01.Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Mentoring as Route for Teacher's Professional Development
Rinat Arviv Elyashiv, Michal Levi-Keren
Kibbutzim College of Education, Israel
Presenting Author: Arviv Elyashiv, Rinat
Mentoring is a central component in the induction period of beginning teachers (BTs). It serves as a stepping-stone by which newly qualified teachers can get a foothold in the profession. In its earlier stage, mentoring was practiced in its traditional form, namely, experienced teachers were appointed to provide one-on-one dyadic assistance to BTs from the same discipline. Recently, new approaches to mentoring based on collaborative models have been introduced. These models challenge the basic conception of mentors as knowledge transmitters and instead, highlight collaborative knowledge construction, generating peer and group knowledge (Pennanen et al, 2018).
The study is based on a theoretical framework focused on developmental theories (Dominguez & Hager, 2013). These theories analyze career stages during the professional development of employees. According to the theory’s underlying assumption, mentors are perceived as supporters of such development. The professional literature mentions four dimensions of support that mentoring provides to BTs to help meet their needs during the induction period: professional-pedagogical assistance, the construction of a professional identity, socio-organizational support, and emotional support (Kelchtermans & Deketelaere, 2016; Orland-Barak & Wang, 2020; Richter et al., 2013). The supporter role of mentoring is articulated via organizational practices conducted largely through encounters of various kinds. Their presence depends upon administrative support from the school principal and in the allocation of the resource of time in the institutional curriculum (Roberson & Roberson, 2009).
Mentoring also serves as a professional anchor for the mentor himself/herself. Drawing on developmental career theories, for teachers interested in developing further in the teaching profession, it appears that this track opens up another channel for advancement and status acquisition in the organization. Nevertheless, we know very little about teachers' motivations to choose to become a mentor. Studies found that the reasons to become a mentor are similar to the factors to become teachers. These factors refer to the desire to help and support students, development of knowledge and skills and personal and professional growth (Nikolovska, 2016). Another study among Arab teachers in the Israeli education system reported that responding to the request of school administrators, such as principals or inspectors, was the main motivation to choose to become a mentor (Mahajana et al., 2013).
One of the ways to anchor the professionalism of mentoring is to participate in professional training. Participation in this type of training has been found to foster the professional identity of the mentors, increases their commitment and promotes a better response to the needs of BTs (Sandvik et al., 2019).
Previous studies explored the contribution of mentoring to the professional development of the BTs. Less attention was paid to the contribution of mentoring to the professional development of the mentors themselves. The present research seeks to study the mechanism propelling both processes from the perspective of the mentors. Specifically, the study focuses on the mentors’ perception of the contribution of mentoring to fostering professional development of teachers, beginners and veteran. This issue is garnering increasing interest in many education systems (Crutcher & Naseem, 2016; Olsen et al., 2020), although in the Israeli context it has been examined only to a limited extent (Arviv-Elyashiv et al., 2021).
Research Questions
- How do mentors perceive the contribution of mentoring to the professional development of BTs and the mentors themselves?
- To what extant the motivations to become a mentor are associated with the contribution of mentoring to the professional development of BTs and the mentors themselves?
- To what extant are there differences in this regard between mentors who have participated in a professional training, and mentors who have not participated in professional training?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe context: Mentoring constitutes an inseparable part of the induction program in the Israeli educational system. In line with the Ministry of Education’s director general’s instructions, a mentor should be an experienced colleague with at least five years of experience in teaching who participated in a mentor-training course. Mentoring for beginning teachers is conducted mainly in the traditional framework. Over the last two decades, the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Israel has invested significant financial and other resources for the development of mentoring programs. Nevertheless, the professional status of mentoring in the Israeli educational system remains questionable. First, approximately 50% of active mentors have not participated in professional training workshops designated for mentors. Second, mentoring is not perceived as a leading position in school (Arviv-Elyashiv et al., 2021). Third, BTs perceive principals' involvement and support more significant than mentors’ support regarding their satisfaction and retention (Donitsa-Schmidt et al., 2021). Yet, comprehensive discussion on mentoring as a reciprocal developmental process and life -long learning and of professional development is still in its initial stages.
Participants: The present study is part of an international project, Proteach, supported by the European Union Erasmus+ program, which aims to develop new program to support BTs socialization into the teaching profession. The dataset is based on a quantitative study conducted among mentors providing mentoring to BTs at the institutions participating in the project. During the course of data collection, emphasis was placed on obtaining the participation of mentors in a manner reflecting their distribution in mentoring frameworks in the population (Imanuel-Noy, 2021). In total, 474 mentors (86.9% women) participated in the survey.
