular interaction.From the findings, a collaborative form of mentoring is recommended.Both parties in this relationship are considered as a source of knowledge that can contribute to the learning that occurs within the context of mentoring. / Mathematics Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics Education)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A perennial challenge facing public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa is that the majority of staff, while technically qualified to do the work that forms the contents of what they teach, are either not professionally qualified educators, or are professionally qualified as educators in other educational sectors. For TVET lecturers, the development of their teaching skills, like their professional identity, relies primarily on informal development by line managers, other members of staff or themselves. This study examines how professionally underqualified lecturers employed at TVET colleges in the Western Cape develop their teaching skills, inter alia, by being mentored by managers, experienced members of staff or themselves by asking the question: in what ways do mentoring processes within a college contribute to the incorporation of staff into a college?. Flowing from the primary research question this study sought to identify the nature and forms of institutional level mentoring, as well as the related use of language and power. This study is framed within the critical paradigm, applying a methodological framework developed by Fairclough (2010) and a combination of methods of analysis. At a micro level a form of analysis designed by Fairclough (1989; 2001) is used. The results are classified by means of a Foucauldian-based methodological framework developed by Keevy (2005). Mentoring has become popular as a term to describe informal learning in a wide variety of settings, including business and education. As a result of the popularity of the term, publications on a wide array of aspects related to informal learning have been produced. Periodically, however, criticisms of mentoring have surfaced, which fundamentally challenge its standing as an academic discipline. Such critique prompted this research project: to question whether or not mentoring was, what Fairclough calls a social wrong. Challenging the assumption that mentoring is a social wrong forms a point of departure for this study. A broad analysis of literature about mentoring is presented with the aim of identifying what Foucault calls, its ethical substance. The established ethical substance of mentoring is extrapolated into a schema indicating various broad descriptions of mentoring. The broad descriptions are used in an analysis of mentoring practices in a professional work environment suited to the application of current mentoring practices, one in which has not yet been formally applied in staff induction programmes: namely, public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. In addition to challenging the assumption that mentoring is a social wrong, the study, significantly, the neo-liberal notion that mentees are passive recipients of knowledge. Findings from this study indicate, significantly, that new lecturers develop themselves as lecturers by unconsciously using mentoring methodologies, in the absence of formal mentoring programmes. In contrast to many international institutions, where mentoring programmes are mandatory, the lecturers interviewed in this study were not constrained by the managerialist ideology of neo-liberalism and were empowered by the mentoring with which they were involved. This study provides insights into how professional mentees learn, who they learn from and how they use what they have learnt in their own development, and how this contributes towards an understanding of the nature of adult learning in the workplace. Literature reviewed in this study includes a wide range of publications on the topic of mentoring, including education publications, business management publication and translations of the two original texts on the subject, namely Homer’s Odyssey and Fenelon’s Adventures of Telemachus. Key educational publications consulted include the translated works of Plato and Freire. Publications on social critique include the works of Fairclough and Foucault. