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A Mixed Data Analysis of Graduate Student Mentoring for Faculty Careers in School Psychology

Contemporary School Psychology volume 25, pages 99–108 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Mentoring has been identified as an essential component in the development and success of future faculty. As such, the purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the mentoring experiences of graduate students enrolled in school psychology programs. Additionally, we wanted to determine if differences were present in the mentoring experiences of self-identified racial minority students and their White peers given the lack of diversity among school psychology faculty. Quantitative analyses indicated that students enrolled in school psychology programs are fairly satisfied with their mentoring experiences. However, respondents who completed the open-ended questions indicated that they had difficulty accessing their mentor, they wanted more mentoring on careers in academia, and that they desired more support for conducting research and teaching. Therefore, there are several aspects of mentoring that need to be improved if the field of school psychology wants to increase the number of students who will peruse a career in higher education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Scott L. Graves Jr

  2. School of Education, Loyola University Chicago, Lewis Towers 1132, WTC, 820 N. Michigan Ave. Lewis Towers 11th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Markeda Newell, Farran Harrell & Tommy Wells

Authors
  1. Scott L. Graves Jr
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  2. Markeda Newell
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  3. Farran Harrell
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  4. Tommy Wells
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Correspondence to Scott L. Graves Jr.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Graves, S.L., Newell, M., Harrell, F. et al. A Mixed Data Analysis of Graduate Student Mentoring for Faculty Careers in School Psychology. Contemp School Psychol 25, 99–108 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-019-00253-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-019-00253-0

Keywords

  • Mentoring
  • Diversity
  • Faculty recruitment
  • Graduate students