INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA, Ebele C. Okigbo, Nneka R. Nnorom, Ernest O. Onwukwe [best reads .TXT] 📗

of teachers as being critical to the paucity of attention and social recognition of the education sector. Accordingly, this negative social attitude has robbed STEM many quality hands who would have added value to the system, as a good number of those still trapped in the system look at teaching as a place of passage to other jobs.

 

The characterization of the status of ST teachers in TEIs in Nigeria as the foregoing discussion has shown is indicative of the fact that an appropriate intervention technique is needed to make the situation better.

 

Mentoring as a Way Forward

Mentoring nurtures a healthy relationship between the mentor and the mentee. The mentor nurtures mentee’s aspiration by providing information, career-guidance, encouragement and cross-border contacts. Through these roles, the professional growth of the mentee is ensured. The mentee looks towards the mentor as a role model and the aspiration level is sustained thereby keeping the mentee focused and retained on the job. A junior academic for instance, who is lucky to come in contact with an accessible professor in a mentoring relationship, is bound to enjoy such association and would be focused at imbibing the expertise from the mentor rather than veering off to another academic discipline. A number of ST graduates who veered off the discipline in search of greener pastures did so partly because they lacked appropriate information and career guidance which are readily available from mentors. Both mentors and mentees share some commonalities, among which are:

Both the mentor and mentee share a common professional career (colleagues, working in a similar job). For instance, in a Teacher Education Institution (TEI), a Professor or Chief  Lecturer may serve as a mentor to a junior Colleague.

The relationship is symbiotic rather than parasitic. For instance, whereas the senior academic colleague may guide the junior lecturer in pedagogical skills, setting of questions, allocation of marks, marking of answer scripts or the nitty-gritty of research project supervision, the younger lecturer in return may assist the senior colleague in his tutorial classes and other ancillary duties.

Possession of requisite knowledge/expertise, not age or gender, determines who becomes a mentor or a mentee. Considering the senior and junior academic cited above, if it happens that both of them are in the Faculty/School of Education, it may be possible that the senior colleague is deficient in ICT  skills whereas the younger colleague is proficient in ICT skills. In this case, the younger lecturer may serve as a mentor to the Senior colleague in the quest for acquisition of  ICT skills whereas, the reverse will be the case if the subject matter is  about pedagogical or research project supervisory skills.

Mentoring is relationship-based and the relationship may last for life. As a process, mentoring involves communication and it is relationship-based. The person in receipt of mentorship may be referred to as a protégé (male), a protégée (female), an apprentice or in recent years, a mentee.

 

Importance of Mentoring

Importance of Mentoring

Mentoring programs help professionals grow, develop and learn new skills under the direction and advice of a seasoned expert. Organizations implement mentoring programs to align the goals of the institution with the professional development of its employees.

Accomplishment of Institutional Vision: A mentor can help a new employee adjust to the vision and culture in an organization. New employees may not be accustomed to the goals of an organization or the practices and acceptable behaviors. The mentor can provide the new worker with information on the corporate vision, organizational structure and procedures that will help the new employee settle into his role in the establishment. Companies can assign a mentor to new employees during the adjustment period to help them get up to speed on company procedures and policies. Mentoring also provides the worker with a leader he can turn to with questions.

Employee Growth and Development: Mentoring programs provide the mentee with real-world knowledge that bridges the gap between educational theory and actual business practices. Mentors also grow in a mentoring position by honing leadership skills and remaining in touch with other professionals. In an ideal mentoring relationship, both parties learn from one another.

Professional Satisfaction: Mentoring programs help new employees adjust to the organizational structure and culture, which helps the business by bringing new hires up to speed. Those serving as mentors within an organization gain personal and professional satisfaction by sharing their expertise with other employees.

Employee Morale: Mentoring generally helps boost employee morale and engagement, experts say. "From increased morale to increased organizational productivity and career development, the benefits of an organization that actively supports mentoring are numerous," according to a report by U.S. Office of Personnel Management. A supportive atmosphere can improve employee morale and loyalty, thereby helping to reduce turnover and boost productivity. High employee turnover costs organizations money in the form of recruitment hiring and training of replacements.

