Project Report - Adam Drucker

Project Report - Adam Drucker 000 661072-2

1

Effective Mentoring for Secondary School Pupils – by Adam Drucker

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Literature Review 6

2.1 Defining Mentoring 6

2.2 Aims of Mentoring 7

2.3 Group and One – to – One Mentoring 8

2.4 Mentoring Handbooks 8

2.5 Benefits of Being a Mentor 9

2.6 Attributes of Good Mentors 10

2.7 Emotional Intelligence 10

i. Fig. 1 – Hay McBer model of emotional intelligence 11

2.8 Models for Mentoring 12

i. Fig. 2 – 3-Stage Model 12

ii. Fig. 3 – The Experiential Learning Cycle 13

2.9 Focus Groups 15

3. Methodology 17

i. Fig. 4 – Map for 1 to 1 Mentoring 18

ii. Fig. 5 – Title 19

iii. Fig. 6 – Effective Mentor 19

iv. Fig. 7 – Mentoring Top Tip 20

v. Fig. 8 – The Mentoring Model 22

vi. Fig. 9 – The Mentoring Session 23

3.1 Focus Group Methodology 24

4. Analysis and Discussion 25


2

4.1 Comments on what the Guide did well 25

4.2 Comments on how to improve the Guide 26

5. Conclusion 28

5.1 Outcomes 28

5.2 Recommendations 28

5.3 Limitations 29

6. References 30

APPENDIX –

A Guide to Mentoring

Focus Group Notes


3

Introduction

Mentoring has been a part of civilisation for thousands of years and its emergence appears in

the mythical tales of the Ancient Greens. The Goddess Athena took on the role of Mentor to

Telemachus (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). From then and throughout history to modern times

there have been many famous mentoring relationships with each taking on different forms of

mentoring and guidance.

Mentoring itself can take various forms and be used in almost any learning environment

because it is simply defined as a ‘learning and developmental relationship between two

people’ (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). As with any successful relationship there must exist

mutual trust and esteem, a desire to help the mentee understand and fulfil their potential and

guidance by the mentor to show what the mentee hopes to be.

Unfortunately, as with many educational skills, mentoring is vastly complex and challenging

to implement successfully. This is especially truth within the context of a Secondary School;

in which teachers are assigned specific pupils to mentor (Miller, 2002).The difficulties,

particularly for teacher mentors, present themselves in many forms such as lack of training,

supervision, direction and guidance.

Consequently, pupils who are being mentored may not be able to gain the most from

mentoring if the mentor themself does not truly understand their role or if the pupils parents

are not aware of the benefits of mentoring (Struchen & Porta, 1997). These issues are but a

number of potential stumbling blocks teachers and schools face who are very keen to

implement effective mentoring schemes into their schools.

Despite this, an increasing feature in Secondary Schools in the UK is a mentoring

programme. Already by the academic year 1998-99 a quarter of schools in the UK had

implemented a mentoring scheme (Miller, 2002). This number has increased year on year and

schools are looking to implement effective programmes that are not only highly beneficial for

pupils but also for the professional development of teachers involved (Garvey & Langridge,

2006). Yavneh College is a relatively new school and is currently on its seventh intake of

pupils. A mentoring scheme has already been introduced but there are no formal instructions

or training for mentors to follow. Many other successful mentoring schemes have been

introduced around the world for pupils of a similar background to those at Yavneh College,

such as the Perach programme in Israel (Fresko & Carmeli, 1990 as cited in Miller 2002).

The programme worked with both Jewish and Arab children to improve attitudes towards

education and academia.

For a mentoring scheme to be successful a multitude of factors are suggested to be

implemented. A guide for prospective mentors is essential to ensure best practice and

allowing all mentors to feel confident in the scheme (Garvey & Langridge, 2006; Miller,

2002). Along with this, it has been recommended for institutions that run mentoring schemes

to implement a training programme for mentors that run alongside any written guide (Jucovy,

2000).


4

Mentoring has been a proven success all over the world in a number of different contexts, but

especially in schools. With that said it is still a very complex and tricky to implement and a

school must be clear on the core objectives and outcomes it desires when running a

mentoring initiative (Miller, 2002). There are various types of mentoring and within those

there are a number of techniques a mentor can implement. Defining all of those techniques

and ranges in mentoring styles is a key element for any mentoring programme, in order to

achieve the desired outcomes (Miller, 1998).

Successful mentoring has shown to benefit pupils are a large number of areas such as

behaviour and attainment in school (Garvey & Langridge, 2006), but has also shown to be

very successful for guiding pupils in employment related knowledge skills and attitudes

(Miller, 2000 as cited in Miller 2002). Withers and Batten (1995) suggest behaviours that

effective mentors may possess. By establishing and defining those behaviours, individual

teachers in school can be empowered and encouraged to undertake something that is not only

beneficial for pupils but also for themselves (Garvey & Langridge, 2006).

In order to continue to run a mentoring programme efficiently and successfully the following

project will look to achieve the following outcomes:

1. ‘Evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring techniques for pupils of Secondary School

age, in the context of creating a mentoring handbook.’ - A large amount of research

and case studies have taken place to ascertain the positive effects of mentoring in

schools (Miller, 2002). There a large amount of varying techniques that are employed

which all have a varying success rate. One way to achieve success in mentoring is to

use open ended questioning within a structure known as the ‘mentoring learning

cycle’ (Carr, 2000). This allows a strong focus for the mentee to go on and evaluate

their success. Alongside this is a 3-stage model suggested by Garvey and Langridge

(2006), who look to inform teachers the best way to run their mentoring sessions with

pupils. There are many other examples of research literature and case studies that

inform on mentoring best practice. This can be used to not only guide for individual

teachers but also serve an entire school that are looking to formalise a mentoring

programme.

2. ‘Produce a mentoring guide, which is in keeping with the reviewed literature.’ -

Producing a guide for mentors is a key tool to ensuring best practice within a school

(Garvey & Langridge, 2006). That does not mean that teachers are restricted in any

way and should choose methods that suite their style best (Garvey, 1994; Miller,

2002) There are other factors and issues that come into play with mentoring, which

must be highlighted in a written guide, which may not seem obvious at first (Lauland,

1998). These could include poor emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995) or the

importance of also establishing positive and open interaction with a mentee's parents

(Struchen & Porta, 1997). The guide should be in keeping with analysed data and

succinct enough for teachers to be able to access its content effectively (Garvey &

Langridge, 2006).


5

3. ‘Analyse the results of a focus group with current senior mentors with in the school to

help review the researched mentoring techniques and the guide produced.’ - Teachers

who may have been teaching for many years can sometimes have very little

experience to formal mentoring. Consequently, when very little instruction is given to

teachers, mentoring within a school can produce mixed results. To combat this

various mentoring terms and strategies have been defined to aid teachers (Garvey,

1994). Along with this, teachers need to feel that they have ownership over the

mentoring they currently do and aim to do in the future (Garvey and Langridge,

2006). Therefore it is imperative to research how current mentors in Yavneh feel

about their current work and how they aim to improve their own mentoring methods.

