Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Milam, Alisha

Committee Member

Aarhus, Craig

Committee Member

Moore, Jenifer

Committee Member

Smith, Kaleb

Date of Degree

8-7-2025

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 1 year

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Educational Policy and Organizational Design

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Division of Education

Abstract

Attrition rates among new secondary music educators is an ongoing problem. Many new music educators leave the profession in their first five years with many doing so between years two and three. This project examined the difficulties faced by new secondary music educators and how involvement in a structured mentorship program can aid in their growth and development. Bandura's (1977) social learning theory and Kolb's (1984) experiential learning theory was used in the creation of the practitioner’s manual. Three research questions were addressed in this study: (1) What challenges do early career music educators face and how can a structured mentorship program address those challenges effectively? (2) What components should be included in a mentorship program to effectively support new secondary music educators in their development? (3) How do mentor and mentee relationships influence the professional growth and long-term career commitment of early music educators? Desk-based research and web-mining techniques were used to examine existing literature and mentoring models. A five-year practitioner manual was created that offers mentors and new music educators structured and research-based support. Through purposeful mentoring, this project seeks to enhance early-career music teacher’s professional development and retention.

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