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kwessie rakende personeel wat tegnies gekwalifiseerd is om die werk, wat die vakinhoud van hulle lesings vorm, te doen, maar wat nie professionele onderwysopleiding het nie of in ander opvoedingsvelde gekwalifiseer is, is ’n uitdaging waarmee tegnies en beroepsgerigte onderwys en opleiding (TVET/TBOO) colleges voortdurend te kampe het. Hierdie dosente steun grotendeels op hulself, lyn bestuurders of ander personeellede om hulle onderwysvaardighede op ’n informele wyse te ontwikkel. Hierdie studie ondersoek die maniere waarop dosente met onvoldoende professionele kwalifikasies by (TVET/TBOO) colleges in die Wes-Kaap hulle eie vaardighede ontwikkel deur onder meer die mentorskap van bestuurders en ervare personeellede. Dit word gedoen aan die hand van die volgende vraag: “Op watter wyses dra prosesse van mentorskap binne ’n kollege by tot die inkoporering van personeel.” Hierdie studie poog om, na aanleiding van die primêre navorsingsvraag, die aard en vorm van mentorskap op die institusionele vlak te identifiseer sowel as die meegaande gebruik van taal en gesag. Hierdie studie is benader vanuit die kritiese paradigma met die toepassing van ’n metodologiese raamwerk soos ontwikkel deur Fairclough (2010) tesame met ’n kombinasie van analitiese metodes. ’n Metode van analise wat Fairclough (1989; 2001) ontwikkel het, is op ’n mikrovlak toegepas en die resultate is daarna geklassifiseer met Keevy (2005) se Foucault-gebasseerde metodologiese raamwerk. Mentorskap word wyd gebruik as ’n omvattende begrip om informele leer in diverse kontekste aan te dui. Dit sluit die sakewêreld en onderwys in. Die gewildheid van die begrip het ’n wye verskeidenheid publikasies betreffende informele leer tot gevolg gehad. Daar is egter deurentyd kritiek op mentorskap wat die fundamentele waarde daarvan bevraagteken. Dit is hierdie kritiek wat die navorser genoop het om te vra of mentorskap wel ’n “maatskaplike wandaad” is soos wat Fairclough dit noem. Die vertrekpunt van hierdie studie is die veronderstelling dat dit wel so is. ’n Oorsigtelike analise van literatuur betreffende mentorskap word voorgelê met die doel om dit wat Foucault die “etiese substans” noem, te identifiseer. Die bepaalde etiese substans van mentorskap word geëkstrapoleer tot ’n skema wat verskeie breë definisies van mentorskap aandui. Hierdie breë definisies word dan gebruik in ’n ontleding van mentorskap in ’n professionele werksomgewing, wat geskik is vir die toepassing van bestaande mentorpraktyke, maar waar dit nog nie formeel in personeelinduksieprogramme ingesluit is nie: naamlik (TVET/TBOO) colleges. Hierdie studie bevraagteken nie net die aanname dat mentorskap ’n maatskaplike wandaad is nie, maar ook die neo-liberale siening dat diegene wat gementor word die ontvangers van kennis is en dui daarop dat nuwe dosente hulself ontwikkel, weens ’n gebrek aan formele mentorprogramme, deur die onbewuste gebruik van mentormetodes. In teenstelling met baie internasionale instellings waar mentorprogramme verpligtend is, is die dosente met wie daar onderhoude gevoer is nie aan bande gelê deur neo-liberale bestuursideologieë nie en is bemagtig deur die mentorskap waarin hulle betrokke was. Die studie gee insigte in hoe professionele persone wat mentorskap ontvang, leer, van wie hulle leer, hoe hulle dit wat hulle leer in hulle eie ontwikkeling toepas en hoe dit bydra tot ’n begrip van die aard van volwasse leer in die werkplek. Die literatuur wat in hierdie studie geraadpleeg word, sluit ’n wye spektrum van publikasies oor die vakgebied van mentorskap in. Dit is onder meer onderwys- en sakebestuurpublikasies sowel as vertalings van twee oorspronklike geskrifte rakende die onderwerp, by name Homeros se Odusseia en Fénelon se Avonture van Telemachus. Die vertaalde werke van Plato en Freire is onder die opvoedkundige sleutelbronne wat geraadpleeg is en bronne oor maatskaplike kritiek sluit die werke van Fairclough en Foucault in.

