Teacher Mentoring: Definitions, Expectations and Experiences from International EFL Teachers

Doğuş Aydın; Sezen Arslan

doi:10.21093/ijeltal.v7i1.1272

Teacher Mentoring: Definitions, Expectations and Experiences from International EFL Teachers

Doğuş Aydın, Sezen Arslan

Abstract

This study aims to investigate pre- and in-service EFL teachers' definitions, expectations, and experiences concerning teacher mentoring. The study sample included EFL teachers from 41 countries: 49 pre-service and 187 in-service EFL teachers teaching at various levels from kindergarten to university. A qualitative research design was employed throughout the study. Data were collected via a questionnaire-based survey and semi-structured interviews. For the analysis of this qualitative data, an in-depth thematic analysis was conducted. Overall, the findings suggest that most of the participants found their mentoring experiences positive. In addition, the participants defined teacher mentoring as a master-apprentice relationship, problem-solving, assisting teachers, and collaboration among them. The study also points out that teachers have different expectations about the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes from teacher mentoring. The study's findings have important implications for teacher mentors in EFL teacher training. Implications include, among others, that designing teacher mentoring based on context and needs instead of a master apprenticeship would promote their professional development. Apart from that, the active participation of the stakeholders, such as school directors, would better facilitate the teacher-mentoring process.

Keywords

Teacher mentoring, teacher education, teacher training, teachers’ expectations, teachers’ experiences

Full Text:

Download PDF

References

Adams, P. (2012). Developing possibilities and potentialities: A mentorship handbook for educators (pp. 1–26). Edmonton, Alberta: Alberta Education.

Allen, T. D., & Eby, L. T. (2010). The Blackwell handbook of mentoring: A multiple perspectives approach. Blackwell Publishing.

Arnold, E. (2006). Assessing the quality of mentoring: sinking or learning to swim? ELT Journal, 60 (2), 117-124. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/cci098

Babbie, E. (2001). The practice of social research. Wadsworth/Thomson.

Bird, L., & Hudson, P. (2015). Investigating a model of mentoring for effective teaching. The Journal of Teaching Effectiveness and Student Achievement, 11–21.

Brooks, V., & Sikes, P. (eds.). (1997). The Good Mentor Guide: Initial Teacher Education in Secondary Schools. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Brown, K. (2001). Mentoring and the retention of newly qualified language teachers. Cambridge Journal of Education, 31(1), 69–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057640124093

Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. Sage Publications.

Eby, L. T., Rhodes, J. E., & Allen, T. D. (2010). Definition and evolution of mentoring. In Allen, T. D. & Eby, L. The Blackwell handbook of mentoring: A multiple perspectives approach (pp. 7–20). Wiley-Blackwell.

Hobson, A. J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A., & Tomlinson, P. D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don't. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 207–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.09.001

Hudson, P. (2016). Forming the Mentor-Mentee Relationship. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 24(1), 30-43.

Hudson, P., & Nguyen, T. M. H. (2008). Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) Annual Conference. In P. Jeffery (Ed.), What do pre-service EFL teachers expect from their mentors? (pp. 1–10). Brisbane, Brisbane; Queensland University of Technology.

Hudson, P., Skamp, K., & Brooks, L. (2005). Mentoring for effective primary science teaching instrument. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t65643-000

Kato, S. (2019). Promoting mutual learning in reverse mentoring: Professional development for experienced educators. OnCUE Journal, 11(1), 68–80.

Kram, K. E. (1983). Phases of the mentor relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 26(4), 608–625. https://doi.org/10.5465/255910

Levinson, D. J., Darrow, D., Levinson, M., Klein, E. B., & McKee, B. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life. New York: Knopf.

Löfström, E., & Eisenschmidt, E. (2009). Novice teachers' perspectives on mentoring: The case of the Estonian Induction Year. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5), 681–689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.12.005

Margolis, J. (2007). Improving relationships between mentor teachers and student teachers: Engaging in a pedagogy of explicitness. The New Educator, 3, 75–94.

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage Publications.

Moor, H., Halsey, K., Jones, M., Martin, K., Stott, A., Brown, C., & Harland, J. (2005). Professional development for teachers early in their careers an evaluation of the Early Professional Development Pilot Scheme. Research report RR613. Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse.

Murphy, W. M. (2012). Reverse mentoring at work: Fostering cross-generational learning and developing millennial leaders. Human Resource Management, 51(4), 549–573. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21489

Nguyen, H. T. M. (2017). Models of mentoring in language teacher education. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Noe, R. A. (1988). An investigation of the determinants of successful assigned mentoring relationships. Personnel Psychology, 41(3), 457–479. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1988.tb00638.x

Orsdemir, E., & Yıldırım, R. (2020). “I would like her to…:” ELT student-teachers’ reflections on mentoring practices. PASAA: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand, 59, 48–76.

Othman, J., & Senom, F. (2020). Professional development through mentoring: Novice ESL teachers' identity formation and professional practice. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Ragins, B. R. (2011). Relational mentoring. Oxford Handbooks Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199734610.013.0039

Rajuan, M., Beijaard, D., & Verloop, N. (2008). What do student teachers learn? Perceptions of learning in mentoring relationships. The New Educator, 4(2), 133–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/15476880802014314

Rhodes, C., Stokes, M., & Hampton, G. (2004). Practical guide to mentoring, coaching and peer -networking: Teacher professional development in schools and colleges. Routledge Falmer.

Russell, M. L., & Russell, J. A. (2011). Mentoring relationships: Cooperating teachers’ perspectives on mentoring student interns. Professional Educator, 35(2), 1–21.

Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage Publications.

Tawalbeh, T. I. (2020). Mentoring experience at university level: EFL mentees' perceptions and suggestions. International Journal of Higher Education, 10(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v10n1p41

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v7i1.1272

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics) by http://ijeltal.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.