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To understand the role of mentoring more clearly as an incentive for teachers to complete a graduate degree, faculty members examined motivators for in-service teachers to complete a Master of Arts in Education (MA) program in English as a Second Language (ESL) at a public research university (RU) in the southeastern United States (U.S.). In this qualitative five-year study, we analyzed focus groups of in-service teachers from three public school districts in the southeastern United States who participated in cohorts on effective English learner instruction. Findings suggest that increased teacher completion rates relate to motivators associated with relational mentoring nested within the systemic support structure of cohorts and distinctive social network of professional learning communities (PLCs). Our study contributes to research literature by describing how relational mentoring, when nurtured through faculty as well as within cohorts and PLCs, supported teachers in completing an ESL master's degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentoring relationships in higher education are recognized as a critical factor in preparing and socializing doctoral students and junior faculty for academic roles. We examined the practices of 12 educational leadership professors who were recipients of the Jay D. Scribner Mentoring Award, from the perspectives of 103 mentees who submitted letters in support of their nominations. The process-based relational mentoring framework was adopted for thematic analysis and two core interpretative dimensions formed: effective mentoring practices that were universally acknowledged as effective and considerations for mentoring across difference. Mentees reported effective mentor traits and practices, including being approachable and accessible, demonstrating humility and genuine care for others, and tailoring the experience to mentees' individualized needs. Findings also included insights related to mentoring across difference, in which mentors and mentees differed by gender and race/ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]