Ease of Acclimation:  An advantage of mentoring is that it helps to acclimate a new worker to the job and organization. By having a "go to" person to ask questions, discuss scenarios and generally learn the nuances of the company, the mentee can become a productive member much more quickly and never feel that he has nowhere to turn for help. If the mentor serves in a supervisory capacity or needs to depend on the performance of the mentee to reach certain objectives, he can be sure the mentee is trained properly.

Sense of Achievement: The mentee can gain the sense of achievement that comes from the mentor's feedback and assessment of his progress. The mentee's quest to gain the mentor's approval can serve as a motivating force to continue to improve his performance. The mentor can gain satisfaction from knowing that she is helping an individual and can take a measure of pride in her accomplishments. For a mentor that has already achieved a great deal of success, she can look at the process as a way of "giving back."

Advice: The biggest benefit of having a business or academic mentor is having someone you can ask questions and get advice. As a new business owner, you are likely to get more advice than you ask for from people like family members, friends and the people who own the store next door. While some of their advice may be sound, your mentor can help you sort out which you should follow while advising you on more complicated professional matters that your friends or family would not know how to solve

Long-Lasting Relationships: Although some mentor-mentee relationships are short-lived, if you hit it off with your mentor, you can foster a long-lasting relationship through which you and your mentor can continue to collaborate for the rest of your career. This will give you the consistency and resources you need to maintain a successful professional career.

Confidence: Knowing that you have a credible mentor to turn to can give you confidence when facing difficult academic situations. Similarly, good mentors will praise you when you have made good decisions. Praise can enable you to see yourself as a wise and experienced academic. Seeing yourself confidently this way will help you stand your ground when you must defend or stand by your academic decisions.

Disadvantages of Mentoring

Disadvantages of Mentoring

Many organizations institute a system of mentoring where an experienced worker passes on her knowledge and expertise to a less experienced worker. In some cases, a mentor may be assigned by management or a mentoring relationship may occur in an informal manner. While mentoring can offer many advantages, some possible drawbacks merit your attention.

Mismatched Pair: A possible disadvantage of mentoring is that If the mentor-mentee relationship is forced, such as when a supervisor assigns an experienced employee to tutor a new hire, it is possible that the two may not hit it off, or that the mentor may feel he doesn't have the time to fulfil the role while still carrying out his normal job duties. The strained relationship can be counterproductive and even make the mentee feel he is not a welcome addition to the company.

Frustration: Another possible disadvantage is that in some instances, the mentor may feel that the mentee is not progressing quickly enough or doesn't seem able or willing to follow her direction, leading to frustration. The mentee may also become frustrated if she feels that she is not getting the guidance she needs. In either situation, it may be necessary for the mentee to find a new mentor if practical before the situation erodes further.               

 

Qualities of a Good Mentor

A good mentoring relationship (FGP, 2015), provides new employees guidance as well as interaction with someone that will share their personal knowledge and expertise in the field. A good mentor is available to answer any questions relevant to the job. Good mentor – mentee relationships are a two way street, consequently, if you want a good relationship with your mentor, become a good mentee. The qualities of a good mentor may include but not limited to the following:

Willingness to share skills, knowledge and expertise.

Demonstrating a positive attitude and acts as a role model.

Taking a personal interest in the mentoring relationship.

Exhibiting enthusiasm in the field of utmost concern to the mentee.

Valuing on-going learning and growth in the field.

Providing guidance and constructive feedback.

Being respected by colleagues and employees in all levels of the organization.

Setting and meeting on-going personal and professional goals.

Valuing the opinions and initiatives of others.

Motivating others by setting a good example

 

Effective Mentoring Skills

A number of skills are predisposing for effective mentoring relationship. Some of them are listed and discussed hereunder(www.management-mentors .com).

Open-mindedness: One of the most important skills needed is the ability to keep an open mind. Both the mentor and the mentee came to the mentoring "table" with their respective idiosyncrasies: thoughts, value system, prejudices expectations et cetera.. This is normal: it is called being human. But the purpose of mentoring is to transform...not only the mentee, but also the mentor. For this to occur, everyone needs to open his/her minds to new ways of thinking. It is not always easy, and it will likely