ABSTRACT
The study examined the
nature of mentoring relationship and professional development amongst newly
qualified teachers and experienced teachers in Lagos State
public secondary schools. Descriptive survey design was employed in order to
assess the opinions of the respondents. The sample consisted of 120 teachers
randomly selected from Lagos State Public Secondary Schools. Five null
hypotheses were generated and tested in this study using the Pearson product
moment correlational statistics and the t-test statistical tools at 0.05 level
of significance. The results show that a significant difference exists in the mentoring
behaviour between the mentor and the mentee in the school, and between experienced
teachers and the newly employed teachers. Also a significant positive
relationship exists between mentoring behaviour and professional development
amongst teachers and between teachers’ skills and qualities required for
successful mentoring programme in secondary schools in Lagos State.
However, no significant gender difference exists in the professional
development of teachers in Lagos
State secondary schools
due to mentoring programme put in place. Based on the conclusions of this
study, it was recommended that experienced teachers and the newly appointed
teachers should work hand-in-hand in order to ensure that cooperation exists
amongst them and mentoring should be implemented in schools at all levels.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1
Background
to the Study 1
1.2
Statement
of Problem 6
1.3
Purpose
of the Study 7
1.4
Research
Questions 8
1.5
Research
Hypotheses 9
1.6
Significance
of the Study 10
1.7
Scope
and Limitation of the Study 11
1.8
Definition
of Terms 11
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 13
2.1 Historical
Background of Mentoring 13
2.2 Definition
of Mentoring 15
2.3 Mentoring
Models 20
2.4 Benefits
of Mentoring 30
2.5 Competencies and Skills Required within the
Newly Qualified
Teachers Mentoring
Relationship 34
2.6 Relationship between Mentoring and
Professional Development
among Teachers 38
2.7 Relationship between the Mentor (Experienced Teachers)
and the Mentee (Newly
Employed Teachers) 41
2.8 Relationship between Mentoring and
Teachers’ Productivity 44
2.9 Summary of the Review 49
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 50
3.0 Introduction 50
3.1
Research Design 50
3.2
Population of the Study 50
3.3
Sample Size and Sampling
Technique 50
3.4
Research Instrument 51
3.5
Procedure for Data Collection
51
3.6
Procedure for Data Analysis 51
CHAPTER
FOUR: RESULTS 52
4.1 Testing
of Hypotheses 52
4.2 Summary
of Findings 56
CHAPTER
FIVE: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS 58
5.1 Introduction
58
5.2 Discussion
of Findings 58
5.3 Summary
of the Study 63
5.4 Conclusions
65
5.5 Recommendations
65
References 68
Appendixes 74
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Mentoring can be
traced to the Greek mythology based on the story of “Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey”. The world ‘Mentor’ is now synonymous
with the word ‘trusted adviser, friend, teacher, counselor and wise person’. On
the other side of the divide, words like student, protégé, learner, and mentee
are used to describe the one who is directed or mentored. There are always two
sides of the coin. And there is mentor-mentee kind of relationship in
mentorship. According to Cutterbuck (2000), mentoring presently has appeared to
be a serious subject-matter in the academic circles which involved research and
experimentation. Cutterbuck is of the opinion that mentoring is currently
receiving implementation and being used across educational systems anywhere.
This is because mentoring cut across all spheres of the educational sector:
ranging from the peer mentoring in school, to aid problems with bullying, to
professional development for teachers, management and support staff.
It is difficult to
describe the word ‘mentoring’, as majority of scholars and researchers alike,
have mixed up the meaning of mentoring with coaching and counseling as
techniques of directions. There seem to be a confusion in the actual function
of mentoring. This is because the concept has developed differently in the North America to the rest of Europe.
For instance, the term “protégé” is used to refer to a mentor relationship
where the learner is younger, less powerful and naïve; who is seemingly guided
and directed by the older, more powerful, senior and experienced individual who
is also an expert (Oti, 2009).
Mentoring is a process
which aids learning and development, and thus, enhances or improves performance
either for an individual or group of individual or business organization
(Sutton Regeneration Partnership, 1999). The main thrust of mentoring is to
ensure that individuals are supported and encouraged to manage and control
their learning in order to maximize their productivity, potential, enhance
their personal skills and performance, and also be the person they are expected
to be (Parsloe and Wray, 2000).
In Nigerian secondary
school system, there is no formal programme for mentoring, rather, the informal
type of mentoring exists. This is a situation where senior member of staff
picks another individual on an informal arrangement to mentor or direct him/her
on the way forward towards development of the teaching profession. This
individual who receives mentoring is regarded as the newly qualified teacher,
or the newly employed teacher who just graduated from the school system and
does not know the nitty gritty of teaching profession (Uzomah, 2008).
