Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

This qualitative study examined the importance of mentoring for Ohio's novice public- school principals, along with their beliefs about the access and effectiveness of Ohio's current administrative mentoring model, and their views about essential elements to include in an entry- year mentoring program. This study included an online Google survey to approximately 1,600 principals and Zoom interviews with nine principals who volunteered. This study's participants shared that they believe mentoring is important, and many of them lacked any formal mentoring in the entry year. The study also revealed that the majority of new principals who participated had no knowledge of Ohio's mentoring program which indicates that better exposure and marketing needs to take place. Study participants also expressed that a mentoring program would be more effective if it was individualized, and if the mentor was local and had knowledge about the districts in which the new principals worked. In addition, with approximately only 100 available spaces in the Beginning Administrator Mentorship (BAM) program, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) does not sufficiently fund it to a level that supports the number of new leaders in Ohio–but the BAM program experience was satisfying according to the limited number (n=13) of this study's participants who took part in Ohio's program. Some implications of this study to consider include: honoring the local need and moving mentoring program oversight to regional ESC's; (2) structuring the mentoring program based on individualized needs; (3) prioritizing elements of a program based on data from this study; (4) considering small cohorts of principals working together.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is a critical period characterized by significant psychological, social, and developmental changes. The prevalence of mental health issues for teens and young adults has risen significantly over the past decade, yet there is a shortage of licensed professionals to treat the growing number of transitional-aged youth who are struggling. While mentoring programs exist for lower socioeconomic youth, few programs service affluent adolescents and young adults. Grounded in a comprehensive literature review, this program proposal identifies the unique challenges faced by affluent adolescents and young adults and proposes a unique therapeutic mentoring model to aid this specific demographic. This dissertation explores the efficacy of clinical mentoring programs designed specifically for adolescents and young adults to address their mental health needs and facilitate their journey into independent adulthood. The proposed program incorporates evidence-based practices and theoretical frameworks from developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and mentoring literature. It aims to provide structured support, foster resilience, and promote the development of critical life skills. Key elements include personalized mentoring relationships, promoting healthy coping skills, individuation, and continuous assessment to tailor interventions to individual needs. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the importance of tailored clinical mentoring programs in helping emerging adults launch into self-efficacy. It provides a scalable model that can be adapted for various settings, offering a practical solution to the pervasive gap in mental health care. Through this research, I propose the potential of clinical mentoring as a critical element in empowering young individuals, fostering a smoother transition to adulthood and promoting long-term psychological well-being for the entire family system. This diss (open full item for complete abstract)

EDD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

For over 100 years, youth mentoring has grown to be an evidenced based prevention strategy for youth, demonstrating positive youth outcomes through strong relationships with caring adults. While trusting relationships are the mainstay of the positive impacts achieved through mentoring, the difficulty in recruiting volunteer adults has not met the steady increase of needy children and has encouraged the mentoring field to expand beyond the one-on-one mentoring model. In response to this challenge, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County (BBBSLC) has developed innovative mentoring programs to allow for an increased reach and involvement for more youth. In this light, the purpose of this study was to identify and characterize its youth and adult volunteer participants. Through a quantitative study of application data and youth risk/protective outcome surveys at BBBSLC, the following research questions were addressed: (a) what are the characteristics of youth that seek community-based programming; (b) what are the characteristics of adult volunteers that seek to participate in programming; and (c) what are the predictive drivers of youth and adult volunteers that contribute to meaningful and successful community-based matches? Data were collected from youth and adult mentor enrollees from 2018–2023. Results indicated most prevalent descriptors for both adult volunteers and youth enrollees and data variables for predictability of being matched. Implications and recommendations for practice were also included. I have emphasized the importance of these expanded forms of mentoring in conjunction with one-on-one mentoring in order to achieve positive youth outcomes for the greatest number of children.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2015, College of Education and Human Services

