1

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

Introduction

Teacher attrition is a critical social problem with between thirty to fifty percent of

novice teachers leaving the teaching profession within the first five years due to

challenges such as a lack of preparedness, high levels of stress and mental fatigue, and

lack of support (Arens & Morin, 2016; Greenfield, 2015; Leroux, Beaudoin, Greiner,

Turcotte & Rivard, 2016). The challenges faced during the first years of teaching can

result in physical and emotional exhaustion as well as feelings of burnout (Leroux et al.,

2016). There is a need to understand ways to better support novice teachers. Within the

study, novice teachers are defined as those teachers within the first three years of their

career (Dag & Sari, 2017). Understanding early career developmental processes as these

teachers transition into a long-term professional role is critical (Paula & Grinflde, 2018).

One area, in particular, that needs to be understood better is the experience of mentor

support and the impact the support has on resilience.

While all novice teachers experience adverse situations, Mansfield, Beltman,

Price, and McConney (2012) found resilient teachers are more likely to remain in the

profession. Resilience can facilitate more effective adaptation to challenging work

conditions (Arora & Ragnekar, 2015) and resilient people are less likely to experience

stress induced burnout (Lu et al., 2016). Arnup and Bowels(2016) and Youssef-Morgan

and Luthans (2015) found that resilience equipped individuals with the tools needed to

manage stressors and allowed the person the ability to bounce back from adversity. When

a person has high levels of resilience, perceived stress is often lower than persons who

have lower levels of resilience (Richards et al., 2016). An environmental factor which is
 2

instrumental in the development of resilience is the presence of a mentor (Frontman,

duPlessis, & Keon, 2016; Leroux et al., 2016; Lu et al., 2016). While novice teachers

may face challenges, mentors can assist novice teachers to meet the stressful challenges

of the profession.

One challenge faced by the educational community is determining a practical,

sustainable, and efficient intervention for retaining teachers by supporting resiliency

efforts (Leroux et al., 2016). Research has indicated that interpersonal and career support

can influence resilience (Frontman et al., 2016; Leroux, et al., 2016; Lu, et al., 2016) and

a quantitative relationship between mentoring and resilience has been established (Arora

& Rangnekar, 2015). Yet, it is not fully understood how experiencing mentor support

shapes the development of resilience, supporting a need for a qualitative study (Arora &

Rangnekar, 2015). It is not known how psychosocial and career mentoring influence the

resilience of K-12 novice public school teachers in Arizona.

The study adds to the existing body of literature by providing rich, narrative data

to explore the novice teachers perceptions of mentoring supports and resilience. Data

gleaned directly from novice teachers provides first-hand accounts regarding how the

mentor supported the protégé through the challenges experienced during the first years of

teaching. While compelling evidence supports the impact of a mentoring relationship on

resilience, there is a need to understand how to best capitalize on the relationship between

the mentor and novice teacher in order to support the novice teacher's resilience.

The study is introduced in chapter one as well as a summary of each subsequent

chapter. The background of the study will present an overview of this dissertation

research followed by the problem statement and the sample. The purpose statement will
 3

lead to a discussion of the two research questions and a discussion of the significance of

the study. The research methodology and design will be briefly discussed, followed by

definitions of terms used within the dissertation, assumptions, limitations, and

delimitations.

Background of the Study

Both a historical and current problem, high rates of attrition are seen throughout

the education profession, with novice teachers being more likely to leave the profession

compared to veteran teachers (Wilhelm, Dewhurs-Savellis, & Parker, 2000; Peterson,

2017). Induction programs were established with the intent of supporting novice teachers

during the transition (Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2017) The supports provided by the mentor

were shown to subsequently reduce the attrition rates of new teachers (Ronfeldt &

McQueen, 2017). Positive mentoring relationships result in the novice teacher feeling

supported (McDermid et al., 2016), which created changes in their teaching practices

(Mrstick et al., 2018) and influenced the development of resilience (Arora et al., 2016;

Henderson & Milstein, 1996).

