Andrea M. Kent

Cultural influences on mentoring programs and relationships: a critical review of research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and summarize the primary themes and issues examined in relevant international research dealing with the relationship between culture and mentoring. The focus is on formal mentoring programs for educators in primary and secondary schools and higher education settings. Design/methodology/approach – The literature surveyed covered the direct and indirect impacts of culture on mentoring in primary, secondary and higher education settings. Manuscripts were organized around the topics of teacher education, teacher and leader development, and higher education. A thematic synthesis approach was used to summarize the findings. Findings – Findings indicated that research on cultural aspects of mentoring in education has focused on three primary themes: cultural aspects of the mentoring relationship; the impact of organizational structures on mentoring programs and relationships; and the manner in which ethnicity and societal beliefs relate to the purposes and stru...

A Collaborative Effort: Bridging Theory and Practice in Pre-Service Preparation.

Preparing pre-service education candidates to be successful in todays classroom is a complex task. There must be a bridge between theory and practice that requires a collaborative effort between universities and public schools. This article presents: (1) teacher educators with a field-based clinical model for preparing pre-service teacher education candidates; (2) classroom teachers with effective mentoring strategies; and, (3) public school and university administrators strategies for working with a more authentic model of teacher preparation that requires deep and rich clinical field experiences to help novice teachers become more effective in todays schools.

Interactive Videoconferencing: Connecting Theory to Practice for Preservice Teachers.

Abstract The purpose of this work is to examine using interactive videoconferencing (IVC) to provide preservice teachers with a model of exemplary reading instruction to transfer their learning and implement effective reading instruction. The program was facilitated by university professors and carried out though frequent interactions between preservice teachers and a number of master teachers employed in public school classrooms. The programs success was based upon the extent to which IVC was considered helpful to preservice teachers attempting to link theory to practice. Data from this program evaluation suggest that, when using IVC technology to prepare new teachers to become more effective reading teachers, teacher candidates expressed improvements in both their ability to, and confidence for, providing better reading instruction. Based on this program evaluation, we the researchers postulate that IVC may be a powerful tool for helping prepare new teachers to meet the many challenges inherent in teaching today.

An Exploration of Factors Contributing to the Perceptions of Preparedness for Elementary Candidates in a Clinically Based Program

A quantitative, descriptive research model was used to investigate the perceptions of teacher candidates in a clinically based dual certification program regarding their culminating student teaching experience. Data consisted of candidates’ responses to both multiple choice and open ended survey items. Results indicated that teacher candidates within an undergraduate program leading to state teaching certification in both elementary and collaborative teaching (K-6) had positive perceptions regarding their preparedness as a result of prior experiences working in K-6 classrooms (44%) and interactions with in-service teachers (28%). In addition, teacher candidates perceived strong relationships with their university supervisors reporting that they received a greater amount of encouragement and feedback for improved teaching from their university supervisors than from their cooperating teachers.