Research focusing on online doctoral programs in preparation for academic careers consistently reveals a perception that online doctoral degree programs lack opportunities for social learning, mentoring, and submersion in the academic culture (Adams & DeFleur, 2005; Flowers & Baltzer, 2006; Columbaro, 2007; Guendoo, 2007; Good & Peca, 2007; Columbaro & Monaghan, 2009; DePriest, 2009). In addition, the value of mentoring within doctoral programs has been addressed in several empirical studies (Green & Bauer, 1995, Golde & Dore, 2001; Paglis, Green, & Bauer, 2006; Creighton, Parks, & Creighton, 2007; Mullen, 2006; 2008; 2009). However, little research has specifically attended to the mentoring experiences of online doctoral students and their perceptions of how those experiences prepared them for tenure-track employment within four-year, land-based higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore the existence and nature of mentoring relationships within online doctoral degree programs. Further, it explored how these relationships prepare online doctoral degree graduates for full-time, tenure-track employment in four-year, land-based higher education institutions. The following research questions guided this study: 1) How did graduates of online doctoral degree programs, currently employed as tenure-track faculty members at four-year land-based colleges or universities, experience mentoring while completing their online doctoral degree programs? 2) How did mentoring relationships prepare these graduates to become tenure-track faculty members in four-year, land-based colleges and universities? The study was informed by social learning theory in that it explores the role and purpose of interpersonal mentoring relationships in supporting doctoral students, as well as preparing them to serve as faculty in higher education environments. The research design employed basic interpretive qualitative research approach using semi-stru (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

In this practical action research, I utilized the mixed-method approach to identify ways, approached, and methods of church-based mentoring that improves youth engagement for the good of the church, community, and youth development. Based upon the findings in this study, an action plan was devised wherein the church-based youth mentoring program will utilize consistency, communication, and support (being supportive) as the core of the mentoring program's structure. It is anticipated that this will improve youth engagement in the mentoring program and church. Implications and directions for future research that stem from my study will be to continue researching ways to close the gap in youth participation and attendance within the church.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2022, Education

Research has shown that mentoring is a productive way to address multiple needs in education and help children maximize their potential while bridging racial and generational lines (Frels et al., 2013; LaVenia & Burgoon, 2019; Liao & Sanchez, 2019; Spencer et al., 2020; Spencer, Gowdy et al., 2019). This research aimed to identify the factors of effective mentoring relationships between adults and elementary students in urban settings. This study used a basic qualitative approach to interview ten participants in mentoring relationships: five adult mentors and their five child mentees at a community-mentoring organization. Participants answered questions adapted from the effective mentoring factors found in the research. Mentors and mentees were asked which effective mentoring factors were most important and if any factors existed in their mentoring relationships that were not present in the research. Coding was used to analyze participants' responses. All participants specified personal disclosure, length of the mentoring relationship, trust, and safe space as vital factors in their mentoring relationships. In addition, all mentors agreed that paid coordinator support was an essential aspect of their motivations to mentor. Teachers and adults who work with elementary students in urban settings can proactively build a relationship with their students by initiating trust in their students to model a trusting relationship. In addition, by advocating, supporting, and protecting their students, these adults help establish a safe emotional and physical setting for their students.

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Organization Development

Mentoring is a powerful tool used in today's corporate, educational, and social settings. Peer-mentoring groups are a popular and rapidly growing form of mentoring today. Organized as self-directed groups of people who gather for a common purpose of growth and development, they usually meet in regularly scheduled sessions to support each other. These provide opportunities for learning and change, where participants can experience ah-ha moments during these sessions. These ah-ha experiences can be transformative moments for individuals. These groups show promising results but are still the least researched form of mentoring. Through qualitative techniques, ah-ha moments in peer-mentoring groups were examined and uncovered the following four themes: (1) the timing of ah-ha moments can happen during or after the peer-mentoring group session, (2) participants do not always remember what happened before the ah-ha moment, (3) ah-ha moments can occur through active and passive engagement, and (4) sentiments expressed during interviews started as negative and became positive during the session. These findings revealed new and unexpected discoveries and provided insight into how peer-mentoring groups can impact current practice and present opportunities for future research on how ha-ha moments can influence learning and growth.

