Supporting a system-wide shift from advice and guidance to educative mentoring

This report draws on a 3-year evaluation of induction and mentoring in New Zealand early childhood education settings and schools, carried out for the Education Council (previously NZ Teachers Council).  The research included surveys of provisionally certificated teachers and their mentors, as well as case studies.  The study sought to establish the impact of shifting from advice and guidance to educative mentoring.

This report draws on a three year evaluation for the New Zealand Teachers Council. NZCER conducted this work in association with Joce Nuttall and Andrea Nolan (Melbourne) and with the help of Paul Duigan (programme logic) and Lorraine McLeod (ECE fieldwork).  The Teachers Council wanted to know how the Guidelines are being used in primary and secondary schools and ECE settings in New Zealand. The evaluation employs surveys and case studies and the information will be analysed using activity theory which looks at system-level influences and approaches. The project set out to answer the following questions:

1. What are the characteristics of induction and mentoring programmes provided to Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs) in early childhood, and mainstream primary and secondary schools in New Zealand?

• How are these programmes provided in each of the sectors?
•  What is the focus of the programmes in each of the sectors?
•  What do participants (PRTs, mentors and leaders) judge to be the impact of the programmes?

2. How are the Guidelines and Registered Teacher Criteria being used to support induction and mentoring?

• How effective are they in assisting the shift towards “educative mentoring”?

3. What professional development in mentoring (if any) have mentoring teachers participated in since the introduction of the Guidelines?

• What are the characteristics of this professional development?
• What is the role of the Guidelines and Registered Teacher Criteria in this Professional Development?
• What do participants (leaders, mentors and PRTs ) think would further enhance the quality of mentoring provided to PRTs?

4. What other impacts (if any) have there been of the Registered Teacher Criteria and the Guidelines?