A focus group with the current mentors, in which a set of open ended questions are

asked (Miller, 2002), will provide a solid foundation for not only what is currently

taking place but how to advance mentoring in the school (Morgan & Krueger, 1993).

The focus group will be used to review and analyse the produced guide.

4. ‘Appraise the mentoring guide within the context of effective mentoring techniques

and data obtained from the focus group.’ - Many aims and objectives have been

suggested for mentors and the current available literature outlines what makes a

successful mentoring relationship (Miller, 2002). If a guide is in keeping with these

set out aims, objectives, methods and outcomes then there’s a high probability for the

written guides successful implementation.

The eventual aim of this project is to research best practice in effective mentoring for pupils

in Secondary School, with the aim to produce a handbook for form tutors at Yavneh College.

The production of the handbook should incorporate techniques that have been informed by a

literature review and be reviewed by the analysis of primary data.

As the term best practice is very general and effective mentoring needs to match the needs of

the institution running the scheme (Miller, 2002), a focus group will be carried out to obtain

primary data from current mentors at Yavneh College. Since the mentors involved in the

focus group, along with others in the school, will ultimately be using their research to further

their own mentoring practices, it is crucial that they are involved in the investigation and

review the produced guide.


6

Literature Review

When attempting to explore to vast amount of current mentoring schemes implemented all

around the globe, an important element that needs to be considered is how the researched

schools, governments or institutions relate to Yavneh College. This path of research will

produce a strong context of mentoring methods (Miller, 2002). But before looking at Western

mentoring systems found in countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc., there is a

fascinating scheme that has been running in Israel and as Yavneh College is Jewish and

Zionist school, it’s relevance may be useful.

Fresko and Carmeli (1990) carried out extensive research in this area and evaluated a

programme run in Israel known as Perach. In their research, cited by Miller (2002), they

discuss the success of a mentoring programme set up for Jewish and Arab children. The key

aim of this particular mentoring initiative was to improve the attitudes of young people

towards school and improve their motivation to learn. Even though Perach did not show huge

success in improving academic achievement, it did show an increase in positive attitudes in

pupils towards school (Fresko & Carmeli, 1990 as cited by Miller, 2002)

The Perach model, although somewhat a success, is not wholly useful as it used university

students seeking to have lower tuition fees as mentors. This factor differs to that of a school

but the training, aims and implementation have helped form more recent school based

mentoring schemes in the UK (Miller, 2002). Analysis of this particular programme can place

it within the context of modern mentoring techniques implemented within UK schools, for

both peer mentoring and teacher lead mentoring. The influence Perach can have is by

showing that mentoring schemes are not only about academic success, but should and can

instil a positive attitude towards school and independent learning.

2.1 Defining Mentoring

Defining mentoring can be tricky and can found in schools in various formats. The two main

forms of aiding pupils outside of lessons are known as ‘mentoring’ and ‘tutoring’. Due to

these words being used in a number of contexts in is tough trying to define them exactly and

when they should be used appropriately. In general, tutoring focuses on helping pupils with

their subject learning and academic success, whereas mentoring concentrates on developing

life skills (Goodlad, 1995). Tutoring also usually occurs over a far shorter period of time and

can take place in a large group. Mentoring on the other hand can last for several months or

years and is performed on a one-to-one basis. If these two terms are not made clear, then it is

harder to identify what the individual needs of a pupil are and what appropriate course of

action should be taken. For example, a pupil who is underachieving because of behavioural

issues may not simply require academic tutoring but a more comprehensive course with a

mentor, to discover and correct the root of the problem. For this project it is important to note

that the role of an academic tutor can be superseded and included within the role of a mentor.


7

2.2 Aims of Mentoring

With that in mind, it is important for any school running or planning to run a mentoring

scheme to have a clear set of aims and objectives. Depending on the scale and need for a

mentoring programme will dictate how many aims the school has (Miller, 2002). As

mentioned above, mentoring is defined by its core aim of developing a young person’s life

skills. Since the term ‘life skills’ is vague in nature a set of objectives needs to be drawn from

it.

A key objective and main outcome of mentoring schemes is raising the self-esteem of the

pupil (Golden and Sims, 1999). A large majority of cases where pupils need mentoring and

are seen to failing in school is due to a low self-worth. By engaging with a mentor and

working through certain issues has seen to raise the performance of a pupil who does suffer

from low self-esteem (Miller, 2002).

Another developmental aim as highlighted by Golden and Sims (1999) is the difficulty pupils

have with personal and social skills. It is argues that there is a direct link to these types of

issues and low self-confidence, so the methods used to solve them is similar. Examples

include sustained one-to-one discussions with a mentor of a prolonged period of time.

Mentors also encourage their mentees to try personal challenges, with success in these

challenges allowing them to improve their social skills (Golden and Sims, 1999).

An issue that is prominent in Secondary Schools, due to the age range of pupils, is the speed

at which pupils mature in various aspects. Mentoring that addresses this time of transition for

pupils, which is both physiological and psychological, is known as the ‘maturational

objective’ (Miller, 2002), in which a mentor supports pupils in this challenging time.

Mentoring has been identified as imperative when pupils are going through times of

transition (Gay, 1997). By engaging with an older individual who can offer guidance and

insight, who may have experience similar things to the mentee, allows the struggling pupil to

not only reflect and engage positively but also motivate themselves to achieve their potential.

Another common aim for school mentoring is the encouragement for behavioural change in

certain pupils. Pupils who may require this form of mentoring may have issues with

attendance or disruption in class. In this case, a mentor may look identify reasons for a certain

behaviour with a mentee or highlight and discuss long term consequences if their negative

behaviour continues (Miller, 2002). These forms of developmental aims are well suited to

school mentoring programmes, but are not the only form of objectives that are appropriate for

schools as they only deal with behaviours.

There are other objectives that work within the realm of aspiration and employability. In both

cases they look at what the mentee aspires to be and how they want to achieve it. A specific

example is brought by Miller (2000) as cited by Miller (2002), who states that mentors can

assist young people in developing specific knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to

employment. Mentors may arrange specific work placements that fit with the pupil’s

aspirations or train them with useful work based skills, such as punctuality and team work

(Miller, 2002). As Yavneh College is a business and enterprise school, a large group of pupils


8

aspire to establish themselves in business and other gainful employment. Mentors within the

school must ensure then that these pupils are instilled with the relevant knowledge, skills and

attitudes to achieve this.

