The ecology of mentoring is about accompanying learning people through mentors, taking into account numerous factors (Heikkinen, 2020; Wiesner et al. 2024). In the school context, mentoring is about guiding newly qualified teachers to achieve the required competences (Zeilinger & Dammerer, 2023).

The present study deals with the effect of mentoring on maintaining or increasing the motivation of beginning teachers (NQT) in Austria and examines the effect of mentoring (treatment) on the motivation of beginning teachers. The concept of motivation is based on Maslow's pyramid of needs (1943), the self-determination theory according to Deci and Ryan (1993) and motive theory by McClelland (1961), as well as the distinction between intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and the flow theory according to Csikszentmihalyi (1995).

In a study involving 806 teachers, Fernet et al. (2012) measured motivation at both the beginning and end of the school year, demonstrating a decline in self-determined motivation and self-efficacy expectations. Fernet et al. (2012) attribute this finding to the increasing intensity of teaching demands and the frequent classroom disruptions caused by students, which together diminish teachers’ motivation. On the other hand, Durksen et al. (2017) investigated the relationship between teachers' work engagement and their self-efficacy. The authors concluded that work engagement can be seen both as a cause and a consequence of self-efficacy. In this context, Schaufeli et al. (2002) speak of an ‘upward profit spiral’. Brunstein and Heckhausen (2006) arrived at a similar conclusion in their model ‘Success motivation as a self-strengthening system’. Driven by a desire to enhance their efficiency, individuals set ambitious goals with the hope of success. When these goals are met, the achievement is attributed to their own ability or effort, which subsequently reinforces the motivation to succeed.

It can therefore be concluded that maintaining or increasing the motivation of beginning teachers along with the associated increase in self-efficacy expectations should be a primary focus for mentors. Finally, according to Ziegler (2009), the goal of mentoring is defined as ‘[...] the promotion of learning and development as well as the advancement of the mentee’.

The interest in the specific contribution of the mentoring process (Dammerer, 2020) to sustaining or enhancing the motivation of beginning teachers led to the following research question: ‘To what extent does mentoring enhance the motivation of beginning teachers at the start of their careers?’

This study therefore pursues two objectives. First, it investigates the effect of mentoring ‘on the motivation of beginning teachers, focusing on three dimensions: ‘work attitudes that promote performance and success’, ‘career orientation’ and ‘fear of failure’. Second, it examines the relationship between the specific design features of the mentoring process (e.g. initial discussion, number of meetings, mentor training, adequate content, etc.) and their impact on the respective dimension of career starters’ motivation. To address these objectives, participants in the second measurement (May 2024) were asked questions on various aspects of the relationship with the mentor.

To answer the research question ‘To what extent does mentoring impact the motivation of beginning teachers at the start of their careers?’, eleven research hypotheses were formulated, which were tested for significance against the corresponding null hypotheses (H0). As part of the inferential statistical analysis, the eight difference hypotheses were subjected to significance tests using t-tests for independent samples. Directional hypotheses were thus classified as significant or non-significant based on the significance of the simple p. The significance of the three correlation hypotheses was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient r (Spearman Rho) and the one-sided p-value (significance). Those hypotheses with a one-sided p ≥ 0.05 had to be rejected and the null hypotheses H0 were considered confirmed (Bortz & Döring, 2016). After the inferential statistical analysis, the above-mentioned research question could be partially answered. Two measurement points in the sense of a pre- (n=113) and post-measurement (n=111) (Bortz & Döring, 2016) with independent samples were selected as the study design. Hippler and Krüger's (2014) questionnaire for the ‘Survey of Performance Orientation of Employees’ served as the measurement instrument, which was sent out to the beginning teachers in Lower Austria as an online questionnaire both at the beginning of the mentoring process (October 2023) and after its completion at the end of the mentoring process (May 2024). In addition to the 26 items used to measure motivation, demographic data (e.g. gender, age, place of residence, ...) were also collected to describe the sample. In order to generate detailed insights into the practical implementation of the respective mentoring program, specific questions related to this (e.g. initial meeting, frequency of meetings, mentor training, etc.) were also added to the questionnaire for the second measurement (May 2024). These questions were derived from the literature (Ziegler et al., 2023 and Graf & Edelkraut, 2017). The generated data were processed and analysed in the SPSS statistics programme. After the descriptive statistics, the significance test was carried out using the t-test for independent samples (difference hypotheses) and the Spearman correlation (Spearman Rho) for the correlation hypotheses (Bortz & Döring, 2016). Based on the confirmed and rejected research hypotheses, the research question was partially answered.

In hypotheses 1 to 4, the difference between the first measurement in October 2023 and the second measurement in May 2024 was determined in terms of motivation and the dimensions ‘work attitude conducive to performance and success’ (work commitment), ‘career orientation’ and ‘fear of failure’. The results show(ed) a significant increase in the ‘work attitude conducive to performance and success’ (work commitment) among NQT’s. A positive effect of the mentoring process on motivation in general can be inferred. The ‘career orientation’ showed only a minimal and non-significant improvement in the May survey (2024) compared to the October survey (2023). However, a significant correlation was found between the number of meetings held by the mentor and the beginning teacher and the ‘career orientation’ of the career starters (hypothesis 5). Hypotheses 6 to 9 and 11 investigated differences and correlations regarding the NQT’s ‘fear of failure’ and aspects of the mentoring process. Hypothesis 6 showed a clear (but not significant) difference in the mean values. Hypothesis 8 revealed a difference in the mean values regarding ‘fear of failure’ depending on whether an extensive initial discussion with the mentor took place. According to Raithel (2009), the one-sided significance p = 0.060 represents a tendential relationship. According to Ziegler et al. (2023), a safe environment should be established for NQT’s during the initial interview. Hypothesis 11 revealed clear differences in the mean values regarding ‘fear of failure’ depending on whether the NQT’s perceived the mentoring as helpful or not. To conclude, it can be stated that a significant increase in the ‘performance- and success-promoting work attitude’ and a significant correlation between the number of meetings and the career orientation of NQT’s were observed. Furthermore, a tendency toward a correlation between holding an initial meeting and a reduced ‘fear of failure’ among NQT’s was identified.

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