A comparison of teacher perceptions between a mentorship model in British Columbia

The purpose of this research study was to examine the experiences of two teachers who experienced different mentorship models – the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year in England and a mentorship program in British Columbia (BC). This narrative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with the two participants, which were “restoried” into a chronological narrative. Descriptive and second level-coding were used to find themes between both experiences. The findings of the study reveal three similarities between the teachers’ experiences of mentorship: personal relationship between mentor and mentee, practical support, and additional support. The data also revealed three significant differences: the starting point of mentorship for both participants, the role of mentor and the difference in release time. The findings of the study suggest that a wide gap exists between the need and the level of mentorship programming offered for novice teachers in the BC school system. This study contributes to the existing scholarship on teacher mentorship by examining teachers’ perceptions of mentorship supports. The study provides several recommendations for mentorship practices, which are particularly timely as BC moves forward with implementing new mentorship models across the province. These recommendations include proving release time, scheduling time for observations and encouraging TTOC’s to participate in mentorship programs.