In recent decades, there has been growing concern about teacher preparation at university and the link to educational quality. As a result, higher education institutions have designed programmes to help faculty teachers further their development in their professional careers. However, the literature pinpoints a lack of empirical evidence on…

This qualitative study explores the holistic approaches that seven mentors use to attend to the well-being of new professionals as they transition into the classroom. We define holistic mentoring as practices that intertwine the professional with the personal, and bring together the aesthetic, intellectual, and moral in supporting beginning…

The quality of the relationship between the mentor teacher and the student teacher is crucial for successful training. To date, however, little is known about how these relationships develop over time. The present study investigates this relationship formation based on the concept of relational turning point events. It presents findings of an…

Supporting the growth and retention of teachers in urban classrooms poses significant challenges to the education community. Student-centred instruction has demonstrated positive impacts on student academic growth and social development, facilitating acquisition of 21st century skills. However, implementing student-centred instruction is demanding…

Since facilitators are considered to be crucial actors in teacher teams, the aim of this study is therefore to explore, observe and characterise actions of facilitators by means of detailed video-observations of facilitators during teacher-team meetings. Results show that facilitators' actions vary from passive-absent and passive-waiting to…

This article offers a review of research and scholarly work about why it matters that new teachers have early opportunities to engage in leadership activities despite their beginner status. It builds on a continuing strand of literature grappling with leadership work as an organisational quality, manifest in activity and practice which need not be…

The cultivation of teacher leaders is key to addressing the intersecting and complex challenges the field of education faces. Over the past two years, we have participated in a group we call the Teacher Leadership Collaborative (TLC). The TLC is a community of educators -- from preservice to highly experienced -- committed to equity-oriented…

Against an international policy backdrop that favours school-led initial teacher education, this paper presents the results of a study seeking to explore the role of the teacher mentor in the English context. Using an online survey (n = 64) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7), the study examined how mentors conceptualised their roles and…

Teacher shortages and retention problems occur globally. This paper explores support for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs), in particular the role of mentoring. Reasons for mentoring NQTs include combating isolation and fostering collaboration, enhancing professional practice and retaining teachers in the profession. Three different national…

Based on data from the Welsh adaptation of the Langdon Induction and Mentoring Survey, this article presents the perceptions of induction and mentoring held by school leaders, mentors, classroom teachers and Newly Qualified Teachers in Welsh schools. Differences according to professional role were found, suggesting that school leaders have more…

This research involves two case studies, one in Melbourne, Australia the other in Gothenburg, Sweden, that focus on how using observation tools to gather classroom evidence of teaching and learning promoted opportunities to discuss and develop professional practice. We found that dialogues between pre-service teachers and more experienced…

Considerable research has shown professional learning communities (PLC) within schools as a beneficial way for teachers to develop professionally within the context of their own work environment. Although the positives are often highlighted in PLC's, there is limited information as to how teachers function within these spaces. This qualitative…

This article reports on a qualitative case study investigating a multi-year, professional development as a form of community of practice (CoP). Data were collected over 4 years and included pre-post surveys, field notes, and archival data. Findings suggest a refinement of the CoP framework to include the existence of micro-communities of practice…

Supporting new academics when they begin a university career is important for them to adapt quickly and easily to the institutional goals and expectations. For those arriving from overseas and a different culture, often with families, this support is even more crucial. In this article, 10 academics from a range of disciplines, in which nine were…

Novice-expert interaction plays an important role in teacher professional development for Chinese vocational education and training (VET). Both Chinese and international research shows that expert-teachers' support is associated with the improvement of novice-teachers' teaching. However, insights into how exactly novice teachers learn with the…