Year: 2012
Author: Chambers, Fiona, Armour, Kathleen, Bleakley, Walter, Brennan, Deirdre, Herold, Frank, Luttrell, Sinead
Type of paper: Abstract refereed
Purpose
This paper reports one findings of a one-year collective research project probing the mentoring process comprising experienced teacher-mentors and new members of the teaching profession. Mentoring practice was studied in PETE programmes in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and England and was funded by the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS).
Method
Research participants comprised six University tutors (UTs) and ten PE mentor teachers across the three national research sites. A variety of data collection methods (both synchronous and asynchronous) were engaged and data were analysed thematically using a constructivist version of grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin, 1998, p.141, Charmaz, 2000).
Results
This paper reports on one finding i.e. the purpose of the mentoring relationship is the engagement in professional sharing which should continue beyond the teaching practice experience.
Conclusion
Grossman, Hammerness & McDonald (2009)highlighted mentoring as being a core principle of professional teacher education, which develops 'the knowledge, skill and professional identity' (p.273)of future teachers. We argue that the mentoring process must continue beyond Initial Teacher Education (ITE); the first phase of the Continuum of Teacher Education (Teaching Council of Ireland, 2011), to support teachers to develop all three facets of teacher learning across the career span, in a variety of school contexts.