One final suggested set of objectives are orientated around academic achievement in school

subjects (Miller, 2002). In this area subject experts or ‘experts in learning’ such as teachers

can guide mentors to improve grades and ability to learn. This may involve helping students

pick up core independent learning skills or guide them to success in a subject that they find

particular challenging. As with all of the above suggested objectives, mentors are required to

possess a specific skill set based around the proposed objective in or der to be able to inspire

and give over effective mentoring. Miller (2002), in his comprehensive research on

mentoring, suggests that although there are many objectives available for institutions to aim

towards, programmes that are multi-faceted and have a number of objectives are overall more

successful mentoring schemes (Miller, 1998).

2.3 Group and One – to – One Mentoring

Within the discussions of what type of mentoring should be offered, there is differing of

opinions as to whether mentoring should take place in a group or be one-to-one. A study of

schools in the UK that run mentoring schemes found that although 60 per cent run one-to-one

mentoring, only 49 per cent of teachers were used as mentors and 13 per cent of students

were being mentored (Golden & Sims, 1997). This suggests that although seemingly a

preferred method for schools in the UK, the scheme itself was not reaching the majority of

those it could potentially benefit.

The other option would be to run group mentoring sessions with one mentor and a number of

pupils. Obviously the methods used in this form of mentoring and outcomes gained are

different to that of on-to-one mentoring schemes. Although, Gay (1994) goes as far to say

that schemes that implement group sessions should not use the term ‘mentoring’, as they

provide a completely different dynamic to one-to-one programmes. Research shows that

group programmes focus far more teambuilding skills and allowing pupils to gain confidence

in a small group (Miller, 1998). The main issue though with group mentoring, is that it is

more difficult for pupils to establish as strong as a relationship with their mentor compared to

a one-on-one situation. There is also a big ‘lack of privacy’, so that if a pupil wishes to share

personal issues, or generally displays introverted behaviour then they will not be able to

process this effectively in a group (Miller, 2002).

2.4 Mentoring Handbooks

One of the objectives of this particular project is to assess if, how and what information

should be available to schools and mentors to support them in their job. One tool that is

discussed to be of major value is mentor handbooks (Miller, 2002). These handbooks vary in

format, size and instruction but in general offer practical guidance to mentors and suggest

different methods on setting up, running and analysing mentoring schemes (Garvey &

Langridge, 2006). They also lay out specific structures, language and mentors to use in order

to gain the most from their mentoring sessions.


9

Also available are mentor training programmes that contain direction for senior members of

an institution such as a school to offer their own training (Miller, 2002). An example of one

of these training manuals is Jucovy (2000) cited in Miller (2002). In the manual it is

recommended for institutions that implement mentoring schemes, such as schools, run

training programmes for mentors involved. Training manuals are produced that contain

guidance for the trainer as well as materials for the trainee mentors and evaluation tools.

Training sessions and manuals to guide these sessions, can prove highly useful for new

schools and schools who are yet to introduce a mentoring programme. Nevertheless issues

may arise for current mentors and teachers wishing to become mentors, as they will not have

the time or desire to undertake more formal training.

Consequently, teachers need to understand what exactly is involved if they become a mentor

and what the mentoring scheme comprises of. A comprehensive list of what a mentoring

programme is likely to involve is defined by MacCallum and Beltman (1999). They stress the

importance of highlighting the types of pupils who will require mentoring, so that teacher can

ascertain whether they will be suited to the programme.

Another example used by MacCallum and Beltman (1999) is teachers being made aware of

how and when to contact parents, which is in line with the mentioned findings of Struchen

and Porta (1997), who stress the imperativeness of being in contact with mentored pupils’

parents.

These types of basic information suggested by MacCallum and Beltman (1999) can

potentially have to opposite affects. On one hand it allows potential mentors to feel secure

and clear as to their role but can also make a potential mentor feel restricted and unable to

maximise their mentoring sessions. This requires further investigation and may become

clearer when current mentors and questioned on this. One solution that is presented is to

appoint a mentor coordinator, who offers a degree of flexibility to mentors by being a port of

call in case of confusion (Golden & Sims, 1999). This may reduce the issue of rigidity that

presents itself with a set of written of guidelines but also allows mentors who wish to have

more guidance to receive it.

2.5 Benefits of Being a Mentor

Aside from asserting the aims and objectives for pupils, it can also be beneficial to allow

mentors to know what they can personally gain from being involved in a mentoring scheme.

Within schools there are two main areas that a mentor may look to benefit from if they

become a mentor. The first relates to a teachers professional development and potential future

employability (Miller, 2002). By developing knowledge and skills based in mentoring and

gaining experience with guiding pupils, teachers can further develop their career by

broadening their scope of experience. Secondly, teachers may also be able to enhance and

reinforce their academic knowledge through researching mentoring methods and practise

(Miller, 2002).


10

2.6 Attributes of Good Mentors

There is a large of amount of literature in the area of mentoring that highlights and discusses

attributes and behaviours of effective mentors. An individual teacher may either be attracted

to or dissuaded for the right reasons, if they are aware of what they would need to possess to

be worthy mentors. Miller (2002) lays out a comprehensive list of attributes, which could be

presented to mentors to give them a good understanding of what it takes to be a good mentor.

The attributes Miller (2002) suggests are not exclusive to teachers but some are very

pertinent. For example he suggests that mentors should be primarily non-judgemental and

should encourage mentees using ‘positive reinforcement’. Mentors require a high degree of

patience, especially at the formation of the mentoring relationship as pupils can take time to

adjust to this format of education. A final example Miller (2002) brings is the need for

mentors to be ‘kind, tolerant and understanding’. These character traits are required to sustain

the mentoring relationship when a pupil will inevitably experience many high and low points.

Other examples used by experts include the importance for the mentor to empathize with the

mentee but still be able to set high standards and push the pupil to reach their goals (Garvey

& Langridge, 2006; Golden & Sims, 1999).

Obviously stating characteristics a mentor should possess can limit who will feel able to fill a

mentoring position. Also a large majority of the characteristics suggested are ones which

teachers should usually have and therefore may not be necessary to focus on. There are

however, different mentoring roles that have been written about, which could direct

individuals in to the type of mentoring role they are best suited to. Among a list of many the

roles that suite teacher mentoring are tutors, coaches and advisor/nurturer (Garvey

&Langridge, 2006).

Tutors roles look to help pupils with school work and learning skills. Tutoring requires the

mentee to practice suggested techniques and concepts set by their tutor. A coach will

generally help a pupil with various skills, offering regular feedback. An advisor /nurturer will

ask open questions to allow a mentee to improve and contemplate on their actions and

behaviour. They will also listen to a pupil’s problems in school and attempt to guide them to

find an appropriate solution (Miller, 2002; Garvey & Langridge, 2006). As stated above all

these individual roles can potentially be amalgamated by one mentor to suit the needs of the

mentees they support.

