ERIC Number: EJ1058809
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2368-4526
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
New Faculty Perceptions of Supervision and Mentoring: The Influence of Graduate School Experiences
Gadbois, Shannon; Graham, Elizabeth
Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, v5 p44-49 2012
This study examined new faculty members' perceptions and approaches to student supervision and mentoring as related to their own experiences as doctoral students. Previous research has examined the graduate student-supervisor/mentor relationship but has yet to examine its impact on subsequent graduate student practices when they enter academic positions. Fourteen Canadian faculty members participated in a study on the experiences and expectations of doctoral candidates and early career academics. As a group, these new faculty members perceived that ideally a supervisor would also be a mentor. They perceived that a mentor shares professional and personal experience, functions as a "sounding board," provides guidance and advice, and helps prepare students for the work they are currently doing and for their career responsibilities in the future. A majority of these new faculty members reported that their graduate supervisors were not their only mentor or did not function as a mentor. Furthermore, all participants reported that they consciously made an effort to include mentorship as part of their supervisory role. These findings indicated that graduate students' own experiences of being supervised and/or mentored informed approaches with their own students. This research shows the apparent value in studying the influences of these important graduate school relationships and demonstrates the way in which our perspectives on supervisory relationships may influence subsequent practice.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Beginning Teachers, Mentors, Supervision, Graduate Students, Foreign Countries, Doctoral Programs, Educational Experience, Guidance, Career Development, Correlation, Semi Structured Interviews
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 1280 Main Street West, Mills Library Room 504, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L6, Canada. Tel: 905-525-9140; Web site: http://www.stlhe.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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