Mentoring and the process of becoming a teacher

The purpose of this study was to describe the initial professional experiences of three secondary school interns during their induction year. Induction support was provided through assigned school and university mentors. Socialization theory provided the basis for the study and symbolic interactionism was employed as the perspective guiding collection and interpretation of the data. Data collection was primarily through general interview guides, conversational interviews, observations, and pertinent documents. In keeping with qualitative research methodology, inductive modes of analysis allowed categories, patterns, and relationships to emerge.

The study sought to determine the nature of the mentor/protege relationships that occurred, the influence of those relationships on the intern's professional development, other influences on the intern's professional development, and the way the interns came to know their professional identity and role as a teacher.

Mentoring was found to be a complex interplay between the individuals involved. Mentor/protege relationships were distinct for each pairing as to the outcome, activities engaged in, influence of, and degree of reciprocity involved. Initially, establishing productive relationships with mentors was a prime concern for the interns, but mentoring was not of paramount interest after a predictable relationship was established. Interns found help and support by establishing relationships with teachers other than those assigned as mentors. When obligations are fulfilled by mentors and proteges, mentoring was seen as a positive experience. Mentoring occurred informally and frequently with the school mentors whose advice was highly valued. School mentors were found to exert a stronger influence than did the university mentors.

Other influences impacted on the intern's professional development including: school context, the expectations of the internship program, personal attributes, previous experiences, teaching assignment, and the evaluation process. The highly individualistic nature of professional learning was documented. What each intern learned differed in content and degree. Implications for designing internships that promote professional growth and positively influence the development of role expectations were derived from the study.