Resilience is a critical factor which contributes to a reduction in teacher burnout,

attrition, and resilience can be supported by a mentor (Aurora & Rangnekar, 2015;

Frontman et al., 2016). Higher levels of resilience are linked to lower burnout and less

likelihood of leaving the profession (Arnup, 2016; Bowels et al., 2016). In studying

interventions for burnout, recent research found that mentoring mediated stress, increased

self-efficacy, created a sense of belonging, and changed teaching practices (Aurora &

Rangnekar, 2015; Bozionelos et al., 2016; Ingersoll, 2012; Izadina, 2015; Li, 2016;
 4

Mrstik, Vasquez, &Pearl, 2018). Understanding how mentors can specifically support

resilience may offer positive implications for teacher effectiveness and retention.

Due to the challenges faced during the induction period, researchers continue to

cite a need to understand how to best support novice teachers (Arens & Morin, 2016;

Paula & Grinfelde, 2018; & Richards et al., 2016). Specifically, Richards et al., (2016)

called for future research which examines how teachers develop resilience, with Clara et

al. (2017) building upon the suggestion by noting the importance of understanding social

supports. As resilience allows a person to "bounce back" from setbacks, understanding

how resilience can be supported is a critical factor in supporting teacher development

(Richards et al., 2016). The quantitative relationship between mentoring and resilience

indicates the value of a mentoring relationship (Arora & Ragnekar, 2015; Frontman et al.,

2016). Yet, it is not understood how mentoring specifically helps to support resilience

(Arora & Ragnekar, 2015; Frontman et al., 2016). The identified gap in literature was a

need to understand how novice teachers describe the role of psychosocial mentoring and

career mentoring in supporting their resilience (Arens & Morin, 2016; Frontman et al.,

2016; Paula & Grinfelde, 2018; & Richards et al., 2016).

Problem Statement

It was not known how psychosocial and career mentoring influence the resilience

of K-12 novice public school teachers in Arizona. While attrition rates are high in the

field of education, these rates are especially high for novice teachers (Arens & Morin,

2016). Attrition rates for novice teachers are often in the range of thirty to fifty percent

within the first years of teaching (Arens & Morin, 2016). Relationships can influence the

development of resilience, a critical factor in managing the expectations of a career in

 5

education (Frontman, duPlessis, & Keon, 2016). A study by Arora and Rangnekar (2015)

found a general relationship between mentoring and resilience. Yet, it was not known

how novice K-12 novice public school teachers describe the role of psychosocial

mentoring and career mentoring in supporting their resilience. In particular,

understanding the protégé's experiences with psychosocial support and career support can

provide deeper insight into the ways a mentor supports resilience.

Although a statistical relationship between mentoring and resilience has been

established (Arora & Rangnekar; 2015) it was not understood how novice teachers

describe how the types of support contribute to the development of resilience. Paula and

Grinfelde (2018) noted a need for future research to understand how to best support

novice teachers. Specifically, Richards et al. (2016) stated a need for future research to

examine how teachers develop resilience. Resilience provides novice teachers with the

coping mechanisms necessary to manage the stressors which are associated during the

induction period (Mainsfield et al., 2016; Richards et al., 2017; Tait, 2008).

The general population affected by the problem is K-12 novice teachers who have

been mentored. The target population is K-12 novice public school teachers who have

been mentored, in Arizona. The unit of analysis was individual novice teachers. In order

to gain an understanding of the phenomenon, the sample was be comprised of 10 novice

teachers who were mentored during their induction period. Large school districts with

mentoring programs were contacted and offered the opportunity to participate in the

study. Convenience sampling was used and novice teachers were contacted through their

school emails.
 6

The need to support the resilience of novice teachers extends to the educational

community because teacher attrition is costly and can impact the quality of student

learning (Arens & Morin, 2016; Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013). An understanding of

mentor relationships and resilience in novice teachers allows education professionals to

capitalize on the most successful components of a mentoring relationship. In addition to

impacting novice teachers, the problem of novice teacher attrition also affects the larger

educational community including leaders and students. While the study cannot provide

implications to restructure mentoring programs, it can provide additional perspectives on

the types of mentor support which were influential in supporting resilience.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the qualitative, descriptive research was to explore how K-12

novice public school teachers in Arizona describe the role of psychosocial mentoring and

career mentoring in supporting their resilience. The target population for the study was