Another large area of research that has gone into mentoring is the importance and centrality

of emotional intelligence (Miller, 2002). Studies carried out by Goleman (1995) as cited by

2.7 Emotional Intelligence

Miller (2002), suggest that truly effective mentors are likely to have a very strong emotional

intelligence. An individual with a strong emotional intelligence has the ability to recognize


11

how those around them are feeling. They can generate appropriate emotions to a situation and

can understand complex emotions. They are also able to manage their own emotions well and

the emotions of others appropriately (Goleman, 1995 as cited in Miller, 2002). Goleman

(1995) summarizes emotional intelligence in the Hay McBer model and suggests that its use

in identifying an individual’s emotional intelligence, aids in identifying within oneself the

suitability of taking on an emotionally complex role i.e. mentoring.

Fig 1 – Hay McBer model of emotional intelligence (Goleman 1995 as cited in Miller, 2002)

The idea and function of the model is to allow an individual to understand how they will be

able to cope in a situation of mentoring, which requires both self-management and strong

social skills (Miller, 2002).

The key to any type of mentoring training requires three core aims: The first is to explain all

objectives for the pupil needing mentoring and to highlight the individual needs of the pupil.

The second is to establish how the mentoring will take place i.e. time, place and limits of

topics. This requires defining some type of code of practice. Finally a mentor must have the

chance to develop skills required to deliver effective mentoring. The aims themselves are

intentionally vague in order for an institution to fill in the gaps (Golden & Sims, 1999)

A code of practice for mentoring must laid out for both the mentor and mentee. The ethical

code highlights some important principals to be adhered to when mentoring takes place.

These include an awareness of the limits of how competent a mentee is, to be truthful and a

mentor’s responsibility to adapt and change to the mentors needs (Wood & Reynard, 2000).

As with suggested training and guides to mentoring there should be a clear ethical guide for

all parties involved in mentoring. This is particularly important within a school as child

protection and safeguarding of upmost importance. Parents will be unlikely to get on board

with a mentoring scheme if they feel there is no safe framework for all parties involved to

work in (Struchen & Porta 1997).

Self-awareness

Social awareness

Social skillsSelf-

management


12

2.8 Models for Mentoring

A great deal of research has gone into establishing best practice models for mentoring. A

large majority of the current models integrate the research that has preceded it. One of these

models of good practice, which directly relates to school mentoring, is drawn up by Garvey

& Langridge (2006). They suggest a three stage model for all mentoring programmes which

looks as follows:

The first stage, exploration, is essentially about the mentor taking the lead and clarifying to

the pupil the aims and objectives to what they hope to gain from mentoring. A key tool that is

suggested is the use of ‘open questions’ as they allow the mentee to reflect on what they are

about to undertake. These types of questions are discussed below. The purpose of this stage is

to build a relationship and allow the pupil to come up with their own objectives and goals

(Garvey & Langridge, 2006).

The next stage builds upon the established relationship and allows the pupil to actually start

achieving their goals. The aims are to feedback and reflect on what has been achieved so far

whilst learning new skills relevant to the established objectives. The mentor needs to identify

with the pupil what their strengths and weaknesses are and identify key actions that they

should try and undertake. This stage requires patience and support from the mentor and is has

the potential to be a valuable turning point for the mentee in achieving their goals (Garvey &

Langridge, 2006).

The final stage is the crux of all the previous stages. It the main focus is on what long term

actions can be set to achieve long term success. The mentor starts to withdraw their advice in

order for the pupil to establish independence and stability. The mentoring relationship is still

maintained whilst establishing the longer term goals. This stage is not final and will usually

require its own feedback and reflection (Garvey & Langridge, 2006).

None of these stages have fixed time scales but it is suggested that mentoring can potentially

be all about ‘quick fixes’. With this said mentoring is truly successful when more time and

ExplorationNew

UnderstandingAction

Planning

Fig 2 - 3-Stage Model (Garvey & Langridge, 2006)


13

effort is spent by both the mentor and mentee (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). Miller (2002)

observed that if the purpose of mentoring is to learn and develop skills then the teacher and

pupil should meet frequently over a prolonged period of time. Although, if the purpose of

mentoring is of more an informal nature then meetings tend to be less frequent and may not

be as frequent (Miller, 2002).

The importance of reflection during the whole process is highlighted by Carr (2000), who

suggests that reflection is necessary in order to give rise to new experiences for the mentee to

learn from. Common within mentoring literature is the benefit of using open ended questions.

The purpose of these questions is to allow the mentee to process, reflect and understand their

experiences, so that they are able to set themselves goals for the future. The model for this

style of questioning and subsequent reflection is known as the ‘mentoring learning cycle’

(Carr, 2000).

The above cycle works on similar principles as suggested by Garvey and Langridge (2006)

but puts a focus on open questions. The mentor first inquires as to what the mentee has

experience since they last met by asking them to describe certain events and the lead up to

those events. In the second stage the mentor then continues by asking reflective questions on

the event, such as, how the mentee was feeling during this experience or what made it a

positive or negative experience. Next the mentor will allow the mentee to think about why a

certain experience occurred, asking what behaviours led to the even or what do they think

was important or unimportant within the experience. Finally, questions are raised to the

mentee to allow them to think about what actions they will take in response to the discussed

experience (Carr, 2000; Miller, 2002).

This learning cycle (Carr, 2000) provides a more detailed look at an individual mentoring

session, whereas the 3-Stage Model (Garvey & Langridge, 2006) focuses on the whole

Experience

Reflection

Generalization

Application

Fig 3 - The Experiential Learning Cycle (Carr, 2000)


14

mentoring process. A combination of both approaches could provide an effective tool in

mentoring overall, with the ‘3-Stage Model’ defining macro mentoring and the Experiential

Learning Cycle focusing on micro mentoring.

There are a few ways of trying to identify which pupils will need or be appropriate for

mentoring. Miller (2002) suggests analysing their progress and attainment in school. This

could include a pupil’s disciplinary record and/or their attendance record. As well as this,

another reason for mentoring could be if a pupil’s test results, classwork and/or homework

grades are unsatisfactory compared to their projected targets.

However, not all the research shows that mentoring is exclusively for pupils who are failing

in a certain aspect of their schooling career. Skinner and Fleming (1999) point out very

important guidelines that stress the importance of considering a pupil’s positive traits that can

benefit from mentoring. This could manifest itself in motivation gifted and talented pupils to

achieve their academic potential by extended their learning outside of lessons. As Yavneh

College has been awarded for motivating gifted and talented pupils, it would seem

appropriate to integrate a mentoring scheme within this area of expertise within the school.

