Journal of Education in Developing Areas
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ACADEMIC MENTORING AMONG LECTURERS IN THE UNIVERSITIES. WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN BAYELSA STATE?

James N. Onukwu

Abstract


The study investigated the situation of academic mentoring in the universities located in Bayelsa State. It is a descriptive survey research design with the population of 250 lecturers below the rank of senior lecturer from the four universities located in Bayelsa State. (Federal University Otuoke; Niger Delta University, Amasoma; Africa University, Toro-Oluwa; and the Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa). A simple random sampling techniques was used to select 120 of them for the study by ensuring that at least 30 respondents were selected from each university. Two research questions and one hypothesis were raised to guide the study. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled ‗‗Academic mentoring among lecturers of universities in Bayelsa State Questionnaire (AMLUBSQ) designed, validated and pilot-tested using Cronbach Alpha reliability test (N=25, r=.97). The questionnaire has two sections. Section A dealt on the demographic variable of gender while Section B was on academic mentoring practices of lecturers in the universities on a 4-point Likert type rating scale coded as very high (VH), high (H), low (L) and very low (VL). A mean of 2.50 and above was considered high. Lecturers below the rank of senior lecturer (from the rank of graduate assistant to lecturer I) served as respondents through their WhatsApp platforms. Three experts in the Faculty of Education, Federal University Otuoke carried out face and content validity of the questionnaires. A google form was designed and used for collection of data, sent to the various whatsApp platforms belonging to academic staff of these universities. Descriptive statistics of mean was used to answer the research questions while t-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed low level mentoring among lecturers in universities, high-level challenges hindering academic mentoring in the universities and that there is no significant difference in the mean response of male and female lecturers on the challenges to academic mentoring among lecturers. The study however seminar and workshops was rated high as a means of mentoring lecturers in the universities in Bayelsa State. It therefore recommended among others that universities should develop policy framework to ensure official attachment of younger lecturers in research groups/hubs as a means of mentoring.

Keywords


Academic;Mentoring and Universities

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References


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