Individuals (newly
qualified teachers) who are mentored, see the mentoring system as a welcome
development. This is because, they perceive the mentoring as a vehicle for the
enhancement of their career. There also, exists cordial relationship between
the mentors and the mentees. This is seen in terms of their friendship and
espit de corp that seems to spring up between the director (the mentor) and the
directed (the mentee). Ayomide (2003), states that for the fact that there is
no formal programme on mentoring in the Nigerian secondary school system, most
people who are mentored see the mentoring as an assistance by the older
teacher, which should not be misused. In the light of this, they seem to
embrace the development and perceive it as a technique designed to enhance
their teaching profession. In most cases, the mentees respect and honours the
mentor(s) and sees them as experts and wise advisers who prevent them from
committing errors in their chosen careers (Adeleke, 2004).
The rapport that
exists between the mentor and the mentee, to a large extent, brings about good
result in the mentoring process. This is because, the cordial relationship that
occurs between the mentor and the mentee encourages the mentor to have a good disposition
in directing and teaching the mentee so that at the end of the mentoring
process, he/she (the mentee) becomes a better professional person and this goes
a long way in enhancing and improving the skills and professionalism of the
mentee, who is regarded as the newly qualified teacher employed to teach
(Adekoya, 2000).
Abel et al (1995),
pointed out a series of mentors’ roles to the beginning teachers. They
identified such roles as parent-figure, support system, guide, counselor,
scaffolder and role model. This implied that mentors are a sort of surrogate
academic parents who are in the habit of helping people to do things right and
to enhance professionalism amongst their mentees. They are role models because
they play the roles which their mentees would like to play in future time. The
mentors’ functions include supporting the young, newly employed teachers to get
things done effectively and to counsel the new staff based on their acquired experiences
due to long service in the field of teaching. According to Burgess and Shelton
(2007), the functions of the mentors include identifying starting points for
mentoring, mentoring for the aim of achieving growth and professional
development in the workplace, and also to assess the level of development and
or growth attained by the mentee.
Buell (2004) also
identified four common techniques for mentoring. According to him, cloning,
nurturing, friendship and apprenticeship are some of the main approaches to
effective mentoring. Buell stated that there should be an element of nurturing
and friendship between the mentor and the mentored. Such friendship should be
cordial and the nurturing devoid of insincerity. The one who is nurtured should
remain loyal and respectful to the one who nurtures him/her. That is to say
that both the mentor and the mentee ought to have relationship that is total
for the benefit of mentoring to be achieved by the mentee. Kajs (2002) supports
a framework for directing and mentoring novice teachers who are fresh on the
job of teaching and learning. As Kajs put it, the framework for supporting
novice teachers should include: knowledge of the stages of teacher development,
an appreciation of adult learning principles, an appreciation of the role of
professional development, skills in assessment, interpersonal skills, and
relevant classroom knowledge and skills. Kajs believes that if the above
identified framework for supporting the newly employed teachers are put in
place, mentoring programme will be successful and the aim of developing the
teaching profession of the new teacher will also be achieved.
In another
development, Williams et al (1998), carried out an effective study on mentoring
relationships in the secondary schools, in the study, the following were
highlighted as elements of mentoring relationships: supporting, actively
teaching, guiding, provision of information, offering practical strategies,
feeding back on lessons and providing clear assessments of practice. Williams
is of the view that maintenance of relationship is of paramount importance if
mentors and mentees should achieve their set out goals. Also, Rowley (1999)
opined that the key characteristics of a ‘good mentor’ include commitment,
recognizing the role of the newly employed teacher, providing instructional
support, being effective with interpersonal skills, modeling continuous learning,
communicating hope and optimism. Rowley also stated that for one to make a good
mentor, the mentor ought to see the mentee as one who needs to be directed and
this is done by providing instructional support and by providing effective
communication which keeps hope and optimism alive. Without communication and
feedback, the relationships between the mentor and the mentee may not be
cordial and strong.
Boydell (1994),
observed that there are five major steps a mentee may pass through. The
identified five steps are doing things well, learning to improve; doing things
better and learning to integrate; doing better things and learning to
implement. This implied that the main idea in mentoring is to enable the mentee
to learn how to do things better and well.
1.2
Statement
of Problem
The problem inherent
in the lack of relationship between the mentor and the mentee in the teaching
profession cannot be overemphasized. This is because, lack of mentoring
relationship between the mentor (experience teacher) and the mentee (newly
employed teacher), brings about low performance and poor productivity of the
newly employed teacher who lacks the wherewithal to carry out the teaching job
due to poor mentoring relationship.
