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Mentoring the Next Generation of Faculty: Supporting Academic Career Aspirations Among Doctoral Students

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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

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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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA, 01610, USA

    Nicola Curtin

  2. Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center, Waltham, MA, USA

    Nicola Curtin

  3. ADVANCE Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Janet Malley

  4. Departments of Psychology and Women’s Studies and ADVANCE Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Abigail J. Stewart

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  1. Nicola Curtin
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Correspondence to Nicola Curtin.

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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