School leaders’ views on mentoring and newly qualified teachers’ needs.
Type
Journal articlePeer reviewed
publishedVersion

View/ Open
Date
2014-06
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
School leaders are in a position to make decisions that influence beginning teachers’ first year in
school. The leaders’ attitudes to new teachers and mentoring have an impact on such teachers’
professional possibilities. Through open-ended interviews, this qualitative study investigates how
school leaders perceive newly qualified teachers’ needs and mentoring. The data analysis reveals
that their views vary. While some see the beginning teacher’s need mainly as a need for
information about practical solutions, rules and routines, others want to support the teacher’s
professional development. Generally, the mentor role is perceived as being concerned with
informing and guiding. The mentors chosen are mainly teachers with senior positions and
experience in teaching. Few of the school leaders view being a mentor as a professional activity or
perceive education for mentors as necessary for mentoring. The consequences of the school
leaders’ perceptions of mentoring new teachers will be problematised in the article.
Publisher
Co-Action PublishingCollections
Copyright 2014 Eva Sunde & Marit Ulvik