Policies of the European Union, focusing on developing programs aimed at reducing early school leaving, highlight the role of education. Educational policies that intervene in the system can be categorised into three main types: prevention, intervention, and compensation (Eurydice, 2014). Research has shown that practices in various European countries aim to decrease the ratio of early school leavers (Tomaszewska-Pękała, 2017). In the context of this paper, young Roma people are the most affected (Bocsi et al., 2023), as early school leaving is not only dependent on school performance but also linked to structural oppression (Boros, Bogdán & Durst, 2021), which intersects with living in rural areas (Eurostat, 2023). This presentation focuses on a research-development programme that designed a preventive intervention (ISCED2 level), with the help of 10 primary schools and 10 mentor teachers, who were also developers of the programme. The research-development was implemented in the academic years 2021/2022 and 2024/2025 (four-year-long development). Mentoring is a tool for providing equity. Mentoring in this development is youth mentoring carried out by adults, teachers (Raposa, Rhodes & Herrera, 2016; Keller, 2007) in a location-based, school-based format (Sipe, 2007).

Besides the primary aim of the development, promoting students’ success and career guidance, a secondary focus of the development was enhancing teachers’ professional development. Teachers in the programme joined voluntarily and engaged in monthly workshops and regular mentoring sessions with the students. The development aimed at promoting horizontal learning between the 10 mentor teachers, creating a professional learning community (PLC) (Dzieciatko-Szendrei et al., 2024; Handayani, Ciptaningrum & Triastuti, 2025; Huyen, Nga & Thao, 2024). Professional learning communities of teachers are analysed in school-based contexts (Thomas, 2009, 2022) and in non-formal learning environments (Dzieciatko-Szendrei et al., 2024). Findings of literature highlight that the professional development of teachers has a positive impact on students’ performance (Ventista & Brown, 2023) and can contribute to teachers’ success. The PLC met monthly online (Jin et al., 2024), and in-person learning was also provided in the development. The PLC developed and presented in this paper is based on the findings of inclusive developments (Varga, 2015), with a two-fold approach. Firstly, creating an inclusive community essentially determines the involvement of participants in development (Varga, 2015). Secondly, being part of an inclusive community and experiencing structures created in such an environment can model the expected inclusive approach for the mentor teachers.

Applying the process-based model of inclusion (Varga, 2015), this paper aims to reveal mentor teachers’ perceptions on the development of the programme and participation in the PLC. We intend to address the following research questions: 1) What motivated teachers to join and engage in the programme, and how do they characterise themselves at the beginning of the programme? 2) What were the characteristics of the professional learning community that enhanced their developers’ role and helped their professional development? 3) How do teachers evaluate their professional development?

The research is based on longitudinal, mixed-method data collection (2021-2025). This paper addresses an aspect of a complex research development programme, supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences between 2021/2022 and 2024/2025. 10 schools have participated in the research development. The primary aim of the development was to prevent early school leaving; data collection also targeted peer mentors, university mentors and mentor teachers, relying on the mutual nature of inclusion (Varga, 2015), namely that mentors also benefit from their roles. This paper exclusively focuses on mentor teachers. During the four-year-long development, a total of 14 mentor teachers worked in the programme; in each semester, 10 mentor teachers were involved. 7 of the mentor teachers were in the programme for its entire duration; mentor changes were based on external factors (change of workplace, childbirth). The vast majority of the mentor teachers had decades of experience in teaching, 6 of them were leaders of the involved school. The research consisted of three data collection phases. First, the input aspect was analysed in 2021/2022, which was based on a focus-group interview with the mentor teachers (n=1); and revealing research focusing on the sociocultural context of the involved institutions (relying on classroom observation (n=20), interviews with the leaders of the school (n=10) and societal observation (n=1)). Secondly, the process of the research-development was monitored continuously in the form of group discussions during the monthly meetings (n=35) and reflected mentoring plans (n=14). Lastly, to evaluate the perceived output of the programme, a semi-structured interview focusing on mentors’ self-reflection (n=10) and a programme closing semi-structured interview (n=10) was conducted with all participants. In this paper, we conclude the findings of the documentations of the monthly meeting and the two summative interviews, which reflected on the aspects of the input and process retrospectively, besides indirectly addressing the output of the research-development programme. The documentation of the monthly meetings was content analysed, revealing the documented topics of the development and mentor teachers’ perceptions on the process of the development (its success and challenges). The evaluative interviews were coded using an abductive approach. This paper relies on a qualitative approach. In the presentation, we focus on the frequency of mentions in the sample and nuance our findings with illustrative examples.

The results of the research highlight the impact of the application of an inclusive professional learning community on teachers. The document analysis applied provides a clear understanding of the developmental process, highlighting the factors that contribute to teachers’ professional development and the challenges faced by teachers. These results are understood as a framework in which the research-development programme was implemented. Secondly, the analysis of the interviews provides an insight into the inclusive nature of the programme. The coding process evaluated the interview based on three aspects (themes) and subordinate subthemes following the process-based model of inclusion. Results regarding the “input”, 1. equitable access and support, 2. voluntary participation and agency, 3. recognition of prior knowledge, and 4. co-designing the programme emerged as essential subthemes. Secondly, the “process” is described by 1. a safe environment, 2. structured cooperation, 3. differentiation, and 4. practical implementation. Lastly, the interviewees have reported that the “output” was characterised by 1. satisfaction, 2. knowledge acquisition, 3. praxis-transformation, and 4. the growth of social capital. The findings highlight that teachers participating in a professional learning community perceive themselves as empowered to face challenges in their contexts. Based on the longitudinal research and empirical findings, a model was developed to describe the framework of the research-development programme. The paper presents the INSPIRE (Inclusive Networks for Supporting Professional Innovation, Reflection, and Equity) model, which is based on the process-based model of inclusion (INPUT: Inclusive Participation and Agency, PROCESS: Supportive and Cooperative Learning Environment, OUTPUT: Measurable Outcomes and Impact). The results of the development contribute to the applicability of the programme in other contexts and internationally. The paper aims at addressing inclusive development, which contributes to solving societal challenges of intercultural and inclusive education.

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