Program
K-12 Administration Ed.D.
Number of Pages
164
Year Approved
2026
First Advisor
Judith Nagel
Second Reader
Joni Burgin-Hartshorn
Third Reader
Sandra Pettingell
Abstract
This quantitative study examined the relationship between mentoring and teacher professional development among public senior high school teachers in Ghana’s Central Region. Although mentoring is widely promoted as a strategy for strengthening instructional quality, limited empirical research has investigated how specific dimensions of mentoring influence in-service secondary teachers within Sub-Saharan African contexts. Grounded in social cognitive theory and adult learning theory, this study addressed that gap by differentiating among structural participation in mentoring, duration of mentoring involvement, and mentorship participation intensity. A correlational research design was employed using validated instruments measuring mentoring engagement, instructional effectiveness, and classroom management. Data were collected through a structured electronic questionnaire administered to 253 teachers across diverse public senior high schools within the region. The findings revealed that mentorship participation intensity, defined as the depth, frequency, and quality of mentoring interactions, significantly predicted both instructional effectiveness and classroom management. In contrast, merely participating in mentoring programs or accumulating years of mentoring involvement did not predict professional outcomes. These results suggest that mentoring effectiveness depends on sustained, interactional engagement characterized by modeling, reflective dialogue, collaborative problem solving, and structured feedback processes rather than symbolic enrollment in professional development programs. The study contributes to mentoring scholarship by empirically distinguishing between structural mentoring exposure and relational mentoring depth within a Ghanaian educational context. The outcomes support relational mentoring theory and extend adult learning principles by demonstrating that contextualized engagement intensity predicts measurable professional practice outcomes. Implications for policy and practice include shifting from time-based professional development metrics toward engagement-based quality indicators to strengthen instructional quality, stabilize classroom environments, and support long-term teacher development aligned with Ghana’s national education reform priorities. Keywords: Mentoring, teacher professional development, instructional effectiveness, classroom management, mentorship participation intensity, social cognitive theory, adult learning theory, relational mentoring, secondary education
Degree Name
Education Doctorate
Document Type
Doctoral dissertation
Recommended Citation
Ayim, F. (2026). A Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship Between Mentoring and Professional Development Outcomes of Public Senior High School Teachers in Ghana’s Central Region [Doctoral dissertation, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1263
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