Institutionalization of mentoring as a resource for professional development of Russian teachers

Abstract

Results of a sociological study are used to analyze the major problems of mentoring early-career educators, and arguments are provided to support statutory recognition of mentors for novice school teachers and the mentoring system as such. The study was conducted by members of the MSUPE Center for Applied Psychological and Pedagogical Research jointly with scholars from five regional universities. It involved 25 interviews with school administrators (principals and head teachers) as well as questionnaire surveys of beginning teachers (work experience of under five years, age under 30) and their experienced colleagues. The total sample consisted of 490 teachers (150 new and 430 experienced) employed with federal and municipal institutions of general education. Findings show that the main barriers to effective mentoring include (i) novice teachers being unaware of their professional deficiencies and the need to be mentored by experts, (ii) experienced teachers being unwilling to mentor because of status, workload and pay uncertainties, and (iii) administrators paying inadequate attention to systematization of novice teacher professional adaptation. Institutionalization is required to allow further development of the mentoring system in Russian schools. Statutory regulation of mentoring implies introducing relevant job positions, elaborating mentor job duties, determining the size and sources of pay, creating a system of mentor selection and training, and defining the content and major forms of mentoring programs.