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Arts and Sciences: Communication

While many people agree that mentoring is an important part of both personal and career success, there is still much that is unknown about the mentoring process. This study looks into the experiences of mentees who are racially dissimilar to their mentors within an academic mentoring program (Upward Bound) from the point of view of individuals receiving the mentoring. For this analysis, 25 Upward Bound alumni were interviewed. Using the phronetic iterative approach and the theoretical framework of Muted Group Theory (MGT) this is a thick descriptive study of the mentee experience. The study seeks to explore the extent to which mentees are affected by socio-cultural factors that complicate their relationship with their mentors. The findings of this investigation imply that mentoring must be tweaked for a specific audience and that racially dissimilar mentees are performing additional labor (e.g., boundary work, relational work, identity work) to make up for a gap of understanding due to differences in life experiences as opposed to racially similar mentees.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Higher Education Administration

Mentoring in graduate education is considered a vital component of graduate education. The purpose of this qualitative research was to hear the stories Black women in doctoral programs (BWDP) tell about their faculty mentoring experiences. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Critical Race Feminism and Hunt and Michael's (1983) framework for the study of mentorship. The participants were nine Black women currently enrolled in doctoral programs across the United States. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who self-identified as being Black and enrolled in a doctoral program. Interviews were conducted face-to-face or virtually. Through a `creative nonfiction' style, the stories BWDP shared about their faculty mentoring experiences were illuminated. Findings revealed that faculty mentoring for BWDP was about guidance, relationships, and having a faculty mentor who is culturally competent. The discussion section linked previous literature to the current study. This study contributes to the knowledge base on mentoring and doctoral education. It also illustrates the importance of centering the needs and the lived experiences of BWDP to counter dominant mentoring approaches within doctoral education.

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Urban Educational Leadership

Racism permeates all systems of American society. Racial discrimination in the educational system poses a threat to positive academic functioning for African American students. However, research has shown a positive racial identity, academic self-efficacy, and hope for the future are three resilient factors that buffer the negative experiences of racial discrimination, promote positive academic functioning, and youth developmental outcomes for African American youth. Youth development programming often utilizes traditional mentoring methods as an intervention to increase positive youth outcomes with minimal effectiveness and is rarely used with high school students. Elements of positive youth identity development and effective mentoring research were combined to explore a new youth speed mentoring concept for high school students. This study explored the impact of a speed mentoring program that engaged African American professionals as mentors using a strengths-based protege approach to influence the racial private regard, academic self-efficacy, and hope for the future attitudes of 24 African American high school students attending an Upward Bound summer program. A mixed-methods design was used to collect data through surveys and questionnaires and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and thematic content analysis. Qualitative findings from the voice of the study participants showed an increase in students' positive racial private regard, academic self-efficacy, and hope for the future attitudes. The quantitative results suggest the speed mentoring program had no statistically significant impact on students' racial private regard and hope for the future, while indicating a negative impact on students' academic self-efficacy. Implications to the findings are presented along with recommendations for future research.

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2016, Leadership Studies

Diversity and mentoring are becoming important areas of study in leadership and educational disciplines. While some steps have been taken to conceptualize or delineate how these disparate elements function in higher education, there has been little research into how and where they intersect, namely, when mentoring dyads are comprised of individuals from diverse cultures. In this paper, the researcher shares her discoveries on how a cross-cultural academic dyad works in contemporary settings. She discusses the role of perceptions, expectations and actions–some of the essential ingredients of effective cross-cultural mentoring– which could be utilized as a guide for further study and/or practice. The qualitative case study is based on Kram's (1985) four phases of the mentoring relationship and Lechuga's (2011) four faculty roles. The author then discusses how these integrated elements fuel positive cross-cultural mentoring interactions.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2015, Curriculum and Instruction