K-12, Arizona novice public school teachers who have been mentored. In order to gather

the sample, eight school districts within Arizona were contacted and invited to participate

in the study. Of the eight who were contacted, three agreed to allow their novice teachers

to be contacted. Ten novice teachers received support from a mentor and were in the

teaching profession for three years or less participated in the study. In order to study the

phenomenon, a qualitative methodology with descriptive design was utilized. The data

collection process included gathering qualitative data derived from written response to

reflection questions and interviews in order to provide a deep understanding of the

phenomenon.
 7

The phenomenon which was explored in the study was how novice teachers

describe psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring to support their resilience. As

novice teachers acclimate to the expectations of the profession, they are learning how to

be a teacher, how to work with and manage students, and developing a professional

identity (Paula & Grinfelde, 2018). The challenges faced during the induction period can

result in stress and a desire to leave the teaching profession (Leroux et al., 2016). As

noted by Arnup and Bowels (2016), novice teachers who are resilient are better able to

adapt to challenges, have more confidence, and less stress than a teacher with lower

resilience. An effective mentoring relationship allows the mentor to support the novice

teacher by adapting to the individual needs and personality of the novice teacher (van

Ginkel et al., 2015; Yirci, 2018).

Mentors provide both psychosocial support, which includes emotional support

and acceptance, as well as career support, which includes networking and career coaching

(Noe, 1988) The adaptability allows the mentor to target the specific needs of the protégé

to most effectively support the development (Yirci, 2018).Through the supports provided,

the mentor influences the resilience of their protégé (Frontman et al., 2016; Leroux et al.,

2016; Lu et al., 2016). But it is necessary to understand the experiences novice teachers

have with psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring in order to better understand how

resilience can be supported. As such, a qualitative study is appropriate in order to

understand the unique nature of the mentoring relationship and how the novice teacher

describes the experience germane to resilience. The implications from the study can serve

to help better support novice teachers during the induction period and how to best

capitalize upon the mentoring relationship.

 8

Research Questions

The purpose of the qualitative, descriptive research was to explore how K-12

novice public school teachers in Arizona describe the role of psychosocial mentoring and

career mentoring in supporting their resilience. Resilience theory asserts that one

dimension which impacts resilience is social support (de Terte, Stephens, & Huuddleston,

2014). Social support, as a dimension of resilience, will be explored in both of the

research questions. By incorporating resilience theory with Kram's (1985) Mentor Role

Theory, a deeper understanding of the experiences novice teachers have with

psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring in support resilience can be better

understood. Specifically, the narrative data provided insight into the multi-faceted

mentoring relationship and how the experiences with the mentor supported the protégé's

management of stressors or adversity. While each experience was unique to the protégé,

themes which emerged yielded a better understanding of the supports which were

perceived to support resilience. Implications of the data collected include providing

insight into the mentoring supports which novice teachers perceived to be of value,

helping to optimize the mentoring relationship. Furthermore, by understanding the

perspectives of the novice teachers, the data provides insight into ways in which to better

address the needs during the induction period.

Kram's (1985) Mentor Role Theory was used in conjunction with resilience

theory to develop the research questions for the study. As presented in Kram's (1985)

Mentor Role Theory, a mentor provides two types of support: psychosocial support and

career support. Psychosocial support includes providing emotional support, acceptance,

friendship, and counseling to the protégé, while career support includes providing career
 9

networking, coaching, and challenging the protégé to grow professionally (Noe, 1988).