As there are different approaches to mentoring there needs to be a way of distinguish

between them. A proposed way to differentiate between various mentoring approaches and

styles is by examining the interaction between the mentor and mentee (Garvey, 1994). The

mentoring relationship can be surmised using varying dimensions:

1. Open-closed: Topics range from total freedom of discussion to topics which are ‘off

limit’. Within the context of school mentoring, a session’s open nature is dictated by

the mentor who is informed by the policies of the school. With this in mind, schools

will usually have closed sessions and define a lot of topics that are not allowed to be

discussed. Although there may be cases where a mentor may require sessions to be

more open with the permission of parents (Struchen & Porta, 1997).

2. Public-private: This is the extent at which a mentor is obliged to share information

with other parties involved. In the school system, the mentoring programme is

completely public to the Senior Management Team and Child Protection officers to

ensure safeguarding standards are met. Obviously in other environments, such as

working with at-risk youth, mentoring sessions may be more private (Garvey, 1994).

3. Formal-informal. Meetings between mentor and mentee can range in formality, from

being planned with a set agenda to an informal chat during the school day. The

objectives of a mentoring relationship will generally dictate how formal a session will

be. If a pupil requires advice in improving grades or behaviour, then it is likely the

mentee will require a set routine of meetings with a strict agenda (Garvey &

Langridge, 2006).

4. Active-passive. In mentoring relationships the action taken by both the mentor and

the mentee as a result of a meeting can differ. The mentor may be active by calling

parents or setting new targets but may also be passive by simply guiding a mentee

during meetings. In line with this, a mentee may also take an active role by self-target


15

setting or may just take on the advice of their mentor. The activeness of a pupil will

vary during the mentoring process. In the first stages a pupil may be quite passive as

goals are being set, but as the mentoring goes on, it has been found that mentees tend

to become more active as they reflect and set themselves new goals (Garvey, 1994).

5. Stable-unstable. In some mentoring relationships a lack of commitment by either side

or a lack of trust, may negatively affect mentoring sessions due to an unstable

relationship. This obviously must be addressed to improve the effectiveness of the

mentoring. Various potential, and sometimes inevitable, stumbling blocks occur in

mentoring, which must be highlighted before any mentoring even begins. If the issues

and solutions are made clear to mentors and in some cases mentees, then this will

hopefully eradicate major issues later down the line. Difficulties can range from a

simple clash of personalities, lack of enthusiasm towards mentoring, to a mentor or

mentee missing arranged meetings (Lauland, 1998). Mentees can also begin to make

complaints against other teachers in order for the mentor to intervene. This is a very

delicate issue and Miller (2002) that mentors should ‘keep their distance and avoid

collusion’. This is obviously up to the school and in some cases if there is a particular

issue with a teacher and pupil, the solution may lie in approaching the teacher

involved. This must be resolved professionally and as sensitively as possible to not be

accusative but as constructive as possible.

The way in which a mentoring scheme and relationship is defined using these dimensions

will allow mentors to manage the success of their mentoring. All of these dimensions are

essentially spectrums, which on the whole can be managed and adapted to suite the

individual needs of the pupil and mentor involved. For example a pupil who is having

discipline issues will require a closed and formal mentoring programme, which is active to

ensure that behaviour improves. Whereas a pupil who has very low self-esteem may require a

more informal approach, which at first starts off as quite passive for the pupil but their role

becomes more active as the sessions continue (Garvey, 1994).

2.9 Focus Groups

In order to ratify the researched literature, data must be collected from current Yavneh

College to gather their valuable opinions. Due to heavy time constraints mentors are only

really available at short intervals, and therefore a focus group is one of the best options for

data capture and review. With this said, the characteristics of a focus group make them ideal

for obtaining information from the current mentoring team. In order to endorse and legitimize

the researched literature and proposed mentor’s guide, a focus group will provide honest and

useful responses. As the current mentor cohort will initially use the guide it is vital they have

a meaningful input in its construction (Morgan &Krueger, 1993).

Morgan and Krueger (1993) discuss when focus groups are useful in certain areas of

research. In some circumstances a questionnaire will not reveal appropriate information that

is thorough or detailed enough for a study. By engaging with a focus group and asking open

and probing questions, a far greater detail can be discovered. As well is this, through a series


16

of well-designed questions, focus groups often can achieve more authentic and

comprehensive responses.

Although questionnaires can demonstrate how many individuals agree or disagree with a

certain item, there is a lack of clarity as to the nature of their opinion. A focus group can

obtain multiple opinions and still differentiate between the natures and background those

opinions.

When a target group may not take questionnaires seriously due to lack of time, a focus group

can ascertain useful information effectively. Responses that may be rushed can be put into a

suitable context.


17

Methodology

Using the academic research as a framework, a mentoring guide will be developed for

teachers who require assistance on effective mentoring techniques. The guide will be clear

and information will be easily accessible. Once the guide it is completed it will be shown to a

focus group of current mentors to examine its effectiveness.

The focus group although will be with all current mentors is limited in nature, as the target

group for the guide are teachers new to mentoring. On the other hand, the mentors will have

an informed idea of what it takes to be an effective mentor and will therefore be able to share

their experiences. There is an assumption that the opinion of all mentors in the focus group is

valid as they have many years’ experience but will inevitably have differing opinions on the

guide.

The mentors will be asked to comment on two areas on the produced guide to assess its

success and usability. The first aspect will be areas in which the guide succeeds or does

things well. The second aspect will be areas the guide can improve on. The collection of these

comments will form the results for analysis and discussion.

A copy of the completed guide, as informed by the researched literature is found below,

followed by an explanation of each part of the guide with reference to the research literature:


18

The title of the guide specifies the mentoring being elaborated on is one-to-one:

Fig 4 - Map for 1 to 1 Mentoring


19

Fig 5 - Title

Within the discussions of what type of mentoring should be offered, there is differing of

opinions as to whether mentoring should take place in a group or be one-to-one. A study of

schools in the UK that run mentoring schemes found that although 60 per cent run one-to-one

mentoring, only 49 per cent of teachers were used as mentors and 13 per cent of students

were being mentored (Golden & Sims, 1997). This suggests that although seemingly a

preferred method for schools in the UK, the scheme itself was not reaching the majority of

those it could potentially benefit.

The other option would be to run group mentoring sessions with one mentor and a number of

pupils. Obviously the methods used in this form of mentoring and outcomes gained are

different to that of on-to-one mentoring schemes. Although, Gay (1994) goes as far to say

that schemes that implement group sessions should not use the term ‘mentoring’, as they

provide a completely different dynamic to one-to-one programmes. Research shows that

group programmes focus far more teambuilding skills and allowing pupils to gain confidence

in a small group (Miller, 1998). The main issue though with group mentoring, is that it is

more difficult for pupils to establish as strong as a relationship with their mentor compared to

a one-on-one situation. There is also a big ‘lack of privacy’, so that if a pupil wishes to share

personal issues, or generally displays introverted behaviour then they will not be able to

process this effectively in a group (Miller, 2002). It is clear from this research that the most

effective way to mentor would be to go with the one-to-one model, as this achieves a larger

range of goals.

