Mentoring in extremis: enhancing resilience and pedagogical adaptation in Ukrainian higher education (a multi-site qualitative study)

Abstract

Purpose – This study investigates how structured mentoring fosters psychological resilience and pedagogical adaptation among early-career academics and faculty navigating compounding systemic crises in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-site qualitative exploratory study was conducted across three distinct regional universities in Ukraine (Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Odesa). Data were gathered through 18 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with university educators (8 experienced faculty mentors and 10 early-career lecturers/doctoral researchers) and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Findings – Findings demonstrate that in acute crises, mentoring shifts from traditional academic instruction into a vital socio-ecological buffer. Three primary themes emerged: (1) a teleological transition from evaluative oversight (judgementoring) to relational psychological safety; (2) agile micro-scaffolding of pedagogical autonomy amid chronic infrastructure disruptions; and (3) institutional vulnerability arising from informal, uncompensated emotional labor. Practical implications – Higher education institutions should institutionalize non-evaluative mentoring structures, protect dedicated mentoring time, and embed trauma-informed mentoring competencies into university faculty development programs. Originality – The article provides rare, real-time empirical evidence of higher education mentoring operating under conditions of protracted, acute disruption ("in extremis"), extending Self-Determination Theory and ecological frameworks to disaster-affected academia. Note: This is a preprint of a research manuscript currently submitted to the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education (Emerald Publishing) and undergoing peer review.