Introducation

The implementation of inclusive educational policy requires that teachers, principals, and mentor facilitators supported by The National Project on Teacher Induction (Ireland), work collaboratively in order to ensure that teachers have the knowledge, skills and competencies to meet the educational needs of a diverse range of pupils at post-primary level. Research supports the view that teacher self-efficacy – teachers’ perceptions of their own teaching competence – is one of the most important variables related to positive teaching behaviours and student achievement.

This study investigates mentors’ self-efficacy and explores the extent to which this  was reflected in their experiences of their supportive roles with beginning teachers.  A particular facet of this study is a comparison of mentors’ perceptions of the support needs of beginning teachers in rural and urban school environments.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework underpinning this study is that of social cognitive theory in which human functioning is regarded as the product of a dynamic interplay of personal, behavioural, and environmental influences. At the very core of social cognitive theory, are self-efficacy beliefs, "people's judgments of their capabilities to organise and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances" (Bandura, 1986, p.391). Bandura, (1997) asserts that the way people behave can be better predicted by the beliefs they hold about their capabilities rather than by what they are actually capable of accomplishing. Bandura goes on to suggest that self efficacy beliefs influence the choices people make in that individuals tend to select tasks and activities in which they feel competent and confident and avoid those in which feel less competent. Consequently, self-efficacy beliefs can create a self-fulfilling prophecy in which one accomplishes what one believes one can accomplish (Pajares, 1996).

The potential benefits of this theoretical perspective is that it enables us to go beyond a linear examination of teachers competencies and allows us to examine how teacher knowledge is mediated through the triangular interaction of cognitive, personal and environmental factors. This will provide a rich description of the factors which serve to support or to hinder the development of mentors’ self – efficacy which is of major importance in designing effective induction support for beginning teachers. The quantitative aspect of the research on teacher sefl-efficacy was based on a scale adapted by O’Donnell (2009) from earlier scales by Tschannen-Moran, & Woolfolk Hoy, (2001). This information which was collected at the beginning of the National Programme in September (2010) was a major part of the needs analysis on which the design of a professional development programme for the mentor group was based.

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