Closing the Mentorship Loop

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Mentoring Initiatives

Abstract

Colleges of education enjoy classroom expertise of faculty who have completed doctoral programs while in P-12 settings, lending strength to current classroom pedagogical practices in preparing future teachers. With limited experience in higher education, some junior faculty entering tenure track positions must learn to navigate the shift in focus from solely teaching to teaching, research, and service—measures on which they will be evaluated both externally and internally through a promotion and tenure process, along with the cultural shift between higher education and P-12 environments, including measures of success, level of autonomy, and social interaction. This study examines the outcomes of an initiative to mentor junior faculty through this transition, as well as future directions and recommendations for mentorship.

Authors

• Andrea M. Kent, University of South Alabama

• Andre M. Green, University of South Alabama

• Susan Ferguson Martin, University of South Alabama