Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5382-3429
Defense Date
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Education
First Advisor
Dr. Patrick Mullen
Second Advisor
Dr. Abigail Conley
Third Advisor
Dr. Paul Harris
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Niloofar Ramezani
Fifth Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Niles
Abstract
This study describes the development and initial validation of the Mentoring Engagement Scale (MES), a self-report instrument designed to measure a person’s level of engagement in professional mentoring. Despite emerging evidence that professional mentoring may serve as a protective factor against the burnout and stress associated with school counselors’ roles and responsibilities, existing measures of mentoring are limited by weak documentation of development procedures, mixed psychometric support, and limited practical applicability. In two phases, the present study aimed to (1) evaluate content validity and systematically refine items grounded in Kahn’s (1990) theory of engagement and (2) investigate the preliminary psychometric properties of the MES among a sample of 324 practicing U.S. school counselors. Content validity was evaluated using Lawshe’s (1975) approach to quantitative evaluation, seeking expert agreement on the essentialness of scale items included for psychometric analyses. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a two-factor solution capturing Investment and Impact, which accounted for 64.22% of variance. MES scores among the sample showed evidence of excellent internal consistency, as estimated by Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Bivariate correlations performed identified evidence to support the convergent and discriminant validity of the MES. Implications and recommendations for use among school counseling practitioners, educators, and researchers are provided.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
4-8-2026