First-, second- and third-year teachers can be considered novice teachers with a solid foundation. The beginning years of teaching are intense times for learning, in which teachers can build upon their foundational knowledge. However, traditional mentoring programs often focus on technical advice and emotional support to help teachers survive the first years. This study set out to understand new science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in order to identify how their learning progresses. Understanding teachers' ideas will allow one to think about the development of educative mentoring practices that promote the advancement of teachers' knowledge. To investigate teachers' learning progressions, the following research questions guided this study: What is the nature of pedagogical content knowledge of first-, second- and third-year science teachers at various points across the school year? To which aspects of pedagogical content knowledge do first-, second- and third-year teachers pay attention at various points across the school year? Which aspects of pedagogical content knowledge are challenging for first-, second- and third-year teachers at various points across the school year? First-, second- and third-year teachers were interviewed, observed, and their teaching artifacts were collected across the school year. Data were examined to uncover learning progressions, when ideas became more sophisticated across first-, second-, and third-year teachers. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of how teachers' learning progresses and allows for a trajectory of learning to be described. The trajectory can be used to inform the design of university-based mentoring programs for new teachers. The descriptions of the nature of teachers' PCK and the aspects of PCK to which teachers pay attention and find challenging shed light on the support necessary to promote continued teacher learning.

Artium Baccalaureus (AB), Ohio University, 2014, Sociology

Mentoring programs are important for youth for many reasons. A mentoring relationship often leads to tangible, positive outcomes for the adolescent such as increased performance in school, better psychological and emotional health, improved behavior, and increased confidence about the future (Herrera, Grossman, Kauh, Feldman, McMaken, and Jucovy, 2007; Rhodes, 2005). This paper discusses youth mentoring on several different levels, including gender differences in mentoring, mentoring and prevention of juvenile delinquency, and faith-based mentoring, among other youth mentoring topics. Its primary purpose is to analyze youth mentees who make the transition to a mentor role. This qualitative study is comprised of interviews in which twelve female Young Life mentors who had been mentees were asked about their experiences transitioning from mentee to mentor. The study identified several major findings and themes: (1) initiation into Young Life; (2) the role of gender in mentoring relationships; (3) juvenile delinquency and mentoring; (4) junior leadership; (5) what it takes to be a mentor; and (6) the phenomenon of mentoring while being mentored. Program implications are also discussed.

Bachelor of Science of Communication Studies (BSC), Ohio University, 2014, Communication Studies

Mentoring has always been defined as a relationship consisting of only two attributes: psychosocial support and instrumental support. This study attempted to develop and refine the old definition of mentoring by adding three more attributes: development, hierarchy, and mutuality. Three hypotheses stated that mentoring relationships will differ according to the presence or absence of each of the new attributes (hierarchy, development, and mutuality). One research question asked how each of the five attributes affected the mentee's valuation of the mentoring relationship. A second research question asked how mentees described their mentoring relationships with respect to each of the five attributes. The sample population were students involved with Cru, a Christian organization for college students. Mixed-methods research collected qualitative with semi-structured interviews and quantitative data with an online survey. The psychosocial and developmental attributes accounted for 55% of the variance in evaluations of mentoring relationships, demonstrating how a personal relationship with the mentee is fundamental for successful mentoring. In the interviews, mentees described all five attributes and their effect upon the relationship. The five attributes are interconnected and interdependent; each attribute affects other attributes and the entire relationship. Concluded that the old definition of mentoring is insufficient; more research should be conducted about the three new attributes for further evidence of their necessity.

