SAGE Handbook of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

Book excerpt: The knowledge base about mentoring and coaching in education has grown considerably worldwide in the last decade. The very many definitions of mentoring and coaching demand an evidence base to assist with understanding the convergence and distinctions between these concepts, and with situating them in relation to learning. This Handbook is a leading source of ideas and information. It covers national and international research on schools, higher education, and disciplines within and beyond education. The editors draw together contributions and present evidence bases and alternative worldviews in which concepts are both untangled and substantiated. Unique in its coverage, this handbook maps current knowledge and understanding, values and skills underpinning educational mentoring and coaching for learning. Contributors who are leading scholars and practitioners address issues of theory and practice in school, higher education, and other educational contexts, and they set out practical applications of coaching and mentoring for practitioners and researchers. Contributors also address social justice issues, such as those involving traditional and technical forms of mentoring and coaching, democratic and accountability agendas, and institutional and historical patterns of learning. The SAGE Handbook of Mentoring and Coaching in Education is an essential reference for practitioners, researchers, educators, and policymakers. Dr Sarah J Fletcher is an international Educational Research Mentoring and Coaching Consultant and she convenes the Mentoring and Coaching SIG for the British Educational Research Association. Carol A Mullen is Professor and Chair, Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations Department, at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.