| 1. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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A metasynthesis of research on mentor education : three emerging dimensions
- 2015
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this meta-synthesis is to deepen the understanding and knowledge of research focusing on education for mentors of newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Altogether, 10 studies met the criteria for full inclusion and were synthesised. Three overarching dimensions were found as a final synthesis guiding the further development of mentor education: 1) Contextual dimensions, 2) Theoretical-analytical dimensions, and 3) Relational dimensions. The synthesis stresses the importance of a systematic, long-term and research-based mentor education that develops mentors’ (self-)understanding of teaching and mentoring, i.e. is well integrated in the educational context, has a balance of theoretical and practical components, includes rich possibilities for interaction and reflection and prepares for an evidence-informed mentoring.A REVISED AND EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS PAPER HAS LATER BEEN PUBLISHED AS OPEN ACCESS, SEE: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X1500030X
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| 2. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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Att kvalificera sig till mentor – perspektiv på kompetensbehov och utbildning av mentorer för nya lärare
- 2015
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In: Psykologi i kommunen. - 1892-3364. ; 50:2, s. 17-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Under senare år har allt mer fokus och resurser riktats mot lärares kompetensutveckling. Ett område för satsningar har bl.a. varit mentorskap. Mycket har skrivits om mentorskap generellt och om nya lärare och deras behov speciellt, men vad vet vi om mentorers kompetensutveckling och lärande? Vilka kompetenser behövs och hur påverkar det utbildning av veiledere/mentorer? I denna artikel sätter vi fokus på kvalificering av mentorer för nya lärare och på den kompetens de kan behöva för att på ett medvetet och framgångsrikt sätt vara mentor för nya lärare. Vi kommer att diskuter vilka kompetenser mentorer kan behöva och hur det i sin tur kan påverka utbildning av veileder/mentorer – såväl till innehåll som till form. Vi kommer inte att gå närmare in på frågan i vilken mån mentorskap är positivt eller inte för nya lärare, eftersom vår bedömning är att det finns mycket forskning som på ett övertygande sätt visar på dess positiva effekter (se t.ex. Bjerkholt, 2012; Dahl et al., 2006; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011; Waterman & He, 2011), även om vissa frågetecken kan resas kring dess räckvidd, exempelvis för skolutveckling (Dahl et al., 2006). Vi tar utgångspunkt i den internationella forskningen på området men ger också konkreta exempel från ett nordiskt perspektiv, i synnerhet från Sverige och Finland. Vi inleder med en bakgrundsteckning kring vad tidigare forskning på området lyfter fram om mentorers professionella utveckling och lärande till att bli mentor.
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| 3. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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Collaboration or assessment? Some perspectives on mentoring in Finland and Sweden.
- 2010
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In: The conference Promoting Learning and Well-Being of Students and teacher at University of Jyväskylä, Finland, 7-9 June 2010..
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Collaboration or assessment? Some perspectives on mentoring in Finland and Sweden JESSICA ASPFORS, Faculty of Education, Åbo Akademi University, Finland GÖRAN FRANSON, Faculty of Education and Business Studie, University of Gävle, Sweden HANNU L. T. HEIKKINEN, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä, Finland In this presentation, some tensional trends within mentoring, which we call a contradiction between collaboration and assessment, will be addressed. The aim is threefold: firstly to describe and compare the development of mentoring programs in Finland and Sweden at a system level, secondly to illustrate how the various mentoring systems have been experienced by the persons involved and thirdly to discuss the political and ideological circumstances and the possible effects of these solutions. The study is based on empirical data from the Finnish and Swedish contexts, both on the level of mentors’ and NQTs’ experiences, based on interviews and/or focus group discussions and on the national policy level, based on policy documents on teacher education and, in the Swedish part, the responses of teacher educators to them. The tentative result indicates profound differences between the two national initiatives of mentoring in Finland and Sweden. The mentoring process in Finland, peer group mentoring, is clearly based on social constructivist assumptions on knowledge and learning. The integration of formal, informal and nonformal learning as well as the equality and professional autonomy as persons and professionals is central. The proposed system of a mandatory induction system in Sweden is, however, very different with mentoring, probation year, registration of teachers and possible assessment of NQTs as central components. In the presentation these issues will be discussed upon in terms of teachers’ continuing professional learning and development.