Research instrument: The study included a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire related to the perceived contribution of the mentoring to the professional development of the mentees and the mentors as well; the intrinsic motivations and the extrinsic motivations to become mentors, and background characteristics, including having professional training. The statements on the questionnaire were measured on a Likert scale which ranged from 1 (do not agree at all with the statement) to 5 (agree to a great extent with the statement). The questionnaire began by presenting the aim of the research and by guaranteeing anonymity to the respondents.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsPreliminary findings show that mentoring is perceived as an important component of the socialization process of BTs (M=4.15, SD=.60), while it was perceived as a step for the mentors' professional development to a moderate extent (M=3.51, SD=.82), with significant difference between the means (t=17.46; p<.001). The most dominated factor that motivated teachers to become mentors was personal growth (M=4.23, SD=.64). Other motivations, i.e., professional development (M=3.67, SD=.97), principal encouragement (M=3.04, SD=1.48) and school support (M=3.77, SD=1.09), were ranked on a moderate level.
Mentors who have participated in a professional training perceived mentoring as a step forward in their professional development process more than their colleagues, mentors who did not participated in a professional training (t=4.27, P<.001). Moreover, among mentors who participated in a professional training, the intrinsic (professional and personal growth) as well as extrinsic (principal encouragement and school support) motivations to become a mentor were positively associated with the perception of mentoring as a professional developing path for BTs and for mentors. Among those who did not participate in such training, the ambition to find routes for professional growth and school support were found to nurture the perception of mentoring as a professional developing path for mentors. The ambition to achieve personal growth and principal encouragement were found non-significant in this regard.
To sum, mentoring opens a new promotional channel for teachers who wish to personally and professionally developed. Teachers who turn to this direction do so out of an aspiration to improve their professional competences. School support is also important factor in this regard. These motivations are more dominated among mentors who have participated in a training program. Implications of these results will discuss in the presentation.
ReferencesArviv-Elyashiv, R., Levi-Keren, M, Tzabari, A. & Mecdossi, O. (2021). Professional development of mentors: Comparison between two tutoring frameworks in the educational arena. Dapim, 76,149-172. [Hebrew]
Clark, S. K., & Byrnes, D. (2012), Through the eyes of the novice teacher: Perceptions of mentoring support. Teacher Development,16(1),43-54.
Crutcher, P.A. & Naseem, S. (2016) Cheerleading and cynicism of effective mentoring in current empirical research. Educational Review, 68(1),40-55.
Dominguez, N., & Hager, M. (2013). Mentoring frameworks: Synthesis and critique. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 2(3),171–188.
Donitsa-Schmidt, S., Zuzovsky, R. & Arviv-Elyashiv, R. (2021). The Contribution of Different Support Mechanisms Provided during the Induction Year to the Satisfaction and Retention of Beginning Teachers. Paper was presented at the annual ECER conference, Geneva, Switzerland.
Imanuel-Noy, D. (, 2021), "Training mentors in incubators for novice teachers in the Promentors project: A look at accreditation processes", Paper presented at the Coherence in the continuum of teacher training, internship and professional learning conference, March, MOFET Institute. [Hebrew]
Kelchtermans, G. & Deketelaere, A. (2016), The emotional dimension in becoming a teacher, in Loughran, J., & Hamilton, M.L., (Eds), International handbook of teacher education, Springer (pp.429-461): https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0369-1_13
Mahajana, S., Yassin, A, Wated, A, & Mohsen, M. (2013). Teaching against their will: Difficulties and motives of mentor in the professional development schools (PDS). Dapim, 56,171-193 [Hebrew].
Nikolovska, A. (2016). Mentoring pre-service English teachers: Mentors' perspectives. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 6(5), 741-744.
Olsen, K.R., Bjerkholt, E.M. & Heikkinen, H.L.T. (2020), “New teachers in Nordic countries: Ecologies of mentoring and induction”, Cappellen Damm Akademisk,
Orland-Barak, L. & Wang, J. (2020), “Teacher mentoring in service of preservice teachers' learning to teach: Conceptual bases, characteristics and challenges for teacher education reform”, Journal of Teacher Education, 1(1),1-14.
Pennanen, M., Heikkinen, H.L.T. & Tynjälä, P. (2018): Virtues of Mentors and Mentees in the Finnish Model of Teachers’ Peer-group Mentoring, Scandinavian. Journal of Educational Research, 64(3),355-371.
