ERIC Number: EJ1077323
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-5984
EISSN: N/A
Mentor Policy and the Quality of Mentoring
Polikoff, Morgan S.; Desimone, Laura M.; Porter, Andrew C.; Hochberg, Eric D.
Elementary School Journal, v116 n1 p76-102 Sep 2015
Mentoring is a common form of support for beginning teachers. State and district mentoring policies vary along a number of dimensions, yet policymakers have little evidence to draw on in designing effective mentoring programs. We use quantitative and qualitative data from a study of beginning middle school mathematics teachers in 10 districts to investigate the relationship of mentor policy features with the quality of mentoring received by new teachers. We find a strong and significant association indicating that mentors who have time during the day to meet with their new teachers are associated with higher-quality mentoring interactions. These results are supported through teacher interviews, and interviews also suggest that teachers experience better outcomes when mentors are located in the same school and have an evaluative role. These results suggest that proximity and availability may be particularly important features if mentors are to provide high-quality support to new teachers.
Descriptors: Mentors, Educational Policy, Statistical Analysis, Qualitative Research, Middle School Teachers, Mathematics Teachers, Educational Quality, Beginning Teachers, Correlation, Interaction, Interviews, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Role, Teacher Collaboration, Interpersonal Relationship, Longitudinal Studies, Surveys, Geographic Location
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Tennessee
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B090015; 0554434