“Navigating Uncharted Waters”: New Teacher Mentoring and Induction

Abstract

Teacher attrition, a startling problem internationally, can be fruitfully disrupted with comprehensive mentoring/ induction in place. The purpose of this study was to describe a division-wide, systems-embedded mentoring/ induction program in three US elementary schools that determined key features/practices influencing experience during a crisis. Research questions were: How do elementary practitioners involved in a mentoring/induction program describe it? What was the perceived effect of COVID-19 on this program? Support–Accessibility–Collaboration (SAC) provided leverage as program features for new teacher professional development and retention. A theoretical framework, SAC adds to school-based mentoring research by offering an integration of key elements in the literature. In 2021, mentor teachers, principals, and new teachers in northeast Virginia completed a demographics survey and participated in interviews. The analyzed data produced seven specific findings and three program features influencing mentoring quality and stakeholders’ experience. The issue of equity in mentoring contexts is raised. As concluded, mentoring proved problematic, with variability in quality. Even in an emergency, there was movement toward comprehensive approaches that support novices.