Each of the research questions examined one aspect of the mentoring relationship in

order to understand how the novice experienced the types of mentoring to support

resilience.

R1: How do K-12 novice public school teachers describe the role of psychosocial

mentoring in supporting their resilience?

R2: How do K-12 novice public school teachers describe the role of career mentoring

in supporting their resilience?

Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study

There was a need to understand how novice teachers describe the role of

psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring in supporting their resilience. Scholars

have examined the relationship between resilience and mentoring (Frontman, duPlessis,

& Keon, 2016; Leroux, Beaudoin, Greiner, Turcotte, & Rivard, 2016; Lu, Lee, Chang,

Chou, Hsu, Lin, and Gill, 2016). However, a need existed to better understand how the

experiences with mentoring, particularly the types of supports which the mentor provides,

are perceived to support resilience (Arora & Rangnekar, 2015; Lu et al., 2016).

Additionally, there was a need to explore professional development opportunities which

will increase resilience (Poyner, 2016) and encourage strategies designed to reduce

emotional exhaustion in novice teachers (Arens & Morin, 2016). Through increased

resilience, novice teachers are able to better cope with the challenges faced in the

profession and are less likely to experience stress- induced burnout (Arnup & Bowels,

2016; Lu, 2016). Therefore, an understanding of the ways in which to create

environments which facilitate resilience was needed (Leroux et al., 2016).

 10

The qualitative study expanded upon the current research on mentoring and

resilience by exploring the ways in which novice teachers described the experience of

psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring to support resilience (Arora & Rangnekar,

2015; Richards et al., 2016). Studying the ways in which the novice teachers described

the experiences with mentoring brings to light what was experienced as valuable or

important in the mentoring relationship and how the mentoring relationship helped the

novice teacher overcome challenges during the induction period. By developing a deeper

understanding of the phenomenon, school leaders may be better able to support novice

teachers (Li, 2016; Mrstik, Vasquez, &Pearl, 2018). Furthermore, understanding areas

which may help support resilience in novice teachers offers positive implications for the

school climate, student learning, and retention of teachers (Arnup & Bowels, 2016; Lu,

2016).

In addition to expanding the current knowledge on resilience development, as

influenced by mentoring, the research added to the theoretical foundations of both

concepts. Resilience is a developmental process which is influenced by environment,

experiences, and protective factors (Leroux et al., 2016). A resilient person is able to

adapt to adverse situations and recover from challenges or stressors (Froneman,

duPlessis, & Koen, 2016; Robertson et al., 2015; Youssef-Morgan & Luthans, 2015).

Given the high attrition rates of novice teachers due to burnout (Peterson, 2017),

developing resilience in novice teachers can be a strategy used to reduce this turnover.

While resilience is a personal characteristic, it can be influenced by enviromental factors,

including social supports like a mentor (Masten et al., 1990). As mentoring has been

shown to increase resilience (Arora & Rangekar, 2015), developing an understanding of

 11

how novice teachers describe the roles of the mentor to support resilience helps

practitioners better understand the areas of mentoring support to more effectively support

future novice teachers.

Mentoring theory was influenced by Bandura's social learning theory: learning

occurs with support, training, and reinforcement (Noe, 1988). The role of a mentor is to

facilitate the professional development of the protégé through the use of feedback and

support (Aurora & Ragnekar, 2017) by providing both psychosocial and career support

(Ragins & Kram, 1985). Coaching, collaboration, and emotional support by the mentor

helps the transition into the professional role (Saglam & Alan, 2018; Martin, Buelow, &

Hoffman, 2016). The mentoring supports provided help increase the protégé's self-

confidence and strengthen teaching practices (Li, 2016; Mrstik et al., 2018).

