Power of the mentor and potential of the mentee: how mentoring relationships support or thwart mentees' aspirations

Abstract

Purpose – This study investigates how power dynamics operate within teacher mentoring relationships, addressing the tension between mentoring's developmental aspirations and regulatory functions. The research applies Foucault's concept of pastoral power to examine how mentoring relationships simultaneously nurture and constrain emerging teacher identities. Design/methodology/approach – A secondary analysis of data from two complementary empirical studies collectively highlights teachers' conviction that dispositions constitute the heart of great teachers. The studies employed different methodologies: phenomenographic interviews with 71 teachers in an Australian urban school system, and convergent parallel mixed methods with 58 survey respondents and 10 focus group participants from a university mentoring program. Findings – Mentors can unwittingly function as unconscious gatekeepers; potentially supportive relationships can be limited by the performative compliance required by regulatory technologies, disadvantaging mentees despite mentors' collaborative intentions. Research limitations/implications – The findings are limited by their Australian school education context and may require further investigation to establish generalizability. Practical implications – The findings highlight the importance of mentor education that explicitly addresses unconscious power dynamics and suggests future research should investigate pastoral power mechanisms across diverse cultural and educational contexts. Originality/value – This study provides a novel application of Foucault's pastoral power concept to educational mentoring relationships. The integrated mentoring framework presented addresses both the epistemological and ontological dimensions of teacher development, offering pathways toward more equitable mentoring practices. Such recognition can contribute to greater justice and equity in mentoring relationships.