Richter, D., Kunter, M., Lüdtke, O., Klusmann, U, Anders, Y & Baumert, J. (2013), “How different mentoring approaches affect beginning teachers’ development in the first years of practice”, Teaching and Teacher Education, 36(2),166-177.
Roberson, S. & Roberson, R. (2009), “The role and practice of the principal in developing novice first-year teachers”, Clearing House, 82(3),113-118.
Sandvik, L. V., Solhaug, T., Lejonberg, E., Elstad, E., & Christophersen, K.-A. (2019), “Predictions of school mentors' effort in teacher education programmes”, European Journal of Teacher Education, 42(5),574-590.
01.Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Designing a Peer-induction Programme for New Teachers Based on Mentoring: The European Funded LOOP Project as Applied in Greece
Konstantinos Dimopoulos, Polychronis Sifakakis
University of Peloponnese, Greece
Presenting Author: Sifakakis, Polychronis
The Council of the European Union (E.U., 2020) draws attention to the urgency of a complementary and comprehensive approach at all levels and in all parts of teacher and trainer professional development aiming to face the challenge of attracting a growing number of new teachers in the coming years and continuously having to support the professional development of those who are already in the career system. To strengthen the professional development of teachers, teacher education needs to be considered as a continuum of lifelong learning, starting with initial training, continuing into the initial phases of the profession, through induction programmes and quality mentoring, and then into career-long development of teachers (European Commission, ET2020, Working Group mandates, 2018-2020). Meanwhile, the results of TALIS survey (OECD, 2014; 2019; 2020) show that an induction programme, as a "bridge" (Earley & Bubb, 2004) for the smooth transition of teachers from their initial basic and pre-service training to their training and professional development, is needed but does not exist or is almost inaccessible in most of the countries surveyed.
It is important to clarify that induction is a concept that addresses not only the support that must be given to newly qualified teachers at the beginning of their careers but also those who are facing new school realities, reducing professional abandonment and prolonged absenteeism (Gu & Day, 2007; OECD, 2019; 2020). One strategy often used in teachers’ induction programmes is mentoring, understood as a specialized program of guidance and reflection, promoted among peers, on teaching practices centered on the learning of students and in schools, which is the most positive intervention in professional development for both sides (Kram, 1983, Frydaki & Mamoura, 2014). Today, structured mentoring programs are being planned, at many countries around the world , in order to improve the quality indicators of the education provided to students (Stanulis & Floden, 2009).
In September 2022 the Greek Ministry of Education established the mentoring process by forming the framework and regulating the terms and conditions for its implementation in all the Primary and Secondary schools in the country but without any special provisions for the training of mentors and for any specific induction program for new teachers in the profession. Meanwhile, the LOOP, an ERASMUS+ KA3 project, has been developed since 2020 by a consortium of 13 entities from seven European countries aiming to contribute to the shift towards a comprehensive teaching profession policy that spans all stages of teaching careers. It also aims to measure the impact and scalability of formal training of mentors’ programme and teacher’s induction programme to improve the career paths in the teaching profession (LOOP, 2021a). The project has started in 2021 planning the development of the best strategies and resources to implement induction activities. During this first phase the consortium analysed the current landscapes and their reflexes in the educational systems, as well as the existence of mentoring (formal or informal) programmes for teachers. During the data collection stage, the partners highlighted practices that had the potential to be used as good practices and set a common body of knowledge that could enable the subsequent phases.
In this paper we will present data from the national report for Greece (LOOP, 2021b) that was submitted from the research team of the University of Peloponnese as a partner of the consortium of LOOP in 2022. This presentation includes the findings from the desk research of existing legislation and the context of induction and mentoring in Greece, as well as from the field research about the best strategies and resources to implement induction activities.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedDuring the data collection stage, and for the Greek National Report needs, we produced a deep analysis of the national legislation, policy reports (e.g. Eurydice reports, annual reports of the Center for Educational Policy Development/KANEP), personal communications with high-ranking education officials (e.g. regional directors, Ministry of Education officials, advisors of the Institute of Education Policy) and an extensive literature review of published papers and relevant PhD and Master theses.
To enhance this research, we conducted field research (surveys, interviews and focus group), addressing school directors, experienced teachers and new/recently graduated teachers to better understand their perspectives and perceptions related to the expectations and needs of new/recent teachers and establish the key features and contents to be considered in the induction programme to be designed, as well as the “desirable” profile of a mentor to support and guide new/recent teachers throughout the induction programme, and the key features, form and contents to be included in the mentoring programme allowing experienced teachers to support and guide new/recent teachers throughout the induction programme.