Subsequently, a teacher who develops confidence in his or her teaching skills is better

able to adapt to the professional demands, a characteristic which is important for a

successful teaching career as well as general resilience (Bozionelos et al., 2016).

Examining how the novice teacher described specific experiences in which mentor

support enabled the novice to overcome a challenging situation was critical in

understanding how to better support teachers during the induction period (Mrstik et al.,

2018).

Rationale for Methodology

A qualitative methodology was used to explore the research questions. Qualitative

research allows the collection of data which reveals an understanding of the perceptions

and experiences (Sandelowski, 2000). An inductive method allowed for the exploration

of a phenomenon which was not able to be easily observed or quantified (Bansal, Smith,
 12

& Vaara, 2018). Additionally, qualitative research explores individual perspectives,

which brings forth a deeper understanding of the differing roles of psychosocial support

and career supports which mentoring provides (McDermid, Peters, Daly, & Jackson,

2016).

Quantitative research reveals relationships between variables (Malterud,

Hamberg, & Reventlow, 2017). Prior research has already quantitatively shown a positive

relationship between mentor support and resilience (Frontman, duPlessis, & Keon, 2016;

Leroux et al., 2016; Lu et al., 2016). Therefore, there was a need to understand how the

novice teacher perceives psychosocial mentoring and career mentoring supported their

resilience. Quantitative methods did not allow the breadth of data collection needed to

address the research question (Sandelowski, 2000). Thus a qualitative method was the

most appropriate choice to gather rich, narrative data which facilitated the study of novice

teacher experience (Bansal, et al., 2018; Charmaz, 2010; Frontman et al., 2016;

McDermid, Peters, Daly, & Jackson, 2016). Specifically, the narrative data gathered

through qualitative methods allowed participants to expand upon their experiences, which

would have been limited with quantitative instruments (Yilmaz, 2013). In addition, the

researcher was able to ask probing questions to develop a deeper description of the

phenomenon and understand the context of the experiences (Denzine & Lincon, 2008).

A limitation with qualitative methods was the influence of individual

perspectives, thus resulting in an inability to generalize the results to all novice teachers

(Sandelowski, 2000). While the data was influenced by the perspectives of the novice

teacher, the varied experiences enabled a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. The

subjective perception of each participant helped to build insight into the experiences.
 13

Nature of the Research Design for the Study

A descriptive design was used for the study. The research questions dictated a

need for a research design which would yield data which could be used to create a

comprehensive description of the phenomenon (Sandelowski, 2000). A descriptive design

uses the perspectives of the participants to understand the phenomenon (Kim, Sefcik, &

Bradway, 2017). Kim, Sefcik, and Bradway (2017) noted that the hallmark of the design

is to understand the natural state of the phenomenon from the perspective of the

individuals who experience the phenomenon, with an effort to minimize interpretation of

the researcher. In order to minimize researcher interpretation, the words and phrases used

by the participants were the foundation for data analysis (Yin, 2011). Data was collected

which depicts the perceptions of the novice teachers (Merriam, 2009). By collecting data

on the individual experiences of each participant, data was then analyzed to reveal

common themes among the sample (Willis, Sullivan-Bolyai, Knafl, & Kohen, 2016).

The target population for the study was K-12 Arizona novice public school

teachers who have been mentored. Convenience sampling was used to identify novice

teachers who have participated in a mentoring program. In order to gain access to novice

teachers who meet the study criteria, site approval was obtained from three school

districts in Arizona. The novice teachers were invited to participate in the study through

school or district email. The units of observation was individual teachers. Ten novice

teachers participated in individual interviews, which consisted of open-ended questions

regarding the induction experiences and mentoring relationship. Yin (2011) indicated that

a sample size of ten allows the researcher to collect a sufficient amount of data to reach

saturation. According to Malterud, Siersma, and Guassora (2015), when determining

 14

sample size in qualitative research, a consideration of the types of participants is critical:

studies which select participants based upon specific criteria require a smaller number of

participants to yield a level of saturation.

