Section archive - Mentoring & Supervision

The article explores the skills needed by mentor teachers in order to succeed as advisors and instructors. The study identified seven supervisory skills within 60 mentoring dialogues. After training, however, a shift was observed regarding the frequencies and duration of each supervisory skill. The training positively affected the use of skills and the stimulation of reflection in student teachers.

Conflicts arising in learning communities are the subject of the study. An analysis of a small group of teachers over a 2-year period was conducted. Data gathered included journal entries, focus-group discussions and individual interviews. Weick's (1979) four developmental stages of collaboration provide a broader understanding of why conflict occurs in learning communities and its effect on collaborative learning.

The article explores whether mentoring of fourth and fifth grade students influences depression, self-concept, anxiety and relationship with parents and peers. 31 mentored children were examined during an 18-month period, along with 22 non-mentored children. Results reveal that although mentored students showed improvement in self-concept and anxiety, neither mentored nor non-mentored students showed improvement in either depression or relationships.

The article describes a case study of the implementation of a new university mentoring program for women faculty members. The program can also be implemented in both national and international corporations and benefit women who are looking for career advancement.