In one corner of the guide there is a collection of adjectives, which give prospective mentors

an idea of what characteristics make effective mentors:

Fig 6 - Effective Mentors

There is a large of amount of literature in the area of mentoring that highlights and discusses

attributes and behaviours of effective mentors. An individual teacher may either be attracted

to or dissuaded for the right reasons, if they are aware of what they would need to possess to

be worthy mentors. Miller (2002) lays out a comprehensive list of attributes, which could be

presented to mentors to give them a good understanding of what it takes to be a good mentor.


20

The attributes Miller (2002) suggests are not exclusive to teachers but some are very

pertinent. For example he suggests that mentors should be primarily non-judgemental and

should encourage mentees using ‘positive reinforcement’. Mentors require a high degree of

patience, especially at the formation of the mentoring relationship as pupils can take time to

adjust to this format of education. A final example Miller (2002) brings is the need for

mentors to be ‘kind, tolerant and understanding’. These character traits are required to sustain

the mentoring relationship when a pupil will inevitably experience many high and low points.

Other examples used by experts include the importance for the mentor to empathize with the

mentee but still be able to set high standards and push the pupil to reach their goals (Garvey

& Langridge, 2006; Golden & Sims, 1999). Most of the suggested traits have been

incorporated bar some, which have been excluded such as ‘kind’ as teachers have to

sometimes be tough but fair in their approach to pupil behaviour.

The information relevant to practical mentoring has been condensed in a concise format and

displayed on the page as tips for mentors:

Mentoring itself can take various forms and be used in almost any learning environment

because it is simply defined as a ‘learning and developmental relationship between two

Fig 7 - Mentoring Top Tips


21

people’ (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). As with any successful relationship there must exist

mutual trust and esteem, a desire to help the mentee understand and fulfil their potential and

guidance by the mentor to show what the mentee hopes to be. The first two tips are based on

the research on Garvey and Langridge (2006) and lays down the foundation to practical

mentoring methods.

The third is tip is based on the research of Fresko and Carmeli (1990) who carried out

extensive research in this area and evaluated a programme run in Israel known as Perach. In

their research, cited by Miller (2002), they discuss the success of a mentoring programme set

up for Jewish and Arab children. The key aim of this particular mentoring initiative was to

improve the attitudes of young people towards school and improve their motivation to learn.

Even though Perach did not show huge success in improving academic achievement, it did

show an increase in positive attitudes in pupils towards school (Fresko & Carmeli, 1990 as

cited by Miller, 2002). By having an overall view on what mentoring can achieve, new

mentors will know what context they are working in and what to strive for.

Depending on the scale and need for a mentoring programme will dictate how many aims the

school has (Miller, 2002; Goodlad, 1995). Mentoring is defined by its core aim of developing

a young person’s life skills. The next tip highlights this in order to clarify the scope of what

the mentor is trying to achieve. Since the term ‘life skills’ is vague in nature a set of

objectives needs to be drawn from it. Therefore, the next tip expounds on this by defining

types of life skills that can be developed.

The life skills mentioned in the guide include helping improve self-esteem of the pupil

(Golden and Sims, 1999). A large majority of cases where pupils need mentoring and are

seen to failing in school is due to a low self-worth. By engaging with a mentor and working

through certain issues has seen to raise the performance of a pupil who does suffer from low

self-esteem (Miller, 2002).

Another developmental aim as highlighted by Golden and Sims (1999) is the difficulty pupils

have with personal and social skills. It is argues that there is a direct link to these types of

issues and low self-confidence, so the methods used to solve them is similar. Examples

include sustained one-to-one discussions with a mentor of a prolonged period of time, as

referenced in the title and style of the guide (Golden and Sims, 1999).

An issue that is prominent in Secondary Schools, due to the age range of pupils, is the speed

at which pupils mature in various aspects. Mentoring that addresses this time of transition for

pupils, which is both physiological and psychological, is known as the ‘maturational

objective’ (Miller, 2002), in which a mentor supports pupils in this challenging time.

Mentoring has been identified as imperative when pupils are going through times of

transition (Gay, 1997). By engaging with an older individual who can offer guidance and

insight, who may have experience similar things to the mentee, allows the struggling pupil to

not only reflect and engage positively but also motivate themselves to achieve their potential.

The next tip outlines the imperative nature of involving parents in the mentoring process.

Establishing a mentoring programme for a pupil is unlikely to be successful unless the


22

parents are supportive of the scheme. This can range from number of reasons such as parents

feeling someone else is taking authority over their child to parents worrying that their child is

failing in school (Struchen & Porta, 1997).

Although the article deals with children from a different background to those at Yavneh

College, there are definite principles that can be transposed from this research. Parents can

often feel hard done by if their child has been suggested to be mentored and therefore regular

contact and updates should be made to parents to highlight the progress their child is making

under mentorship.

The final point for mentors is to advise them that having a strong emotional intelligence will

help them greatly when mentoring. Studies carried out by Goleman (1995) as cited by Miller

(2002), suggest that truly effective mentors are likely to have a very strong emotional

intelligence. An individual with a strong emotional intelligence has the ability to recognize

how those around them are feeling. They can generate appropriate emotions to a situation and

can understand complex emotions. They are also able to manage their own emotions well and

the emotions of others appropriately (Goleman, 1995 as cited in Miller, 2002). Emotional

intelligence was not comprehensively explained as it is more relevant for mentor training and

selection processes and is outside the scope of this project.

The next session gives an overview and structure as to how a mentor should run a mentoring

scheme over an extended period of time. The model that has been chosen to be implemented

within the guide is displayed and elucidated below.

Fig 8 - The Mentoring Model

A great deal of research has gone into establishing best practice models for mentoring. A

large majority of the current models integrate the research that has preceded it. Directly

linked to school mentoring, is a model drawn up by Garvey & Langridge (2006). They

suggest a three stage model for all mentoring programmes.

The model is designed to be carried out over an extended period of time. None of these stages

have fixed time scales but it is suggested that mentoring can potentially be all about ‘quick

fixes’. With this said mentoring is truly successful when more time and effort is spent by both


23

the mentor and mentee (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). Miller (2002) observed that if the

purpose of mentoring is to learn and develop skills then the teacher and pupil should meet

frequently over a prolonged period of time. Although, if the purpose of mentoring is of more

an informal nature then meetings tend to be less frequent and may not be as frequent (Miller,

2002). As this is a guide for a more formal approach, the time scales are designed to

maximise this form of mentoring.

