Evaluators may attempt to form particular relationships with their clients in order to increase the probability that the evaluation findings will be used for decision making. The evaluator's interest in this relationship should not overshadow the importance of ensuring the validity of reported results. (Author/GDC)

Discusses the client-consultant relationship from both sides. Argues that a consulting breakdown can be a chance for both the client and the consultant to grow through negotiation. Lists some basic guidelines for successful consulting relationships. (PEN)

The dialogue in the field of mentoring has changed over time. In the early days mentoring was a straightforward and pragmatic means to an end: developing others. Then thorny issues started to be encountered, both in theory and in practice. Case studies are used here to illustrate the mixed fortunes experienced in contemporary times in three…

States that the term "mentoring" has been misused and that the definition has arisen from popular consensus rather than from formal definitions and empirical verification. Proposes a formal definition of mentoring. Also examines methodological approaches to mentoring research and suggests how to investigate this domain creatively. (Author/CH)

Two studies were conducted to examine how perceptions of support for mentoring relate to mentoring attitudes and outcomes for both proteges and mentors, over and above established predictors. In study 1, proteges provided information on their perceptions of support for mentoring and mentoring received. As expected, perceived management support for…

Introduction: Teamwork and interprofessional practice and learning are becoming integral to health care. It is anticipated that these approaches can maximize professional resources and optimize patient care. Current research, however, suggests that primary health care teams may lack the capacity to function at a level that enhances the individual…

Although professional learning communities are often promoted as unique learning opportunities, little is known about how they get started and how they are sustained. For this reason, group members are often unprepared, and then frustrated, by inevitable group tensions. With this in mind, Karl Weick's [(1979). "The social psychology of…

This article discusses a possible approach to the evaluation of virtual community environments (VCE), intended as the integration of members, processes, and technologies characterizing a given community of professionals. In particular, as to the return on investment for VCE, the article supports the idea that tangible returns for the organization…

In this article, the author shares her experiences on how she came to know about Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA). The author opines that PESA could develop more positive interaction with both the Federation of Australasian Philosophy for Children Associations (FAPCA) and the Australian Philosophy Association (APA). She…

Nationally, the problem of teacher retention compounds the unstable nature of the educational situation, especially in urban, high-needs schools. Much of the instability of urban schools is due to teacher movement, the migration of teachers from school to another school within or between school districts, particularly from high-needs schools.…

The research reported in this paper explores aspects of the relationship between academics and practitioners in the context of a professional development programme. It is illustrated by qualitative data from a case study of university teachers' and secondary teachers' experiences and perceptions of a university-led in-service training course in…

The transition to independent scholar is part and parcel of the doctoral education process (Council of Graduate Schools, 2005) as well as an integral part of the socialization process that occurs while in graduate school (Weidman, Twale, & Stein, 2001). This article details the journey toward independence, rooted in the socialization process of…

What is it like to be a clinical educator? How do clinical educators experience and describe their continuing journey of becoming a clinical educator? Within the model developed in this research, dimensions of being a clinical educator were identified. These dimensions include (a) having a sense of self (and the impact of bringing self into the…

Definitions of exactly what and who constitutes a mentor are almost as numerous as the writers who have researched the subject. Being a mentor may mean being a counselor, host, guide, teacher, developer of skills and intellect, and exemplar. Co-mentoring can offer a valuable alternative to conventional mentoring relationships that are either…