Mentoring Policies: Possibilities, Challenges and Future Directions
2020 (English)In: International Handbook of mentoring: Paradigms, Practices, Programs, and Possibilities / [ed] N. J. Irby, J. Boswell, L. Searby, F. Kochan, R. Garcia & N. Abdelrahman, Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2020, p. 435-452Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Although many mentoring programs are mandated and initiated as part of a policy direction or mandate, and policy is an important element in the development, implementation, and evaluation of mentoring, investigations into the impact of policy upon mentoring initiatives and outcomes, has not been explicitly highlighted in the mentoring research (Fransson & McMahan, 2013). Although the literature on policies and mentoring programs and practices is scarce, there is limited evidence to suggest that policies impact mentoring endeavors in a variety of ways and can have both positive and negative effects (Carver & Feiman-Nemser, 2009; Polikoff, Desimone & Hochberg, 2015). Yet, policy development and implementation can have an extensive impact on mentoring programs and relationships. As these programs continue to grow, it is imperative that the field become more cognizant of the role and impact of policies upon the personal, professional and organizational aspects of mentoring. Against this background, expanding our understanding of how policy is designed, implemented and influences mentoring program development, practice and success is important.
The purpose of the chapter is to outline, discuss and problematize policy issues related to mentoring and to offer recommendations for future action. Most of the examples on policy issues are related to adult situations in the educational field. This field offers a policy landscape that illustrates the complexity and multi-layering of mentoring policy. Thus, it is believed that many of the findings can be transferred to other mentoring contexts.
The chapter begins with a theoretical overview of how policy and the processes of policy development and policy enactment are conceptualized. Issues such as international policy flows and policy learning are discussed and evaluations as part of policy formation are problematized. This theoretical overview facilitates an understanding of mentoring policy and how it is enacted or played out in mentoring practices. The overview is followed by a discussion about the challenges involved in identifying the field of mentoring policy. As outlined in the overview, different dimensions of policy are emphasized depending on which theoretical perspective is used. This in turn influences which theoretical binoculars are used to identify the field of mentoring policy. Searching databases for the various terms and the challenges associated with this are also discussed. Thereafter, ‘policies for policy development’ are examined. One policy in particular is analyzed more closely in order to highlight the most important aspects of policy analysis. The chapter closes with a concluding discussion about the challenges and possibilities for policy research. A possible new direction in mentoring policy in also discussed.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2020. p. 435-452
Series
Wiley Handbooks in Education
Keywords [en]
Mentoring, Teacher induction, Policy, Handbook
Keywords [sv]
Mentorskap, yrkesintroduktion, policy, handbok
National Category
Educational Sciences Learning
Research subject
Innovative Learning
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-32021Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85135325683ISBN: 978-1-119-14295-9 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hig-32021DiVA, id: diva2:1413687
2020-03-102020-03-102022-09-22Bibliographically approved