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

Peer mentoring is a topic that has been prevalent in the literature for the past several decades and plays a significant role in the learning experiences of many students. This study investigated the experiences of peer mentors in one specific mentoring project, in order to learn how the mentors describe and understand those experiences. Eighteen mentors participated in this qualitative study, which examined mentoring-influenced-by-relational-learning in pre-service teachers through in-depth, phenomenological interviews. These interviews were supplemented by photo elicitation and reflecting processes. These mentors defined mentoring as a multifaceted endeavor, which exhibits, among others, traits of teaching, friendship, learning, building relationships, and communication. They defined relational learning both in terms of the course they took, and as a construct which revolves around working together, talking through experiences, being open to new possibilities and ideas, and, through these, being in relationship with one another. Four themes were identified: (a) Mentors experienced relational learning; (b) Mentors experienced investment; (c) Mentors experienced challenges; and (d) Mentors identified ways mentoring can be different. An overarching theme was, mentors and the mentoring project experienced a process of becoming. Mentors also described their overall experiences, explained the ways in which they feel they benefitted from the project, and discussed why they believe this project has been successful. Implications of these findings are also discussed, as they relate to both research and practice.

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

Although there are numerous types of teacher mentoring programs in existence, there is little empirical research that tells us how teachers should mentor and what mentoring would look like if performed effectively Scherer, 1999; Ganser, 1992). This mixed-methods study surveyed beliefs about types of mentoring support held by educators in higher education and in secondary schools. In order to assist with quantifying quality mentoring, five categories of mentoring support, gleaned from a review of the literature about mentoring, were used, Classroom, Personal, Reflective, Professional and Evaluative. Three rounds of surveys investigated the types of support and the elements within each type that educators believed to be most important in teacher mentoring for preservice teachers, 1st year teachers, and 3rd year teachers. Research questions were: (1) Is it possible to arrive at a definition of quality mentoring as framed within five areas of support? (2) Is there a difference between beliefs about mentoring support needed by candidates, by 1st year teachers, and by 3rd year teachers? (3) Is there a difference between the beliefs about mentoring held by those in higher education involved in teacher education as opposed to beliefs held by secondary educators? Major findings from this study were: (1) There was little consensus in the beliefs of educators in higher education and secondary school about the types of support needed by candidates, 1st year or 3rd year teachers (2) There was little consensus about which types of support were most important, although Classroom Support and Personal Support were often ranked high while Evaluative Support was consistently ranked lowest (3) Three elements within each type of support were identified. Findings yielded a clearer picture of beliefs about mentoring support held by representatives from higher education and secondary schools, moving us somewhat closer to a definition of quality mentoring. Further research is called for in (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, ED Physical Activities and Educational Services

The importance of supporting new career and technical education teachers has been emphasized as a component of any induction program designed to improve teacher excellence, teacher retention, and ultimately, student achievement. Limited research has been done recently in how best to prepare, mentor, and retain career and technical education teachers who enter the teaching profession through alternative-licensure programs such as Ohio's licensure program. The problem of insufficient information in the literature regarding alternative-licensed career and technical education teachers' perceptions of their preparation to teach as evidenced through university coursework and clinical experiences as well as perceptions of their mentoring programs and activities was the central focus of this descriptive, follow-up research study. Alternative-licensed career and technical education teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the teacher licensure coursework taken between 1995 and 2006 at The Ohio State University. In addition, participants were surveyed concerning their perceptions of mentoring activities and programs in which they participated in the early stages of their teaching careers. As a part of the study, the employment status of the alternative-licensed teachers was also determined to see if those who obtained licensure were working in the field and planning to keep their teaching or education-related positions. Recommendations from the study included the need for mentors to be screened, assigned during the first year even to those teachers hired late, and well trained as to their role, expectations, listening ability, and willingness to give time to the new teacher. Secondly, mentors for alternative-licensed career and technical education teachers need to match with their mentees in content knowledge. Third is the need to avoid duplication of university coursework and mentoring content. Fourth, this study showed that two-thirds of all mentoring programs (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2006, Educational Leadership

