'The bread and butter of a difficult profession': mentoring as a resource for teacher stress

Teacher stress continues to threaten the stability of the U.S. teaching workforce, but teacher mentoring, an increasingly prevalent type of teacher support, may uniquely support teachers with their risk-for-stress. The current study investigated how teacher mentoring experiences differ based on vuln...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teachers and teaching, theory and practice theory and practice, 2023-01, Vol.29 (1), p.20-36
Main Authors: Mosley, Kristen C., Playfair, Emily C., Weppner, Caroline H., Balat, Abbie, Mccarthy, Christopher J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beginning Teachers
consensual qualitative research
Elementary School Teachers
Experienced Teachers
High School Teachers
Interpersonal Relationship
Mentors
Middle School Teachers
Occupational stress
Social Support Groups
Stress Variables
Teacher mentoring
teacher stress
Teachers
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Summary:Teacher stress continues to threaten the stability of the U.S. teaching workforce, but teacher mentoring, an increasingly prevalent type of teacher support, may uniquely support teachers with their risk-for-stress. The current study investigated how teacher mentoring experiences differ based on vulnerability to stress and teacher experience level. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted and analysed using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method. Results include five emergent domains indicating that teachers viewed mentoring as overwhelmingly supportive of their instructional needs, regardless of their stress risk or experience level. New and experienced teachers also shared similar experiences regarding the social emotional support that mentoring can provide. However, differing trends emerged between risk-for-stress groups in their reports of mentoring qualities and challenges, which may signal the need for differentiating mentoring supports based on teacher stress levels.
ISSN:1354-0602
1470-1278
DOI:10.1080/13540602.2022.2144819