To explore and explain how each mentoring can be run within the programme, the following

model was included in the guide:

Fig 9 - The Mentoring Session

The importance of reflection during the whole process is highlighted by Carr (2000), who

suggests that reflection is necessary in order to give rise to new experiences for the mentee to

learn from. Common within mentoring literature is the benefit of using open ended questions.

The purpose of these questions is to allow the mentee to process, reflect and understand their

experiences, so that they are able to set themselves goals for the future. The model for this

style of questioning and subsequent reflection is known as the ‘mentoring learning cycle’

(Carr, 2000).

The above cycle works on similar principles as suggested by Garvey and Langridge (2006)

but puts a focus on open questions. The mentor first inquires as to what the mentee has

experience since they last met by asking them to describe certain events and the lead up to

those events. In the second stage the mentor then continues by asking reflective questions on

the event, such as, how the mentee was feeling during this experience or what made it a

positive or negative experience. Next the mentor will allow the mentee to think about why a

certain experience occurred, asking what behaviours led to the even or what do they think

was important or unimportant within the experience. Finally, questions are raised to the

mentee to allow them to think about what actions they will take in response to the discussed

experience (Carr, 2000; Miller, 2002).


24

This learning cycle (Carr, 2000) provides a more detailed look at an individual mentoring

session, whereas the 3-Stage Model (Garvey & Langridge, 2006) focuses on the whole

mentoring process. A combination of both approaches could provide an effective tool in

mentoring overall, with the ‘3-Stage Model’ defining macro mentoring and the Experiential

Learning Cycle focusing on micro mentoring. The guide will aim to synthesise these models

to establish an effective overall mentoring model.

3.1 Focus Group Methodology

In order to ratify the researched literature, data must be collected from current Yavneh

College to gather their valuable opinions. Due to heavy time constraints mentors are only

really available at short intervals, and therefore a focus group seems like the best option for

data capture and review. With this said, the characteristics of a focus group make them ideal

for obtaining information from the current mentoring team. In order to endorse and legitimize

the researched literature and proposed mentor’s guide, a focus group will provide honest and

useful responses. As the current mentor cohort will initially use the guide it is vital they have

a meaningful input in its construction (Morgan &Krueger, 1993).

Morgan and Krueger (1993) discuss when focus groups are useful in certain areas of

research. In some circumstances a questionnaire will not reveal appropriate information that

is thorough or detailed enough for a study. By engaging with a focus group and asking open

and probing questions, a far greater detail can be discovered. As well is this, through a series

of well-designed questions, focus groups often achieve more authentic and comprehensive

responses.

Although questionnaires can demonstrate how many individuals agree or disagree with a

certain item, there is a lack of clarity as to the nature of their opinion. A focus group can

obtain multiple opinions and still differentiate between the natures and background those

opinions. When a target group may not take questionnaires seriously due to lack of time, a

focus group can ascertain useful information effectively. Responses that may be rushed can

be put into a suitable context.

Notes will be made during the focus group based on feedback given. As there are limited

mentors to glean information from there will be a limited input available. The extension of

this project and implementation of the guide of a longer period of time with new mentors will

produce broader information. Also there is an assumption that the mentors involved in the

focus group, who are anonymous in the report, are a valid source of information due to their

experience. This is potentially a fair assumption to make as the school is still in the early

stages of developing a mentoring programme and the mentors involved have the most

amount of experience.

The feedback received from the current cohort of mentors will be used to further improve the

guide and enable it to be tested with a larger group of new mentors.


25

Analysis and Discussion

The notes collected from the focus group discussions is displayed and discussed below:

4.1 Comments on what the Guide did well

The focus group liked the model suggested by Carr (2000), in which each session is cyclical

in nature. By following this format, both mentors and mentees have a conducive and

constructive atmosphere to work in.

In line with this, current mentors felt the suggested questions to be used in the mentoring

sessions were very useful. Also because the questions are open (Garvey and Langridge,

2006); they thought that this was very helpful to allow pupils to think out solutions for

themselves.

This comment relates to using the Mentoring Model (Garvey & Langridge, 2006) as a tool

and measure for long term success. Members in the focus group mentioned that all too often,

mentors will look for short term, easy fix solutions, rather than taking a longer and more

effective method. By using the mentoring model, which can be adapted for a long period of

time, could enable mentors to feel confident in using a long term solution.

It was expressed that the guide was well presented and particularly easy to use for first time

mentors. It was discussed that a guide for prospective mentors is essential to ensure best

practice and allowing all mentors to feel confident in the scheme (Garvey & Langridge, 2006;

Miller, 2002). Along with this, it was recommended for institutions that run mentoring

schemes to implement a training programme for mentors that run alongside any written guide

(Jucovy, 2000). A training programme is not yet in place but could be built around the current

guide.


26

There are ranges details within the guide that allow mentors of varying experiences to access

and learn as they mentor. The Mentoring Top Tips section draws on a large amount of

literature to provide quick but useful techniques for effective mentoring.

4.2 Comments on how to improve the Guide

Within the focus group the following comments were made in order to improve the

effectiveness of the guide:

This comment was taken from the focus group and implies that not all the tips included are

revolutionary. This is a very fair comment but may not be completely factually correct. As all

of this section was founded and discussed in the literature, it is not clear what can be taken

for granted as common knowledge. Therefore, mentors who are very experienced will know

the mentoring basics, whereas mentors new to the programme may sometimes need to be led

before they feel confident. More guides may need to be developed to go along with the

professional growth of the mentors in the programme.

This critique comes from one of the questions suggested in the ‘Generalization’ section that

read, “How can this mistake be avoided in the future?” The issue is that the mentee might not

always be at fault in a situation. This is a good critique and is in line with the reviewed

literature, in which Miller (2002) argues positive attributes need to be expressed to mentees

during meetings. This is not disputed as is widely written about the reviewed literature and

the questions suggested in the guide were not exhaustive but simply general examples. Other

places in the guide mention and assume that pupils not only require mentoring for negative

issues but for positive reasons e.g. help with personal and social skills (Golden & Sims,

1999).

The only system that is elucidated in the guide is on which words over a longer period of time

and seeks longer term goals. Correctly pointed out by the current mentors is that there is little

to no focus on short term goals and rewards. This would obviously stimulate mentee into

achieving their longer term goals by having certain rewards to push them along the right

track. This was discussed in the literature review that mentoring can potentially be about

‘quick fixes’. With this said mentoring is truly successful when more time and effort is spent

by both the mentor and mentee (Garvey & Langridge, 2006). Miller (2002) observed that if


27

the purpose of mentoring is to learn and develop skills then the teacher and pupil should meet

frequently over a prolonged period of time. Although, if the purpose of mentoring is of more

an informal nature then meetings tend to be less frequent and may not be as frequent (Miller,

2002). Therefore the guide focused on longer term goals and ignored short term rewards to

dissuade mentors from using them. Although, it is argued that a combination of both would

produce better results from mentoring.