If there is no
mentoring relationship between the mentor and the mentee, it becomes obvious
that the newly employed teacher (the mentee), suffers lack of knowledge of the
nitty gritty of the teaching job. Where the newly employed worker in the school
system, is not effectively directed and counseled by the experienced mentor
(teacher), he/she performs below expectation, and the resultant effect is low
productivity, and by extension poor academic achievement of students which has
been the main cause of low standards of education in Nigeria today.
The above problems
gave rise to the examination of the nature
of mentoring relationship and professional development among newly qualified
teachers in Nigerian public secondary schools.
1.3
Purpose
of the Study
The main objectives of
this study include to
(1)
find out if there is difference in the mentoring
behaviour between the mentor and the mentee in the school.
(2)
investigate if there is mentoring behaviour between
experienced teachers and the newly employed teachers in Lagos State
secondary schools.
(3)
asses if there is relationship between
mentoring behaviour and professional development amongst teachers in secondary
schools in Lagos State.
(4)
examine if there is relationship between
teachers’ skills and qualities required for successful mentoring programme in
secondary schools in Lagos
State.
(5)
find out if there is gender difference in the
professional development of teachers in Lagos State
secondary schools due to mentoring programme put in place.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research
questions will be raised in this study:
(1) Will there be difference in the mentoring
behaviour between the mentor and the mentee in the school?
(2) Will there be difference in the mentoring
behaviour between experienced teachers and the newly employed teachers in Lagos State
secondary schools?
(3) Will there be any relationship between
mentoring behaviour and professional development amongst teachers in secondary
schools in Lagos State?
(4) Will there be any relationship between
teachers’ skills and qualities required for successful mentoring programme in
secondary schools in Lagos
State?
(5) Will there be gender difference in the
professional development of teachers in Lagos State
secondary schools due to mentoring programme put in place?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses
will be formulated and tested in this study:
(1) There will be no significant difference in
the mentoring behaviour between the mentor and the mentee in the school.
(2) There will be no significant difference in
mentoring behaviour between experienced teachers and the newly employed
teachers in Lagos
State secondary schools.
(3) There will be no significant relationship
between mentoring behaviour and professional development amongst teachers in
secondary schools in Lagos
State.
(4) There will be no significant relationship
between teachers’ skills and qualities required for successful mentoring
programme in secondary schools in Lagos
State.
(5) There will be no significant gender
difference in the professional development of teachers in Lagos State
secondary schools due to mentoring programme put in place.
1.6
Significance
of the Study
This study will be
of great benefit to the following:
1.
Teachers: They would benefit
from the findings and recommendations of this study because it will give them
an insight on how to carry out their jobs in the school. It will enable
teachers to be more productive in doing their daily job of teaching and
learning. With this study, many teachers would be-oriented in the art of
teaching knowing fully well that the way they teach will affect students’
academic achievement in schools. It will also help the new teachers to
understand the importance of relationship and team work in the school.
2.
Students: They would benefit
from the study because it will help them to have the understanding that their
teachers required to be an exemplary one, if his/her teaching experiences would
be of great benefit to the child or the student. With the findings and the
recommendations of this study, students would be able to identify teachers who
“cheat” and real teachers of note in the school system. With this study also,
students would be able to know that they need to be taught by trained and experienced
teachers if they would put up high performances in their academic careers.
3.
Government and
School Authority: The findings and recommendations of this study will be
helpful to both the government and school authorities in that it make them to
understand the role mentoring relationship plays in an ideal school setting.
This is because if there is good mentoring relationship among teachers, there
will be teaching effectiveness in the Nigerian school system.
1.7
Scope
and Limitation of the Study
This study covered the
nature of mentoring relationship and professional development among newly
qualified teachers in Lagos
State public secondary
schools. This study will be limited to some selected secondary schools in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.8
Definition
of Terms
The following
operational terms used in this study will be defined thus:
1.
Mentoring
Relationship: This is the relationship that exists between
the mentor (old teachers) and the mentee (the newly appointed teachers).
2.
Professional
Development: This is the process whereby teachers or
workers in any organisation is developed through training and retraining
processes.
3.
Newly Qualified Teachers: This is a new
teacher in a school organisation. He/she is a person who is newly employed to teach
either in primary or secondary school.
4.
Mentor: This is a person who
mentors. In a school, he or she could be an experienced and trained teacher who
advises or counsel the newly employed teachers.
5.
Mentee: This is a person who is mentored. He
or she could be a person newly employed in the primary or secondary school, who
needs the direction, counseling and guidance of an experienced teacher.
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