The Leadership Role in Online Support Programs for Beginning Teachers
type: CreativeWork
description: As distance learning opportunities foster a wide array for online mentoring, program administrators are in need of research supporting the successful development and management of such efforts. This qualitative research examined the leadership perspectives, skills, and strategies involved in developing and administering an online support program (also referred to as electronic mentoring) designed to help beginning teachers transition into the profession and improve their retention (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 2003). The population was comprised of all known programs established to date in the United States. Interviews were conducted of 28 program administrators representing 20 online programs for new teachers. Data were collected via interviews and triangulated with multiple artifacts. Consistent with practices by Strauss and Corbin (2007), data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding to identify, organize, and relate categories and themes. Through this analysis process, the core category, "The Leadership Role in Online Support Programs for Beginning Teachers," emerged and was based upon the interrelationships among five subcategories: (a) needs and benefits of participants, (b) program development, (c) professional development, (d) technology considerations, and (e) leadership strategies. The grounded theory resulting from these findings concluded that, successful administrators need to develop a detailed plan for online programs, weighing necessary program components including (a) an educationally diverse program team; (b) early establishment of program goals; (c) reliable methods of assessment of outcomes using constant formative evaluation; (d) a secure, reliable, non-evaluative environment; (e) training in effective online communications and relationship building; and (f) a value-added experience for participants. The leadership role of online support programs for beginning teachers requires administrators to have an in-d…
abstract: As distance learning opportunities foster a wide array for online mentoring, program administrators are in need of research supporting the successful development and management of such efforts. This qualitative research examined the leadership perspectives, skills, and strategies involved in developing and administering an online support program (also referred to as electronic mentoring) designed to help beginning teachers transition into the profession and improve their retention (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 2003). The population was comprised of all known programs established to date in the United States. Interviews were conducted of 28 program administrators representing 20 online programs for new teachers. Data were collected via interviews and triangulated with multiple artifacts. Consistent with practices by Strauss and Corbin (2007), data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding to identify, organize, and relate categories and themes. Through this analysis process, the core category, "The Leadership Role in Online Support Programs for Beginning Teachers," emerged and was based upon the interrelationships among five subcategories: (a) needs and benefits of participants, (b) program development, (c) professional development, (d) technology considerations, and (e) leadership strategies. The grounded theory resulting from these findings concluded that, successful administrators need to develop a detailed plan for online programs, weighing necessary program components including (a) an educationally diverse program team; (b) early establishment of program goals; (c) reliable methods of assessment of outcomes using constant formative evaluation; (d) a secure, reliable, non-evaluative environment; (e) training in effective online communications and relationship building; and (f) a value-added experience for participants. The leadership role of online support programs for beginning teachers requires administrators to have an in-d…
author: Clouse, Nancy K. Gagen
keywords: electronic mentoring, e-mentoring, new teacher support, online mentoring, online support, technology leadership
date published: 2008-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:11:58Z
provider: University of Montana
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Montana