The guide seems to accommodate mentors for most year groups apart from sixth form. The

literature covered the importance of mentoring pupils in employment related knowledge

skills and attitudes (Miller, 2000 as cited in Miller 2002), which would be most relevant to

pupils in these year groups. However, the focus was drawn away from this area and key stage

because the school does not assign mentors to sixth form students. Therefore the guide was

designed to accommodate the majority of mentors. With that said, the further development of

mentoring within the school should see the introduction of key stage 5 mentors. When that is

implemented, the objective will be to produce a guide to facilitate those key stage 5 mentors.


28

Conclusion

The aim for this project was to research best practice in effective mentoring for pupils in

Secondary School, with the aim to produce a handbook for form tutors at Yavneh College.

The production of the handbook should incorporate techniques that have been informed by a

literature review and be reviewed by analysis of primary data. In order to fulfil this aim, the

following outcomes where produced:

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring techniques for pupils of Secondary School

age, in the context of creating a mentoring handbook.

2. Produce a mentoring guide, which is in keeping with the reviewed literature.

3. Analyse the results of a focus group with current senior mentors with in the school to

help review the researched mentoring techniques and the guide produced.

4. Appraise the mentoring guide within the context of effective mentoring techniques

and data obtained from the focus group.

5.1 Outcomes

The first outcome was met by reviewing a wide range of literature, in which various

mentoring techniques, examples and case studies were examined. Garvey and Langridge’s

(2006), work provided a lot of direction for the proposed guide, as did the work of Miller

(2002). The information discussed gave a solid framework for the guide produced, for

example to 3-stage-model, which was used the produced guide (Garvey & Langridge, 2006).

There was however perhaps some limitation in the reviewed literature, in that not all of the

research was based on UK secondary schools. Such as Carr’s (2000) research that discusses

the ‘Experiential earning Cycle’ or the research of Fresko and Carmeli (1990) were based on

pupils and schools in Canada and Israel respectively. Therefore the research may not translate

perfectly to the UK school system and the influence it has had on the produced guide may

need tweaking further down the line.

The next stage in the project was to create a mentoring guide. Then with the completed guide

the next objective was to analyse and appraise the effectiveness of the guide using a focus

group of mentors from school. One area that was discussed in the literature review but not

fully used the guide was the concept and importance of emotional intelligence. The reason for

this omission was because it is more relevant for mentor training and selection, which is

something that may come about from this project but was not in itself one of the aims.

Consequently, a training programme is not yet in place but could be built around the current

guide and the research could begin to underpin its implementation.

5.2 Recommendations

Among other recommendations made by the focus group and analysis of the guide, there is a

strong basis to take this project and use it to inform a training programme alongside the

produced guide. Within the literature there was mention of the benefits of training

programmes and as the number of mentors within the school increases the need to make them


29

aware of best practice will increase. By pairing the guide with a tailor made training

programme not only will the use and functionality of the guide increase but the pool of

mentors with which to draw experience from will increase in the school.

5.3 Limitations

The key limiting factor in this project was the relatively new and underdeveloped mentoring

programme at Yavneh College. As the guide was intended for use at the school, there was

little experience to draw upon to assess and appraise the produced guide. Therefore the focus

group could only draw upon limited experience. Although the guide will be of valuable use

as new mentors are brought in, a more comprehensive guide may need to be produced as the

mentors develop their skills. Also the mentors reviewing the guide were already very

experienced and may not of been viewing the guide through the eyes of a teacher new to

mentoring.

Another area that was highlighted by the focus group was that in actuality the best way to

appraise the guide is to distribute to new mentors and receive their feedback. The

implementation of the guide of a longer period of time with new mentors will produce

broader information on what changes and extensions need to be made, in order to further the

effectiveness of the guide. The feedback received from the current cohort of mentors can be

used to further improve the guide and enable it to be tested with a larger group of new

mentors. Mentoring is a very personal and broad skill that and the guide will help new

mentors to hone and develop their own technique and style.


30

References

Carr, R A (2000) The Mentoring Cycle, Peer Resources Papers, Available at

http://www.peer.ca/Docs.html (Accessed at: 20 December 2012)

Fresko, B and Carmeli, M (1990) Perach: A Nationwide Student Tutorial Project,

Explorations in Peer Tutoring, Oxford: Blackwell

Garvey, B (1994) A dose of mentoring, Education and Training, 36 (4), 18-26

Garvey, B and Langridge, K (2006). Pupil Mentoring Pocketbook. UK: Teachers'

Pocketbooks

Gay, B (1994) What is Mentoring?, Education and Training, 36 (5), 4-7

Gay, B (1997) The Practice of Mentoring, Mentoring: The New Panacea?, ed J Stephenson,

19-28, Norfolk: Peter Francis

Golden, D and Sims, D (1999) Evaluation of the National Mentoring Network Bursary

Programme 1998-99, Slough: National Foundation of Educational Research

Goleman, D (1995) ‘Compassion and comfort in middle age’, New York Times, 6 February

1995

Goodlad, S (1995) Students as Tutors and Mentors, London: Kogan Page

Jucovy, L (2000) Jumpstarting Your Program: Strengthening Mentoring Programs, Portland:

National Mentoring Center Northwestern Regional Educational Laboratory

Lauland, A (1998) Yes, You Can: A guide for establishing mentoring programs to prepare

youth for college, Washington: United States Department for Education

MacCallum, J and Beltman, S (1999) International Year of Older Persons Mentoring

Research Project, Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs

Miller, A (2002). Mentoring Students and Young People: A Handbook of Effective Practice.

Oxon: Routledge.

Miller A D (1998) Business and Community Mentoring in Schools, Research Report no 43,

Sheffield: DFEE

http://www.peer.ca/Docs.html


31

Miller, A D (2000) Employability Skills for the Twenty-First century: Implications for Work

Experience, Careers Education and Guidance: Journal of the National Association of

Careers and Guidance Teachers, June

Morgan, D and Krueger, R. (1993). When to use Focus Groups and Why. In: Morgan,

D Successful Focus Groups: Advancing the State of the Art. London: SAGE Publications. 3-

19.

Skinner, A and Fleming, J (1999), Quality Framework for Mentoring with Socially Excluded

Young People, Manchester: National Mentoring Network

Struchen, W and Porta, M (1997) ‘From role modelling to mentoring African-American

youth: ingredients for successful relationships’, Preventing School Failure, 41 (3), 119-27

Withers, G and Batten, M (1995) Programs for At-risk Youth: A Review of the American,

Canadian and British Literature since 1984, Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational

Research

Wood, D and Reynard, A (2000) Mentoring: Draft occupational standards, London:

University of North London

Project Report - Adam Drucker

Documents

Transcript of Project Report - Adam Drucker