Date of Award
Spring 5-2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Program
Educational Administration
Department
Educational Administration
Major Professor
Dr. Elizabeth Jeffers
Second Advisor
Dr. Brian Beabout
Third Advisor
Dr. Christopher Broadhurst
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Virginia Hampton
Abstract
Mentoring has been used for centuries as a way for a person to pass on knowledge, skills, or support to a less experienced person. Mentoring in the workplace, however, was not studied until the early 1980s, and then more than a decade later, mentoring was studied in the context of the K-12 teacher workforce. Mentoring has improved teacher effectiveness (Yuan, 2015; Koedel, 2009; Campbell and Malkus, 2011); increased teachers’ self-efficacy (Ingersoll & May, 2011; Saffold, 2005; Louis, 2016); and contributed to teacher retention (Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Cohen & Fuller, 2006). Most mentoring studies and theories, however, have been developed with a teacher population that is largely White. While about 50% of students in K-12 public schools in the U.S. are non-White, only 18% of teachers are non-White. Because teachers of color have a profound and positive impact on students, they are worth studying.
The purpose of this study is to understand the mentoring experiences of teachers of color in K-12 public charter schools in New Orleans, and to explore how teachers of color benefited from mentoring in the areas of career development and psychosocial support. The researcher utilized a qualitative, phenomenological approach by interviewing ten participants and analyzing the essence of their experiences. Five themes resulted from this research: race plays a significant role in the mentoring of teachers of color; the charter school system in New Orleans has had an impact on the racial make-up of teachers; informal and formal mentoring form a winning combination; mentors provided teachers of color with validation and cultural navigation tools; and mentoring improved teaching practices and retention. This study can have an impact on mentoring theory as it relates to race and identity. This study also has practical implications for K-12 leaders in the way that teachers of color are supported.
Recommended Citation
Nichols, Ingrid Alvarado, "A Phenomenological Study on the Mentoring Experiences of Teachers of Color in New Orleans" (2019). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2627.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2627
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Urban Education Commons
Rights
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