Researchers and practitioners involved in adult-youth mentoring programs have long believed that matching mentors with mentees who share similar cultural backgrounds is beneficial because the mentor can understand the social and psychological conflicts that the mentee might face and thus can teach the youth how to cope effectively. This dissertation examines the perspectives of mentors who have worked for at least one year with proteges who come from different genders, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, religions and sexual orientations from their own. Chapter one offers a brief history of mentoring in the United States and reviews the professional literature on mentoring in general and cross-cultural mentoring in particular. The second chapter explores some of the relevant educational theories and suggests cross-cultural mentoring as a possible solution to the lack of a democratic access to education in the United States today. Chapter three outlines the qualitative, interview-based methodology used to examine the perspectives of mentors. The second half of the dissertation reviews and analyzes the interview findings and compares those findings with the professional literature on mentoring. Chapter four focuses on the mentors' general understandings of mentoring by analyzing their use of mentoring metaphors and their description of mentoring in comparison to other major relationships such as parenting, counseling or coaching. Chapter five reviews the key traits that mentors should possess as well as the major challenges that they face when working with mentees from different cultural backgrounds. Chapter six offers some of the promising practices mentors have used in overcoming the challenges articulated in chapter five, and it reveals some of the major benefits of cross-cultural mentoring. The final chapter provides suggestions for how mentoring programs can better select and train cross-cultural mentorships. In order to serve minority youth better, it se (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Leadership Studies

While mentoring has been promoted as the effective way to improve outcomes among at-risk students, there remain a number of problems for the mentoring of African American students. There has been a growing concern that too many African American students continue to underperform in high school. This has greatly jeopardized their chances of attending college. The primary problem is that studies indicate that African American at-risk students are best mentored by African American staff persons, especially African American principals, but there is a dearth of research on the subject. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the influence of African American male high school principal mentors on the behavior and self-esteem of African American male at-risk high school students. The study examined the perceptions and opinions of six subjects in a high school mentoring program in Detroit, Michigan using a portraiture research design. The six subjects included two African American male high school principals, two African American male at-risk high school students, and two African American male high school students who were not at-risk. The intent of the proposed study was to interview the subjects about their experience in the Mentoring Brother 2 Brother (MB2B) program to explore how relationships between African American high school principals and African American high school male students develop, as well as how principals influence the social behavior and self-esteem of the mentees. Overall, the findings of the study suggest that the mentoring relationships positively impacted the students. However, the findings of the study did not suggest that race was an overt component of the mentoring relationship, as none of the participants focused on the topic of race in the interviews.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how natural mentoring helps at-risk African-American male adolescents avoid high-risk behaviors. Natural mentors are people with whom mentees have natural relationships outside of their immediate family, such as community members, teachers, ministers, extended family members and coaches. The participants were two current and two former at-risk African-American male adolescents who were either currently living in, or formerly lived in, high-risk environments. Participants had experience with a natural mentor-mentee relationship and were interested in talking about their experience. The present study's mentoring relationships consisted of three male-to-male relationships and one male-to-female relationship. Several characteristics of natural mentoring impacted the mentees in this study. Mentees related examples of mentors' caring behavior, understanding, comfortable conversations, unconditional support, and commitment to the relationship. When natural mentors display these characteristics in relationships with at-risk African-American male adolescents, the mentees voluntarily assist in changing their attitudes and behaviors and enhance their chances of living more meaningful and productive lives. Concept of a Natural Mentor and Effects of Natural Mentoring relationships were the two themes that emerged from the interviews of participants. The Concept of a Natural Mentor revealed that natural mentors are people who naturally assist in others' times of need. The concept of being a natural mentor is wrapped up in commitment and selflessness. Natural mentors' commitment focuses on their relationships with at-risk African-American male adolescents, their willingness to allow mentees to make mistakes without judging them, and the flexibility given to mentees to make their own decisions. The second theme to emerge was the Effects of Natural Mentoring relationships. Natural mentoring relationships allow mentees to a (open full item for complete abstract)