Student-Faculty Relationships and Mentoring in Research and Teaching

• In Event: Invisible College: Session 6

Abstract

Learning Objectives
1. Participants will explore the different perspectives of faculty and graduate student mentorship in order to better understand productive collaboration.
2. Participants will examine the differences between mentorship in research and mentorship in teaching in order to bridge the gap and become knowledgeable in both areas.
3. Participants will analyze mentorship as a dialectical relationship in which faculty members and graduate students learn from one another.

Session Description
The relationships among students, their faculty mentors, and other faculty have a significant influence on the overall doctoral education experience (O’Meara, 2013). These relationships are constructed through socialization, academic immersion, and emotional experiences that can help doctoral students navigate the process through which they strive to become independent researchers and teacher educators (Austin, 2006). In particular, the relationships formed between a student and their faculty mentor in postsecondary education should be both professional and personal (Johnson, 2007). Support, advice, counsel, and knowledge are critical elements that shape the guidance that faculty members provide. Effective faculty mentors encourage their student’s advancement in relation to the three university missions of teaching, research, and service (Austin, 2006 & Johnson, 2007). These relationships may also become more connected and reciprocal, faculty offering both career and personal advice and the relationship transforms in to one that is mutually beneficial (Johnson, 2007).

This presentation will investigate the student-faculty relationship during the doctoral education process. Participants will engage in an interactive session with dialogue and activities surrounding mentoring in the areas of teaching and research, and how both translate into being successful in academia. The session will begin with a brief overview of the literature, theories, and perspectives that relate to the student-faculty relationship (about 15 minutes). Next, breakout sessions will place graduate students and faculty members into groups where they can consider key aspects of mentorship. These groups will be asked to discuss the differences between mentorship related to teaching and research, how these activities are different, and where they can be merged into more holistic discussions of the faculty role. Groups will also consider the personal, social, and emotional dimensions of mentoring, as well as successful ways to translate mentoring into publication through research, including self-study of teacher education practices (S-STEP; Ovens & Fletcher, 2014). Finally, the groups will come together to develop a collective understanding of the key factors in effective mentoring and a healthy doctoral student-faculty member relationship. The session presenters will act as facilitators throughout and will join different groups to add to the discussions. Collectively, these discussions will help attendees consider the role of mentoring, as faculty members and doctoral students work collaboratively to advance teaching and research activities and promote a favorable future for physical education both in schools and higher education contexts. In addition to the authors above, we plan on inviting additional student mentor pairs. Our goal will be to offer a broader perspective that reflects the international nature of the Special Interest Group.

Authors

• Christine Pedder, Wayne State University

• Hayley McKown, University of Idaho

• Camryn Kowalski, Wayne State University

• Victoria Shiver, Northern Illinois University

• Jeanne M. Barcelona, Wayne State University

• Erin Elizabeth Centeio, University of Hawaii - Manoa

• K. Andrew R. Richards, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign