Mentoring of Graduate Students by Female Professors at Makerere University

Abstract

My study aimed at exploring how mentorship of graduate students is understood and executed by female professors at Makerere University. Female professors were sought to answer the questions on how they understood mentorship, how they executed it and why they mentored. In my study, I reviewed the literature according to my study objectives globally, in SubSaharan Africa and in the Ugandan setting. My study used a qualitative study approach and a case study design. Interviews were administered to three full female professors and four associate professors from the six Colleges and one School of Law of Makerere University. I used purposive and convenient sampling strategies. Data were thematically analyzed. My study revealed that mentorship was understood as guiding, a relationship, grooming, counseling and supporting. My study also showed that traditional mentorship was the main method employed by mentors. Peer and team mentoring were practiced at a small scale while mentoring forward was not part of the whole process at all.