Mentoring : A key to the professional development of the teacher

Abstract

Abstract: The teaching profession has a long history of providing mentorship to mentees (budding lecturers) through focused, collaborative, and one-on-one relationships. However, despite new lecturers’ ongoing need for guidance and assistance, mentoring is relatively neglected as a concept in institutions of higher education. This study explores the concept of mentoring in higher education institutions to ascertain whether different mentoring strategies and approaches can be utilized to support junior researchers who are in need of guidance, coaching, and assistance. In this study, purposively sampled mentors and mentees were interviewed about their views of, and experiences with, mentoring. The study extends beyond the mentoring research and highlights that mentoring can promote unintended outcomes due to its dynamic nature. The article also addresses how both the mentor and mentee play important roles in the success of the mentoring process. The article concludes with recommendations for mentoring programs