A mixed-methods approach to understanding trajectories of mentoring relationship growth.

The proposed study integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine mentors with different relationship trajectories reflect on their relationships. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, mentor reports of relationship quality are plotted over time and different growth patterns identified: (1) progressive, (2) stable-high, (3) dip and recovery, (4) stable-low, and (5) regressive. Qualitative coding was used to identify patterns in mentors' descriptions of their relationship experiences-including both what mentors wrote about and how they wrote about it.