In a rapidly changing societal and educational contexts where issues of freedom, education and development are closely intertwined  with  professional identity and continuing professional development.   The role of the mentor  working with recently qualified teachers in school based contexts is explored.  The study sought to investigate the degree of autonomy and freedom that mentors experienced in performing their role and it explored the challenges that they encountered with reference to that freedom.  It also examined the degrees of freedom and autonomy that they gave their mentees during their development process within the induction period. 

 

 

The study employed a mixed methods design using a qualitative dominant triangulation strategy. A mixed-methods design was employed which used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. According to Creswell’s (2003) classification, the current research can be identified as a qualitative dominant triangulation strategy. This study employed quantitative surveys and projective sentence completion techniques. The sample consists of the total number of mentor facilitators involved in the National Induction Programme during the year 2010-11. For the interview data, a total of four participants were recruited from those who had completed the survey. Qualitative interviews followed to illustrate and elaborate in greater depth the issues addressed. Participants for this study consisted of mentors who had completed a professional development programme on school based mentoring as part of the earlier National Pilot Programme on Teacher Induction, during which they acted as mentors to beginning teachers / mentees within their schools. Among the essential criteria for selection was the completion of the earlier course and experience as a school based mentor. Care was taken to ensure that the group reflected the diverse features of the post-primary education system in Ireland.

The mentors had considerable freedom in exercising their role as leaders and followers of their mentees. The findings are congruent with existing studies but also highlighted the practical complexities involved moving between the roles of leaders and followers and the tensions that resulted in trying to achieve a balance between both. Mentors require ongoing support in dealing with difficult situations that arise in their role which often challenge their freedom to perform the role according to how they envisaged doing so.