The data were collected from:
1. 199 questionnaires (56 submitted from school leaders, 89 from experienced and 54 from new teachers);
2. 8 interviews, promoting a deep analysis and discussion of the results from the surveys collected; and
3. 1 focus group with a total of 13 participants to promote a joint analysis and discussion between teachers (experienced and new graduate).
The questionnaires of the 3 surveys include 5 different themes/topics:
• Perception, Satisfaction & Motivation
• Initial Teacher Training
• Induction Programmes
• Mentoring
• Induction Programmes at the School (applicable to school leaders)
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThere seems to be a consensus among school directors and experienced teachers that new teachers (usually substitutes) need to be supported when first placed in a school through organizing a school-based induction programme addressing the needs and challenges faced by them.
Referring to the duration of an induction programme, the experienced teachers determine at one school year while the new teachers estimate that two school years are needed. Additionally, the majority of all groups believe that a beginning teacher could devote 3-4 hours per week for various induction activities.
With regards to the content an induction programme should have the participants (with some differentiations among the groups) prioritized topics, such as
• Didactical-pedagogical domain: the inclusion of “different” groups of students; “dealing with students that exhibit problematic behaviour”; “managing group/collaborative work in the classroom”.
• Subject matter to be taught domain: “curriculum and students’ readiness”; “updating scientific knowledge”; “curriculum and teaching strategies”.
• Bureaucratic and administrative domain: “legal duties and rights”; “class management administrative procedures”.
• Emotional domain: dealing with fears and insecurities related with student’s misbehavior and other groups (parents, colleagues, school leaders).
• Social and cultural domain: “interacting with students”, “interacting with parents” and “dealing with students with diverse cultural background”.
All participants have a very positive attitude towards mentoring as a tool for enculturating new teachers into the profession.
All participants pay particular importance in the communication and interpersonal skills that an ideal mentor should have, also considering his/her motivation to become a mentor as a very crucial characteristic but the new teachers, as reasonably expected, seem also highly interested in skills related to a mentor’s technical and professional capacity to communicate his/her expertise and experiences to them.
ReferencesEarley, P. & Bubb, M. S. (2004). Leading and managing continuing professional development: Developing people, developing schools. Sage.
E.U., (2020). Council conclusions on European teachers and trainers for the future, (2020/C 193/04).
Frydaki, E & Mamoura, M. (2014). Mentoring as a Means for Transforming Mentor-Teachers’ Practical Knowledge: A Case Study from Greece. International Education Research, 2(1), 1-16.
Gu, Q., & Day, C. (2007). Teacher’s Resilience: A Necessary Condition for Effectiveness. Teaching and Teacher Educations, 23(8), 1302-1316.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.06.006
Kram, K. E. (1985). Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
LOOP (2021a). Empowering teachers personal, professional and social continuous development through innovative peer-induction programmes. Link for the project sheet at the Erasmus+ platform: https://cutt.ly/ez8Zkvy
LOOP (2021b). The national research report on the state-of-the-art. National report – (Greece). Available on https://empowering-teachers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/National-Report-template-Greece.pdf
OECD (2014), TALIS 2013 Results: An International Perspective on Teaching and Learning, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264196261-en
OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en
OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers as valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en
Stanulis R.N. & Floden R.E. (2009). Intensive Mentoring as a Way to Help Beginning Teachers Develop Balanced Instruction, Journal of Teacher Education, 60, 2, 112 – 122.
01.Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Marginalising Diverse Mentor Experiences and Contexts: Compliance and Mediation
Lisa Murtagh1, Louisa Dawes1, Elizabeth Rushton2, Claire Ball-Smith3
1University of Manchester, United Kingdom; 2University College London, United Kingdom; 3University of York, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Dawes, Louisa;
Rushton, Elizabeth
Entering the teaching profession is one of the most influential stages in a teacher’s professional life, with the first few years in particular determining career length and job satisfaction (Ingersoll and Strong 2011). However, research evidence, nationally and internationally indicates that some countries seem to continue to experience extensive proportions of Early Career Teacher (ECT) attrition within five years of entry. Ingersoll et al. (2018), for example, report retention rates of 45% in the United States. This is echoed in England, where teacher retention is a persistent and seemingly intractable challenge with just over two-thirds remaining in the profession after 5 years (DfE 2019). In response to poor teacher retention, the Department for Education, with jurisdiction in England, published two documents relating to the work of ECTs: The ‘Early Career Framework’ (ECF, DfE 2019a) and ‘Reducing workload: supporting teachers in the early stages of their career’ (DfE 2019b). The ECF reforms were launched as part of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (Hinds 2019) with the intention of supporting ECTs through the provision of a government funded entitlement to a structured 2-year package of professional development. As part of the ECF, schools can choose from six training providers known as ‘lead providers’ to access funded training for both mentors and ECTs. Such a focus on mentoring and mentor training is to be welcomed, especially as research underlines the lack of formalised mentoring programs in schools, which results in inconsistent mentoring opportunities and support for new teachers (Beutel et al. 2017, Lofthouse 2018, Murtagh and Dawes 2020,). However, a recent article in Schools’ Week (April 2022) reported damning results in response to a Teacher Tapp survey, with half of the respondents claiming that the ECF does not sufficiently meet the individual needs of teachers. Given its anticipated £130 million annual, it was deemed important to explore the perspectives of those at the heart of the ECF delivery package from the outset. As such, this paper reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative study designed to access the voices of ten mentors who are at the forefront of implementing the ECF in Secondary Schools in England (pupils aged 11-16).
