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Mentoring relationships of selected vice-principals in Singapore primary schools
Author
Zhou, Morgan You Qin
Supervisor
Lim, Lee Hean
Abstract
The mechanism of mentoring allows mentors to offer career functions and provide psychosocial functions to protégés. In general, those who are mentored benefit to a greater extent than those who do not have mentors. Contrasted to other systems where the operational context is one in which males dominate senior management positions, the higher proportion of female leadership in senior management positions in the Singapore education service offers a rich background setting for research on mentoring (including cross gender mentoring) relationships. There are limited studies on the complexities of mentoring particular to Singapore’s context and this research study fills a gap in the literature. Many studies also make no distinction about the gendered concept of mentoring, hence this research study allowed for a deeper look at the complexities of mentoring relationships so as to shed light on the strengths of mentoring within the education service in Singapore and highlight potential areas how mentoring can be further enhanced for both male and female educators. The study explored the following research questions: What mentoring relationships have primary school vice-principals experienced in the course of their career? What is the perceived impact of mentoring relationships on organisational career development as experienced by the vice-principals?
Findings from this study detail the psychosocial and career functions received by the vice-principals over the course of their career and maps out how mentors provided trust, enabled socialisation, role modelled, afforded a sense of belonging, advocated for their protégés, provided strategic advice, facilitated learning, provided protection and stretched their protégés within same gender and cross-gender mentoring relationships. Recommendations for practice in this study include: expanding access to mentors from the teaching and senior specialist track; leveraging on reflective practices in mentoring relationships; and abstaining from compartmentalising male and female mentors.
It is recommended that reflective practices and mentoring conversations be explored at a deeper level (including mentor perspectives) to provide additional voice and richness to increase the understanding of mentoring relationships in Singapore schools.
Findings from this study detail the psychosocial and career functions received by the vice-principals over the course of their career and maps out how mentors provided trust, enabled socialisation, role modelled, afforded a sense of belonging, advocated for their protégés, provided strategic advice, facilitated learning, provided protection and stretched their protégés within same gender and cross-gender mentoring relationships. Recommendations for practice in this study include: expanding access to mentors from the teaching and senior specialist track; leveraging on reflective practices in mentoring relationships; and abstaining from compartmentalising male and female mentors.
It is recommended that reflective practices and mentoring conversations be explored at a deeper level (including mentor perspectives) to provide additional voice and richness to increase the understanding of mentoring relationships in Singapore schools.
Date Issued
2020
Call Number
LB2831.926.S55 Zho
Date Submitted
2020