Description

Development of the perceptions of mentoring relationships survey: A mixed methods approach

SANDRA M HARRIS

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Abstract

This paper reports the development and construct-related validity of the Perceptions of Mentoring Relationships Survey (PMRS). I used a sequential, exploratory, mixed methods design to develop the survey. Multistage purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants from a small southeastern university. I used open-ended questions in Study 1 to obtain participants’ perceptions of mentors’ and mentees’ roles in mentoring relationships and to obtain their perceptions of the benefits of mentoring relationships. Results led to the development of a 24-item instrument. I assessed the score reliability and construct-related validity of the PMRS in Study 2. Results showed that scores from the instrument yielded coefficient alphas that ranged from 0.81–0.92. Results from an exploratory factor analysis revealed that the a priori three-factor structure accounted for 52.18% of variance in the data. Results revealed that the PMRS is a construct-related valid instrument that reliably generates data regarding individual perceptions of mentoring relationships.

Keywords: perceptions mentoring relationships, assessing mentoring relationships