Date of Award

Fall 12-2011

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Chair

Rose McNeese

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

James T. Johnson

Committee Member 3

David Daves

Committee Member 3 Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education

Committee Member 4

David Lee

Committee Member 4 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Abstract

The following study was conducted in four public school districts in south Mississippi and involved a combination of 167 administrators, mentors, and novice teachers. The purpose of this study was to measure the reported needs of a teacher mentoring program as perceived by novice teachers, mentor teachers, and administrators. An additional purpose of the study was to examine administrators’ perceptions of how alternate route and traditional route teachers differ in their needs of a teacher mentoring program.

Two multivariate of analysis (MANOVA) tests were conducted to measure the differences among novice teachers, mentors, and administrators in their perception of what should be included in a mentoring program and the ways in which alternate route and traditional route teachers differ in their needs of a teacher mentoring program. Both tests conducted produced statistically significant results. Statistical test revealed that mentors recognize novice teachers have a greater need for mentoring in the areas of classroom management, collaboration, technology, and school-wide procedures with (F(8,112) = 2.30, p = .025). Statistical test also revealed that administrators perceive alternate route teachers to have a greater need for mentoring in the areas of classroom management, collaboration, discipline, documentation, feedback, observation, technology, and school-wide procedures with (F(8,74) = 6.792, p

As the need for teachers continues to increase and retention rates consistently decrease, the results of this study provide valuable information to colleges and universities as they continue to develop their programs for both alternate and traditional route teachers. These results can be used to increase student achievement through the establishment of teacher mentoring programs or the enhancement of previously established mentoring programs as superintendents, districts, administrators, and teachers continue to rise to the high demands as set forth by No Child Left Behind and standardized testing.

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