According to higher education preparation standards, students who complete master’s preparation programs in student affairs should not only be acquiring skills and knowledge, they should be socialized into the field of student affairs Master’s level preparation programs in college student personnel or higher education leadership are often coupled with a graduate assistantship so that students are able to obtain valuable theory-to-practice experience This additional experience becomes complementary to the work the graduate student is doing in the classroom and thus becomes a practical learning opportunity After completing a preparation program, a former master’s student will most likely move into an entry-level position in student affairs, such as residence hall director, student activities coordinator, judicial affairs coordinator, or a fraternity/sorority coordinator However, despite this common career pathway, there has been limited research regarding the role a student affairs graduate assistantship plays in assisting students in their socialization and transition into the field and how this prepares these new student affairs professionals for their first position post-master’s degree Thirteen new professionals in student affairs who graduated from two preparation programs in the southeastern region of the United States participated in this basic interpretive qualitative study The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to examine and describe the experience of new student affairs professionals who held a graduate assistantship in student affairs during their graduate preparation program and the role, if any, the graduate assistantship played in their perceptions of preparedness Based on the findings of this study, the graduate assistantship in student affairs indeed plays a role in the perceptions of preparedness of these new professionals The overarching themes that emerged using Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory as the analytical lens were mentorship, hands-on experience, peer interactions, and financial enticement The findings from this study align with and expand upon the existing student affairs literature, and provide awareness to student affairs practitioners and higher education leadership faculty on how to best support new professionals as they transition into the field of student affairs / Includes bibliography / Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study examined the effect of a staff-mentoring program with students identified as at-risk of becoming early leavers. This mentoring program, Caring About Kids Effectively (CAKE), was implemented at a suburban secondary school in Oregon serving grades 9 through 12. The study of the CAKE program had four research components: (a) indicators of school success (GPA, attendance, and attitudes toward school) were compared between at-risk students and those not at-risk; (b) indicators of school success were analyzed over the time at-risk students were mentored to find any significant change; (c) indicators of school success and enrollment status at graduation was compared between students at-risk, with and without mentors; and (d) participants' perceptions of the mentoring program, using a researcher-constructed questionnaire given to mentees and mentors to determine activities that were successful and those which needed reevaluation. Using analysis of covariance, the findings showed: (a) a significant difference (p < .05) in attitudes, GPA, and attendance at the beginning of the study between two groups of students identified as at-risk and not at-risk; (b) a significant difference (p< .05) in attitude toward school at the end of Year 1 between those students at-risk with mentors scoring higher than at-risk without mentors and not at-risk students; (c) GPA and attendance declined for at-risk students, with or without mentors, although at-risk students with a mentor seemed to lessen the decline; and (d) no significant differences (E< .05) in GPA and attendance between at-risk with or without mentors, although more at-risk students with mentors continued in school or received GEDs after four years. Finally, students and staff agreed (75%) that they were “satisfied” that the mentor program helped at-risk students develop positive attitudes toward school; however, only half were satisfied concerning their participation, and felt that administrative support and time available to meet with students were crucial to the success of a mentor program. Based upon these findings, it was concluded that the CAKE staff-mentoring program had a positive influence on attitude toward school and retention of at-risk students.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

D. Tech. Business Administration / The purpose of this study is to increase the depth of understanding of university managers and programme facilitators of the management and process pertaining to students performance and how the process is used to empower first year students in the Faculty of Management Sciences.

This study investigates the perceptions of learners and staff of the Dental Technology Extended First Programme (EFYP) currently offered in the Department of Dental Services at the Durban University of Technology. The EFYP has been offered since 1995 in order to meet the needs of under prepared learners in the Dental Technology programme as well as to address transformation of the programme. The Dental Technology EFYP has evolved over a number of years and was one of the first extended programmes offered in South African higher education. No evaluation of this programme has occurred since its inception. Moreover, the present study is particularly relevant as it has been conducted at a time that the Department of Education is concerned with low throughput rates in South African tertiary education. It is hoped that insights into this programme gained from this study will be of benefit to educators either currently providing foundation provision or those contemplating foundation provision in the future. It is noted that little research into foundation provision has, to date, been conducted in South Africa. For this study, learners currently registered in the Dental Technology programme and staff from the programme were interviewed in semi-structured interviews, and the main themes concerning foundation provision emerging from the study were identified. I conclude that the current EFYP is an academically sound programme contributing to the academic development of individual learners as well as to the overall success of the Dental Technology programme. Learners were unanimous in their belief that the EFYP contributed positively towards their academic advancement. Furthermore, learners noted the contribution that the EFYP made to their integration into higher education through a range of interventions such the departmental mentorship programme. Staff, also, favourably viewed the EFYP as academically successful. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.