Mentoring is defined as a coherent and sustainable professional development process designed to train, support, and sustain novice teachers and promote lifelong learning (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004). In the study of Kutsyuruba et al. (2016), it is shown that mentoring programmes have a sustained impact as they help to stop teachers’ attrition, increase retention rates, and solve problems of professional development. The study of Kutsyuruba et al., also highlights the importance of having good mentoring programmes, as it develops the skills and knowledge of novice teachers improving their sense of belonging and giving them support. This, in turn, leads to “increased teacher effectiveness, higher satisfaction, commitment and improved student achievement, as well as novice teacher retention” (Glazerman et al., 2010; Guarino et al., 2006; Henry, Bastian, & Fortner, 2011; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011; as cited in Kutsyuruba et al., 2016, p.7). 

According to Item 13 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Status of a Teacher,” a teacher who has begun professional activities in a secondary education organisation for the first time is assigned a teacher who provides mentoring for one academic year. The rules for organising mentoring and requirements for teachers providing mentoring were approved by the order of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2020 (MoES, 2020). 

As Koroleva’s (2017) study found, mentoring can positively impact one's career growth and successful entry into education within the Kazakhstani context. Her study shows positive outcomes of mentoring towards teacher development. However, the study included only two secondary schools with a small number of participants (Koroleva, 2017). In addition, according to the research conducted by Irsaliev et al. (2019), one in five novice teachers struggled with the lack of support and the absence of a mentor in the first year of employment. 

Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of mentorship on the professional development of novice teachers on a broader aspect by looking at teachers’ perceptions throughout the country. This study aims to answer the following question:

1.⁠ ⁠Does mentorship impact the professional development of novice teachers in Kazakhstan?

As mentioned above, I am seeking to explore the impact of mentorship on the professional development of novice teachers. The method includes an anonymised survey, which will be distributed to gather additional data from a broader group of participants. The survey will be distributed electronically to novice teachers across schools, particularly focusing on those who have been teaching for five years or less. This ensures that the participants are relatively new to the profession and have fresh perspectives on mentoring. The survey will be distributed via school communication platforms, such as email or internal messaging systems, using the snowball sampling method. The target population of this study consists of Kazakhstani school teachers who have undergone mentoring as mentees, and who currently teach. When selecting the participants for this study, I presumed non-probability sampling specifically using snowball and volunteer sampling. According to Cohen (2007), non-probability sampling is a method of selecting participants for a study where not all members of the population have an equal chance of being included. Unlike probability sampling, it does not rely on random selection and often focuses on convenience, judgment, or specific criteria to select participants. For the quantitative aspect of this study, a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of ±5% were selected to ensure reliable generalizations. A 95% confidence level is the most commonly used benchmark in social research, providing a balance between rigour and practicality (Creswell, 2013). This requires a sample size of 384 participants. According to the Ministry of Education, 399,247 teachers are working in schools across Kazakhstan. Among these, a significant majority, 323,529 (81%), are women, while men constitute 76,678 (19%) of the teaching workforce. Additionally, young specialists dominate the profession, with only 65,328 teachers having more than 30 years of experience.

This study anticipates several significant outcomes based on the collected data and existing literature. Firstly, the findings are expected to highlight key challenges faced by novice teachers in mentoring relationships. These may include mismatched mentor-mentee pairings, lack of sufficient training for mentors, and systemic issues such as time constraints and heavy workloads that hinder effective engagement in mentoring. Identifying these challenges will provide valuable data into areas for improvement in existing programs. Furthermore, the research is likely to emphasize the role of mentoring in addressing professional isolation among novice teachers, particularly in rural and underserved areas. By exploring these experiences, the study aims to uncover strategies for creating a more supportive professional environment that promotes collaboration and reduces teacher attrition. Finally, this research is expected to generate actionable recommendations for policymakers, school administrators, and educators. These may include the need for improved mentor training programs, better collaboration between mentors and mentees, and greater institutional support for mentoring initiatives. By addressing these aspects, the study seeks to inform the development of mentoring practices that not only support novice teachers in their early careers but also contribute to the long-term stability and effectiveness of Kazakhstan’s education system.

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