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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTORING BEHAVIOUR AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG TEACHERS
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.
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.
1.2Statement 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
thenature of mentoring relationship and professional development among newly
qualified teachers in Nigerian public secondary schools.
1.3Purpose 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.
1.6Significance 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.
1.7Scope 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.
1.8Definition 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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