The present study aims at exploring how different forms of mentoring may be connected to favorable outcomes for the beginning teachers, such as professional self confidence and intention to stay in the job. Quantitative constructs distinguishing between judgemental and developmental mentoring is used to predict outcomes for mentees’ self-efficacy and turnover intention. The study’s research question is: What kind of mentoring contributes to mentees’ self confidence and intention to stay in their job?

The term developmental mentoring is known within the mentoring-field to denote a beneficial form of mentoring characterized by support, reflection in conversation and contribution to extent the newcomer’s horizon, but also by challenging and “stretching” the mentee (Clutterbuck, 2004; Feiman-Nemser, 2001; Harrison et al., 2006; Hobson et al., 2009; Hudson, 2005; Kram, 1988).  In this work, ‘Developmental mentoring’ is defined as a reciprocal exchange relationship between the mentor and mentee which contributes to mentees’ own construction of knowledge with an emphasis on empowering and enabling mentees to do things for themselves.

The term ‘judgemental mentoring’ denotes a form of mentoring where the potential outcomes of the exchange processes are hampered as a result of the judgemental communication that characterizes the mentoring. The term judgemental mentoring was introduced by Hobson and Malderez (2013) and defined as “a one to one relationship between a relatively inexperienced teacher (the mentee) and a relatively experienced one (the mentor) in which the latter, in revealing too readily and/or too often her/his own judgements on or evaluations of the mentee’s planning and teaching (e.g. through ‘comments’, ‘feedback’, advice, praise or criticism), compromises the mentoring relationship and its potential benefit”   

Drawing on the literature of social exchange theory, mentoring has been described as an exchange relationship, in which both mentor and mentee gain benefits. In this article, mentoring is defined as a reciprocal exchange relationship between the mentor, who is an experienced teacher, and the mentee, who is a beginning teacher. We describe judgemental mentoring as a form of mentoring in which the potential outcomes of the social exchange processes are hampered as a result of the judgemental form that characterises the mentoring.

Data were collected by a digital self-report survey to Swedish beginning teachers with 0-5 years of experience. All the included measures were scored on a six- or seven-point Likert scale. Our theoretical model included five variables: Perceived developmental and judgemental mentoring are our independent variables and self-efficacy for instruction, self-efficacy for discipline and turnover intention are our depended variables.

We found that mentees who reported that the mentoring they are part of is characterized by relational trust, mentees’ opportunities to reflect upon their own practice and openness to different approaches to being a teacher, are more likely to report lower levels of self confidence. On the contrary, mentees who reported that the mentoring they are part of is characterized by clear feedback and direct advice are more likely to report higher levels of self confidence and lower levels of intention to quit their job. We suggest a curvilinear relationship between mentors communication of own judgements and positive outcomes for mentees, and argue that the term “clear mentoring” is fruitful to denote a form of mentoring characterized by beneficial communication of mentors judgements. This work contributes to the field of mentoring especially by illumination how mentors’ communication of judgements can affect mentees both positively and negatively.

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