Professional Documents
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Abstract
The conditions that promote best practice in the mentoring of beginning teachers in secondary schools are explored in
this paper in relation to the experiential model of learning put forward by Kolb [(1984). Experiential learning: Experience
as the source of learning and development. New York: Prentice-Hall]. The underpinning processes of this learning cycle
include the experience, the reection, the learning that results and (further) experimentation.
We present some empirical research from a two-year funded project on The Professional Development of Subject
Induction Tutors and data derived from questionnaires completed by beginning teachers in three education authorities at
the start and end of induction year and from semi-structured interviews with sub-samples of beginning teachers. The
questionnaire data allowed us to distinguish three broad teacher types in terms of their experiences of induction and the
associated mentoring. In relation to these types we explored differences and similarities in the extent to which mentoring
functions are distributed in schools, the extent to which different mentoring relationships allow beginning teachers to be
empowered in their work, and the particular uses made of review and target setting and the value placed on these processes
by beginning teachers and their mentors. Overall we found that best practice for developmental mentoring involves
elements of challenge and risk-taking within supportive school environments with clear induction systems in place and
strong school ethos in relation to professional development.
r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mentoring; Beginning teachers; Professional development
1. Introduction
Teachers must never stop learning if teacher
education is to be a dynamic process. The learning
process for teachers must be about their practice,
must be built on experiences derived from their
practice and, therefore, the learning cycle of
Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 116 252 3673.
0742-051X/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.tate.2006.04.021
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guiding/leading/advising/supporting,
coaching/educating /enabling,
organising/managing,
counselling/interpersonal.
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Table 1
Percentage responses for each category of beginning teacher for
each questionnaire
Questionnaire 1
(start of year)
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No.
returned
%
response
Questionnaire 2
(end of year)
Group 1
target
N 32
Group 2
non-target
N 115
Group 1
target
N 32
Group 2
non-target
N 115
22
63
19
42
69
55
59
36
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Table 3
Residual gain scores for the Induction Index broken down by
teacher type
Function 2
2
Teacher
type
Standard
deviation
1
2
3
4
All
2.35
1.24
0.17
2.74
0
6
5
31
1
43
2.80
2.67
3.13
3.13
-2
2
-4
-6
-8
-6
-4
-2
Function 1
Fig. 1. Discriminating between teacher types.
Table 2
Induction training index scores for teacher types at start of year
Teacher
type
Mean index
score
(maximum 17;
minimum 0)
Standard
deviation
1
2
3
4
All
5.27
8.25
9.28
7.00
8.44
11 (incl. 2 target)
12 (incl. 2 target)
46 (incl. 15 target)
1
70
1.79
1.48
1.73
2.21
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Table 4
Distribution of interview sample according to teacher type
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Type
Total
(n 6) (n 5) (n 31) (n 1) unknown
Number
4
interviewed
16
10
35
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someone with whom they could collaborate overmarking and moderation of pupils work;
a role model for the planning, organisation and
delivery of work in the classroom.
Specic mentor attributes included
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2=4 6 (17%)
9=8 17 (50%)
9 (25%)
1=2 3 (8%)
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