Written response to reflection questions and individual, semi-structured

interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were conducted using Zoom

conferencing software and will take approximately one hour per interview. Semi-

structured interviews enabled the collection of rich data, as the researcher was able to ask

follow-up questions. These follow-up questions provided more clarification and a deeper

understanding of the experiences (Morris, 2015). Transcripts from the individual

interviews were electronically transcribed and coded to identify common themes. The

interview transcripts were analyzed using in vivo and focused coding to answer the

research questions.

Definition of Terms

The following terms were utilized throughout the dissertation.

Adversity. Adversity is defined as negative situations which present difficulties

(Luthar & Cicchetti, 2000).

Burnout. Burnout will be defined as a reduction in emotional resources, loss of

accomplishment, and lack of satisfaction with work (Richards et al., 2016).

Characteristics of burnout include emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced

personal accomplishments (Richards et al., 2016).

Career support. Career support will be defined as those which support the career

development, including preparation for advancement, networking, coaching, and

challenging the protégé (Noe, 1988).

 15

Induction period. The induction period for an educator is defined the transition

into the profession which includes acclimating to the professional role, understanding the

organization's structure, and developing professionalism (Leroux et al., 2016)

Mentor. An individual who is experienced in the professional role and assumes

responsibility for the development of the less-experienced protégé (Dag & Sari, 2017).

Mentoring. At this stage in the research, mentoring will be defined as a

relationship in which the mentor provides psychosocial support and career support to the

protégé (Noe, 1988).

Novice teacher. The term novice teacher will be used to define educators new to

the profession, teaching for no more than three years (Green & Munoz, 2016).

Protégé. A less-experienced individual who receives psychosocial and career

support from a mentor (Arora & Rangnekar, 2015).

Psychosocial support. Psychosocial support is defined as emotional support,

including acceptance, friendship, and counseling (Noe, 1988).

Resilience. Resilience will be defined as a mental and behavioral process which is

used to adapt to adversity and protect from stressors (Froneman, duPlessis, & Koen,

2016; Robertson, Cooper, Sarkar, & Curran, 2015). Additionally, reslience allows an

individual to recover from the adversity or conflicts faced (Youssef-Morgan & Luthans,

2015).

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations

A discussion of the assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study will

be discussed in the following section. An assumption can be defined as a conclusion, or

truth, accepted by the researcher (Pyrczak & Bruce, 2017). The assumptions are
 16

methodological and topic-specific. The following assumptions were made in the study. It

was assumed that participants in this study responded to interview questions honestly, as

the participants were sharing their personal experiences (Morris, 2015). It was assumed

that novice educators experienced challenges in the first years of teaching which will

influence their resilience (Kidd et al., 2016; Hartfitt, 2015; Izadinia, 2015; Leroux, et al.,

2016). Finally, it was assumed that a mentor supports resilience, due to the statistical

relationship established by Arora and Ragnekar (2016).

Limitations can be defined as weaknesses within the research study that are

beyond the control of the researcher which may influence the results of the study

(Connelly, 2013). The following limitations were present in the study. The use of a

qualitative descriptive design and the use of interviews as a form of data collection

resulted in data which was based upon the perspectives of the individual. While the

individual perspectives may be perceived to be a limitation for some studies, the varied

perspectives of the participants was important in the study as the participants are the only

ones who are able to express the ways in which they experienced specific situations

(Morris, 2015).

An additional limitation was the sample size and sampling method. The sample

was limited to ten teachers from one state, limiting the transferability of the results. While

the sample will be limited due to location and time constraints, the creation of a "thick

description" of the experiences of the participants can aid in the transferability of the data

(Schreier, 2018). Due to the nature of the school calendar, the time of year during which

data is collected influenced the length of time the novice teacher had worked with his or

her mentor. Novice teachers who worked with their mentor for a few months may have
 17

differing experiences as compared to a novice teacher who has worked with his or her

mentor over a period of one to two years. Personality factors can influence resilience

(Arora & Rangnekar, 2015). However, examining personality traits in relation to

mentoring and resilience was beyond the scope of the research. Convenience sampling

was used and this form of sampling may have impacted the quality of the data gathered.

