Mentoring and being mentored: an inside story

Meller, Emma Sophie (2020) Mentoring and being mentored: an inside story. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Purpose: The role of the mentor is central to a student’s successful transition to newly qualified teacher but the quality of mentoring within Initial Teacher Education is varied. With the rise of school-led routes, the mentor will play an even more significant role in the progress of student, and newly qualified, teachers. This research aims to find ways of improving the quality of the mentoring experience, for both mentors and mentees, and thus improve outcomes for all stakeholders in the process.

Approach: I have undertaken this study as a researching professional. As an experienced teacher, and teacher educator, I bring an understanding of the pressures experienced by both mentors and student teachers. I have taken account of the current political context, mentoring discourse and have engaged with student teachers and mentors, working within a provider-led ITE partnership in the North East of England. Drawing on my experience and my research, I have been able to interpret, and synthesise, the experiences and views of student teachers and mentors, to draw conclusions about positive ways forward.

Findings: My research identifies that some of our accepted practices contribute to the creation of contexts which do not support the mentoring process from the outset. It also identifies areas of tension, within the process, that we could alleviate. Some of these tensions are fostered, for example, by multiple understandings of the key terms used in everyday mentoring discourse. Meaningful preparation for the process is currently focussed on mentors which contributes to mentees not consistently taking active roles in the process, or responsibility for their own learning.

Value: The findings led to the development of a conceptual framework to underpin a model mentoring, focussed on the mentee. The framework underpins small-step changes to foster improvement from within, empowering students to take responsibility for, and ownership of, specific aspects of the mentoring process. This would have a positive impact on a mentor’s ability to mentor a student teacher more effectively thus impacting upon a student’s progression and emotional wellbeing. The implementation of the framework would also equip newly qualified teachers with the skills and attributes of proactive mentees, ready to engage with the mentoring available to them within the Early Career Framework.

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