Session Information
01 SES 02 B, Research on Mentoring (Part 2)
Paper Session continued from 01 SES 01 A
Contribution
Entering the teaching profession is one of the most influential stages in a teacher’s professional life, with the first few years in particular determining career length and job satisfaction (Ingersoll and Strong 2011). However, research evidence, nationally and internationally indicates that some countries seem to continue to experience extensive proportions of Early Career Teacher (ECT) attrition within five years of entry. Ingersoll et al. (2018), for example, report retention rates of 45% in the United States. This is echoed in England, where teacher retention is a persistent and seemingly intractable challenge with just over two-thirds remaining in the profession after 5 years (DfE 2019). In response to poor teacher retention, the Department for Education, with jurisdiction in England, published two documents relating to the work of ECTs: The ‘Early Career Framework’ (ECF, DfE 2019a) and ‘Reducing workload: supporting teachers in the early stages of their career’ (DfE 2019b). The ECF reforms were launched as part of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (Hinds 2019) with the intention of supporting ECTs through the provision of a government funded entitlement to a structured 2-year package of professional development. As part of the ECF, schools can choose from six training providers known as ‘lead providers’ to access funded training for both mentors and ECTs. Such a focus on mentoring and mentor training is to be welcomed, especially as research underlines the lack of formalised mentoring programs in schools, which results in inconsistent mentoring opportunities and support for new teachers (Beutel et al. 2017, Lofthouse 2018, Murtagh and Dawes 2020,). However, a recent article in Schools’ Week (April 2022) reported damning results in response to a Teacher Tapp survey, with half of the respondents claiming that the ECF does not sufficiently meet the individual needs of teachers. Given its anticipated £130 million annual, it was deemed important to explore the perspectives of those at the heart of the ECF delivery package from the outset. As such, this paper reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative study designed to access the voices of ten mentors who are at the forefront of implementing the ECF in Secondary Schools in England (pupils aged 11-16).
Creswell (2013, p. 296) refers to the importance of a theoretical case study. Adopting a theoretical perspective provides an overall orienting lens that: “...becomes an advocacy perspective that shapes the types of questions asked, informs how data are collected and analysed, and provides a call for action or change.” The research underpinning this paper is premised on a case study whose theoretical lens is that of phronesis. Phronesis is generally defined as practical wisdom or knowledge. It involves deliberation that is based on values, concerned with practical judgement and informed by reflection, and is pragmatic, variable, context-dependent, and oriented toward action (Kinsella et al. 2012).
Method
In the field of qualitative research methodology, case study is discussed as a significant qualitative strategy or tradition. It is considered a robust research method, particularly in providing holistic and in-depth explanations of the social and behavioural problems in question (Creswell 2013). A case study approach was therefore chosen for its appropriateness in exploring the perceptions of mentors working to support ECTs based in Secondary Schools (Pupils aged 11-18) during their statutory induction period in England. This paper reports on data collected from an opportunity sample of ten ECT mentors aligned with Initial Teacher Education provision across three Higher Education Institutions located in three distinct geographical areas in England: London, York and Manchester. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, each lasting 30-40 mins during October 2021 - September 2022. Due to the geographical locations of the participants, the interviews were conducted online and were audio and video-recorded. All data were collected by the four members of the research team and transcribed by an independent transcriber.
Expected Outcomes
This paper outlines the contradictions facing ECT mentors when they are required to deliver mandated training that is not sufficiently flexible in responding to either the diverse contexts of school communities, or related to specific subject or age phase matters. It highlights that the development of evidence-based and authorised approaches to mentoring have contributed to a new version of mentor professionalism, whereby mentors comply with the procedural requirements of the mere technician mentor, confirming their positions as mentors mentoring in the ‘right’ way regardless of their context. Concomitantly, they draw on their contexts and experiences, which reveals an affinity between understanding, practice and phronesis (Kinsella et al 2012). We argue that this case study illustrates the potential for the international sector to challenge postulated solutions of homogenised mentoring curricula and practices to the recruitment and retention of ECTs.
References
Beutel, D, Crosswell, L, Willis, J., Spooner-Lane, R., Curtis, E, and Churchward,P., 2017. Preparing teachers to mentor beginning teachers: an Australian case study. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 6, (3), 164-177. Creswell, J. W. 2013. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. London: Sage Department for Education, 2019a. Early Career Framework. January 2019. London: HMSO. Department for Education, 2019b. Reducing workload: supporting teachers in the early stages of their career. March 2019. London: HMSO. Hinds, D., 2019. Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy. London:DfE Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M., 2011. The impact of induction and mentoring pro- grams for beginning teachers. A Critical Review of the Research, 81(2), 201-233. Ingersoll, R.M., Merrill, E., Stuckey, D. and Collins, G., 2018. Seven Trends: The Transformation of the Teaching Force. Updated October 2018. CPRE Research Report# RR 2018-2. Consortium for Policy Research in Education. Kinsella, E.A. and Pitman, A. eds., 2012. Phronesis as professional knowledge: Practical wisdom in the professions (Vol. 1). Springer Science and Business Media.Rotterdam: Sense Publishers Lingard, B. 2007. Pedagogies of indifference. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11 (3), 245-266. Lofthouse, R.M., 2018. Re-imagining mentoring as a dynamic hub in the transformation of initial teacher education: The role of mentors and teacher educators. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 7 (3), 248-260. Murtagh, L. and Dawes, L., 2020. National Standards for school-based mentors: the potential to recognise the “Cinderella” role of mentoring?. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education.10 (1), 31-43.
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