An additional limitation is the researcher's involvement with data analysis. Due to the

qualitative descriptive design, it was necessary for the researcher to hand-code the data.

In order to minimize researcher bias, the researcher used an inductive approach to

analyzing the data during the in vivo coding.

Delimitations are constraints intentionally put in place (Pyrczak & Bruce, 2017).

The following delimitations may be present in the study. The sample were derived from

school districts within Arizona due to researcher's resources. The limited sample may

reduce the transferability of the data, as the novice teachers may not have the same

experiences as teachers located in other regions. However, Schreier (2018) argues a rich

description can increase the transferability of the data, as experiences may differ but

commonalities can be identified among participants which may extend to others in

similar situations. The interview questions were modeled after the theoretical foundation

in order to limit the scope of the data collected and maximize the data gathered to answer

the research questions (DeCuir-Gunby & Schutz, 2017). The limitation was necessary in

order to limit the data collection to that which addresses the research questions.

Summary and Organization of the Remainder of the Study

With high attrition levels due to challenge faced during the induction period,

developing resilience can be instrumental in novice teacher success and increase the
 18

likelihood teachers remain in the profession (Arens & Morin, 2016; Greenfield, 2015;

Leroux, Beaudoin, Greiner, Turcotte & Rivard, 2016; Mansfield, Beltman, Price, &

McConney, 2011). A successful mentoring relationship results in the protégé feeling

supported and changing teaching practices (McDermid, 2015; Mrstick et al., 2018).

Additionally, a mentoring relationship can influence resilience (Arora & Rangekar, 2015;

Frontman et al., 2016). The qualitative descriptive study fills a gap in the literature by

exploring how novice teachers described how psychosocial mentoring and career

mentoring support their resilience (Arora & Rangenkar, 2015;Clara, 2017; Paula &

Grinefelde, 2018; Richards et al., 2016). The need for additional research on this topic

arose from current literature stating a need to better understand how to support novice

teachers and understand how resilience is developed (Aurora & Rangnekar, 2015;

Rangenkar, 2015; Richards, 2016). Kram's (1988) Mentor Role Theory and resilience

theory (Garmezy, 1994) were used as the theoretical framework, guiding the research

questions, interview questions, and analysis of data

The sample was be derived from school districts in Arizona in which novice

teachers were mentored. Ten to fifteen novice teachers provided a written-response to

five open-ended questions and participated in semi-structured interviews. In vivo coding

and focused coding were used to identify themes among the participants.

The data collection and analysis took approximately five months. Attaining site

approval for two districts took approximately two weeks. The process of recruiting

interview participants, gathering answers to the open-ended, written-response questions,

and scheduling interviews took approximately three months. Transcribing and analyzing

the interview data took approximately one month.

 19

The dissertation was broken down into five chapters. Chapter One introduced the

purpose of the study, explained how the study furthers the academic knowledge, provided

a rational for the research methodology and design, and explained the research process.

Chapter Two will contain a detailed review of the literature related to the novice teacher

experience, mentoring, and resilience. The literature review will present a history of the

problem being researched, a review of the theoretical foundations, and current literature

relevant to the topic of mentoring and resilience. Chapter Three will detail the research

process. Within the third chapter, rationale for the research methodology and design will

be supported by literature, the research process will be outlined, a discussion of the data

collection tools will be presented, followed by a detailed explanation of the data analysis

process. Chapter Four will present a discussion of the data analysis and research findings.

Chapter Five will provide a discussion of the results, implications of the conclusions, and

recommendations for future research. The next chapter will present a comprehensive

discussion of the literature related to the novice teacher experience, resilience, and

mentoring.