Strengthening the societal position of at-risk youth is challenging though necessary in order to create better opportunities for them to participate in society. Work is an important means to that... Show moreStrengthening the societal position of at-risk youth is challenging though necessary in order to create better opportunities for them to participate in society. Work is an important means to that end, enabling young people to live independently. Work also plays a role in the psychological need to express your vocational identity: who you are as a worker. Having a vocational identity means that you are aware of your capabilities, ambitions and values concerning work. A strong vocational identity helps to make choices and acts as a guide throughout working life. At-risk youth have vulnerable school careers and are at risk of dropping out. They attend programs at a low educational level and are at greater risk of unemployment. A strong vocational identity may counterbalance these risks as it can ensure these young people to learn about the work they could and want to do, and can provide for better work prospects. Special curricula and social programs for at-risk youth seek approaches to fostering vocational identity. This dissertation focuses on the relationships between individual characteristics of at-risk youth and their vocational identity, concentrates on the possible contribution of malleable characteristics, and provides insights into the treatment by mentors during individual mentoring. Show less
In various types of teacher professional development (TPD) programmes, peer feedback is commonly used as an effective learning activity for teachers, because it can provide valuable learning... Show moreIn various types of teacher professional development (TPD) programmes, peer feedback is commonly used as an effective learning activity for teachers, because it can provide valuable learning resources and triggers participants’ reflection and behaviour change. However, previous studies usually focus on the entire TPD programmes, instead of studying teacher peer feedback specifically. This dissertation set out to provide both an integrated framework for the practices of teacher peer feedback and an in-depth understanding of teacher peer feedback in the Chinese vocational education context. In total, five studies are included in the dissertation. The first study is a literature review that aims at modelling the implementation of peer feedback and providing fundamental information for future studies. The next four empirical studies are conducted in the Chinese VET context, and they separately focus on the effect of a peer feedback-based programme, teachers’ learning mechanisms through peer feedback, participants’ evaluations on feedback, and the characteristics of expert feedback. Show less
Oijen, J.C.F. van; Grit, K.J.; Bos, W.J.W.; Bal, R. 2021
The complexity of regulations governing investigator-initiated trials (IITs) places a great burden on hospitals. Consequently, many hospitals seek to alleviate regulatory pressures by seeking an... Show moreThe complexity of regulations governing investigator-initiated trials (IITs) places a great burden on hospitals. Consequently, many hospitals seek to alleviate regulatory pressures by seeking an alternative quality management system (QMS). This paper takes the Netherlands as a case. To investigate how QMSs for IITs are organized in Dutch hospitals, we adopted the theoretical concepts of mentoring and monitoring in a mixed methods study in the period 2014-2018. In clinical practice and international guidelines, monitoring is seen as the standard quality assurance for ongoing trials. However, hospitals have implemented monitoring programs that resemble mentoring. The contrast between these ideal types is less pronounced in practice as both combine elements of compliance and feedback for learning in practice. In a monitoring setting, learning is one-way, from monitor to researcher; whereas mentoring focuses on mutual support and learning. To tackle problems in each system, the authority of the Board of Directors (BoD) and the BoD's relationship with staff members are crucial. We discuss the challenges that BoD and staff face in keeping an integrated view of the various components of QMSs. Show less
Keijzer, R.; Rijst, R.M. van der; Schooten, E. van; Admiraal, W.F. 2021
Background: Mentors guide students in their challenges at school and in life. At-risk students in last-resort programs who are at a high risk of leaving school unqualified are especially in need of... Show moreBackground: Mentors guide students in their challenges at school and in life. At-risk students in last-resort programs who are at a high risk of leaving school unqualified are especially in need of highly competent and adaptive mentors. This study therefore aimed to identify mentor qualities as perceived by at-risk students and their mentors that meet students’ needs and mentors’ capabilities.Methods: Face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and mentors of two specialized programs in the Netherlands. Sensitizing concepts, derived from literature, were used to identify themes. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analyses and was validated by performing an audit.Results: The mentor qualities that at-risk students and their mentors reported were classified in three different themes. Mentor tasks consisted of guiding and motivating students and providing them with tangible methods of support. Relationships between mentor and student were based on levels of respect, equality, and bonding.Characteristics of mentors related to empathy, care, and trust.Research implications: Emotional responsiveness deserves further exploration as it appears to be an underlying concept of being a good mentor. Future research might explore mentor qualities in the context of other last-resort programs for at-risk students.Practical implications: Findings implicate that mentors have to walk a tightrope between keeping professional distance and being sensitive, suggesting constant attention to their professional development is needed.Originality: In the context of last-resort programs, an alternative perspective on mentoring at-risk students is outlined, based on perceptions of both students and mentors Show less