Creswell (2013, p. 296) refers to the importance of a theoretical case study. Adopting a theoretical perspective provides an overall orienting lens that: “...becomes an advocacy perspective that shapes the types of questions asked, informs how data are collected and analysed, and provides a call for action or change.” The research underpinning this paper is premised on a case study whose theoretical lens is that of phronesis. Phronesis is generally defined as practical wisdom or knowledge. It involves deliberation that is based on values, concerned with practical judgement and informed by reflection, and is pragmatic, variable, context-dependent, and oriented toward action (Kinsella et al. 2012).
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used In the field of qualitative research methodology, case study is discussed as a significant qualitative strategy or tradition. It is considered a robust research method, particularly in providing holistic and in-depth explanations of the social and behavioural problems in question (Creswell 2013). A case study approach was therefore chosen for its appropriateness in exploring the perceptions of mentors working to support ECTs based in Secondary Schools (Pupils aged 11-18) during their statutory induction period in England. This paper reports on data collected from an opportunity sample of ten ECT mentors aligned with Initial Teacher Education provision across three Higher Education Institutions located in three distinct geographical areas in England: London, York and Manchester. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, each lasting 30-40 mins during October 2021 - September 2022. Due to the geographical locations of the participants, the interviews were conducted online and were audio and video-recorded. All data were collected by the four members of the research team and transcribed by an independent transcriber.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis paper outlines the contradictions facing ECT mentors when they are required to deliver mandated training that is not sufficiently flexible in responding to either the diverse contexts of school communities, or related to specific subject or age phase matters. It highlights that the development of evidence-based and authorised approaches to mentoring have contributed to a new version of mentor professionalism, whereby mentors comply with the procedural requirements of the mere technician mentor, confirming their positions as mentors mentoring in the ‘right’ way regardless of their context. Concomitantly, they draw on their contexts and experiences, which reveals an affinity between understanding, practice and phronesis (Kinsella et al 2012). We argue that this case study illustrates the potential for the international sector to challenge postulated solutions of homogenised mentoring curricula and practices to the recruitment and retention of ECTs.
ReferencesBeutel, D, Crosswell, L, Willis, J., Spooner-Lane, R., Curtis, E, and Churchward,P., 2017. Preparing teachers to mentor beginning teachers: an Australian case study. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 6, (3), 164-177.
Creswell, J. W. 2013. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. London: Sage
Department for Education, 2019a. Early Career Framework. January 2019. London: HMSO.
Department for Education, 2019b. Reducing workload: supporting teachers in the early stages of their career. March 2019. London: HMSO.
Hinds, D., 2019. Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy. London:DfE
Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M., 2011. The impact of induction and mentoring pro-
grams for beginning teachers. A Critical Review of the Research, 81(2), 201-233.
Ingersoll, R.M., Merrill, E., Stuckey, D. and Collins, G., 2018. Seven Trends: The Transformation of the Teaching Force. Updated October 2018. CPRE Research Report# RR 2018-2. Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Kinsella, E.A. and Pitman, A. eds., 2012. Phronesis as professional knowledge: Practical wisdom in the professions (Vol. 1). Springer Science and Business Media.Rotterdam: Sense Publishers
Lingard, B. 2007. Pedagogies of indifference. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11 (3), 245-266.
Lofthouse, R.M., 2018. Re-imagining mentoring as a dynamic hub in the transformation of initial teacher education: The role of mentors and teacher educators. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 7 (3), 248-260.
Murtagh, L. and Dawes, L., 2020. National Standards for school-based mentors: the potential to recognise the “Cinderella” role of mentoring?. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education.10 (1), 31-43.
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