Caring Mentoring for Academic Literacy: A Case Study of a Teacher Education College in Israel

Abstract

This article describes aspects of research relating to the influences of mentoring on the teaching and learning of academic literacy conducted at the College Centre for Academic Literacy (WAL) at a teacher education college in Israel. This multiple case study, based on the principles of grounded theory, describes five cases. Data were collected and triangulated mainly through in‐depth and recall interviews, as well as recorded observations of mentoring sessions. Analysis of each case study separately, followed by comparative analysis, revealed six facets of academic literacy mentoring at the college, making up a complex process at the core of which lies the reciprocity between the caring relationship and learning and knowledge development. Description of these two facets of academic literacy mentoring is the focus of this writing.

Keywords:

• mentoring
• academic literacy
• caring relations
• dialogic relations
• power relations

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to two peaple: to Professor Graham Badely for his caring examplery mentoring as I went through the journey of doctorate, and to Professor Carol A. Mullen for breaking the circle of one, for me, as a writing educator who aspire to create and share new knowledge.