Abstract
We know little about the role of faculty mentoring in the development of interest in pursuing an academic career among doctoral students. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined the relationships between different kinds of mentoring (instrumental, psychosocial, and sponsorship) and academic career self-efficacy, interests, and goals. Analyses controlled for race, gender, field, and candidacy status. Psychosocial and instrumental mentoring predicted feelings of self-efficacy in one’s ability to pursue an academic career, and exerted significant indirect effects through that self-efficacy, on students’ interest in such a career. Race-gender comparisons indicated that sponsorship was not an important predictor for non-URM men, in contrast to the other groups.
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Notes
Note that we excluded participants with missing data, as AMOS is unable to calculate indirect effects with missing data. However, all of the analyses presented here (except the test for significance of indirect effects) were run on both the full sample (N = 1173) and the restricted sample (N = 848), and there were no differences in the overall pattern of significant hypothesized findings. Therefore, we report on the analyses run on the restricted sample here.
Please note that although we chose to include race/gender intersections as controls, the main findings of the path analyses reported below do not change when race and gender are included as separate controls.
References
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to give special thanks to Giselle Kolenic at the UM Center for Statistical Consultation and Research for her advice on the analyses.
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Appendix
Appendix
Variable name | Item | |
---|---|---|
Interest in academic aareer | How attractive is this goal to you: | Become a professor at a top research university |
Mentoring—sponsorship | My primary advisor: | Helps me develop professional relationships with others in the field |
Advocates for me with others when necessary | ||
Encourages me to attend and present at professional meetings | ||
Mentoring—instrumental | Helps me secure funding for my graduate studies | |
Assists me in writing presentations or publications | ||
Advises about getting my work published | ||
Gives me regular and constructive feedback on my research | ||
Teaches me the details of good research practice | ||
Instructs me in teaching methods | ||
Teaches me to write grant/research proposals | ||
Mentoring—psychosocial | Treats me ideas with respect | |
Is easy to discuss ideas wth | ||
Treats me as a colleague | ||
Treats me as a whole person—not just a scholar | ||
Inspires me intellectually | ||
Builds my confidence | ||
Encourages me in my research interests and goals | ||
Provides emotional support when I need it | ||
Would support me in any career path I might choose | ||
Career self efficacy | I feel confident: | That I can become a professor in a top research university |
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Curtin, N., Malley, J. & Stewart, A.J. Mentoring the Next Generation of Faculty: Supporting Academic Career Aspirations Among Doctoral Students. Res High Educ 57, 714–738 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9403-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9403-x