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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lesley University, Sherrill Library http://www.archive.org/details/gettingtoheartofOOkare LUDCKE LIBRARY Lesley University 30 Mellen Street Cambridge. iVlA 02138-2790 For Reference Not to be taken from this room GETTING TO THE HEART OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS A DISSERTATION Submitted by Karen Leacu LeDuc In partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of DoctorofPhilosophy Lesley University May 2002 The purpose ofthis study was to understand how the mentoring relationship and its organizational supports help to inform mentoring programs in public schools. Mentoring is defmed as a complex interaction between a public school teacher, the mentor, and a new-to-the-district teacher, the protege. The mentoring relationship is examined fromthe perspectives ofthe mentor and protege. A relational perspective, drawn fromresearch on women, specifically the elements ofempathy, mutual empathy, and empowerment, and the model ofmutual intersubjectivity (Jordan, et al, 1991), was used to gain an understanding ofthe complex mentoring relationship. The organizational constructs, specifically "followership" (Sergiovanni, 1992) and the process ofinitiation, implementation and continuation (Fullan, 1991) were applied to the planning ofa formal mentoring program. Through qualitative research methodology stories were collected from mentors and proteges through a series ofopen-ended surveys which led to in-depth individual interviews offive mentor/protege pairs. The analysis ofthe surveys and interviews revealed four salient aspects ofthe mentoring relationship (1) qualities ofthe mentor and/or protege; (2) activities that helped to fiilfill the role ofmentor; (3) the impact of organizational issues; and (4) participants reflections on the mentoring relationship. The fmdings supported the use ofa relational model for analyzing and supporting mentoring relationships. Additionally, the organizational constructs, specifically Sergiovanni's idea of"followership" and Fullan's model for change, are important aspects to consider when developing mentoring programs. This study contributes to existing literature on mentoring. The fmdings could be used as a basis for developing and improving mentor-training programs. The implications ofthis research across disciplinary boundaries was that the relational model should be used in developing teacher mentoring programs in the public schools to enhance the success ofnew teachers.