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| 4. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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Contested Architectures of Mentoring : Support, Supervision or Collective Self-Development
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we describe contested practices of mentoring within and between Australia, Finland and Sweden. Our study is based on national policy documents and empirical data from participants involved in mentoring. The theoretical framework will build on practice theory (Kemmis & Grootenboer, 2008; Kemmis & Heikkinen 2012). The aim is to demonstrate three archetypes persisting in literature and practices: mentoring as supervision, support and collective self-development. In Australia, we find the three kinds of mentoring jostling with one another. In Finland, the perspective of collective self-development is emphasized. In Sweden, the traditional model of mentoring (support) has been typical since 1995, with a current reform of teacher induction which turns mentoring more into supervision.Our paper will show (1) that the meanings of 'mentoring' are contested within and between the countries involved; (2) that the three forms of mentoring identified represent three different projects: (a) assisting newly qualified teachers (NQTs) to pass through probation or (b) traditional mentoring of NQTs by more experienced teachers or (c) peer-group mentoring (PGM); and (3) that these three projects, that could be simultaneously present, also involve and imply quite different practice architectures in the form of different materialeconomic, social-political and cultural-discursive arrangements.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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Mentoring as Dialogue, Collaboration and/or Assessment?
- 2012
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In: Transitions and Transformations in Learning and Education. - Dordrecht : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 9789400723115 - 9789400723122 ; , s. 271-290
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this chapter, some tensional trends within mentoring, which we call a contradiction between collaboration and assessment, are addressed. The aim is threefold: First, to describe and compare the development of mentoring programmes in Finland and Sweden at the system level; second, to illustrate how the various mentoring systems have been experienced by the persons involved; and third, to discuss the political and ideological circumstances and the possible effects of these solutions. The study is based on empirical data gathered in Finland and Sweden and examines the experiences of mentors and newly qualified teachers (NQTs) as well as the relevant national policies. The findings indicate profound differences between the two national initiatives of mentoring in Finland and Sweden. The mentoring process in Finland, using peer group mentoring, is based on social constructivistic assumptions regarding knowledge and learning. The integration of formal, informal and non-formal learning, as well as the equality and professional autonomy as a person and as a professional, is central. The system of mandatory induction in Sweden is very different, with mentoring, a probation year and the registration of teachers being central components. In such a system, the mentors' role of avoiding direct or indirect involvement in the assessment may become more challenging.
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| 7. |
- Aspfors, Jessica, et al.
(author)
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Research on mentor education for mentors of newly qualified teachers : A qualitative meta-synthesis
- 2015
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In: Teaching and Teacher Education. - : Elsevier BV. - 0742-051X .- 1879-2480. ; 48, s. 75-86
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this meta-synthesis is to deepen the understanding and knowledge of qualitative research focusing on education for mentors of newly qualified teachers. Altogether, 10 studies were included and synthesised. Four common themes emerged in the initial analysis: School and mentoring context, Theory and practice, Reflection and critical thinking and Relationships. Furthermore, three overarching dimensions were found as a final synthesis guiding the further development of mentor education: 1) Contextual dimensions, 2) Theoretical-analytical dimensions, and 3) Relational dimensions. The synthesis stresses the importance of a systematic, long-term and research-informed mentor education that develops mentors' (self-)understanding of teaching and mentoring.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Fransson, Göran, 1968-
(author)
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A teacher registration reform that transforms the ‘educational space’ : An analysis of changing roles, relations, powers and positions
- 2013
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using the theoretical perspective of ‘educational space’, this paper analyses the Swedish teacher registration reform and it´s induction system and how it changes roles, positions, relations, powers and identities within the Swedish educational system. An educational space can be understood as a relational category in which object and actor are related to another and where changeable positions and boundaries are created (Ferrrare & Apple, 2010). In this sense, actors within an educational system – such as teachers, principals, mentors and NQTs – position themselves and are also actively positioned by others (Leander & Osborne, 2008). They are also positioned by norms, values, curricula and legislation; in this case by the teacher registration reform and the structured induction system.
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| 10. |
- Fransson, Göran, 1968-
(author)
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A theoretical contribution to research on ‘teacher induction policies’ and ‘mentoring policy’
- 2018
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IntroductionMentoring is a global phenomenon. Even though the concept of ‘mentoring’ exists in different national and cultural contexts and is performed in a variety of ways, it is nevertheless a contested practice (Kemmis et al., 2014). The incoherent way of naming, framing and defining ‘mentoring’ has been discussed in the literature, in that different concepts, such as mentoring, coaching, supervision etc., have been used to describe the same phenomenon (cf. Gold, 1996; Sundli, 2007; Mullen, 2012;). For instance, Mullen (2012) writes that: “While some theorists think of coaching as a type of mentoring, others see the exact reverse – that is, mentoring as a type of coaching” (p. 9). Further, in the educational field a clear line is seldom drawn between ‘mentoring’ practiced in initial teacher training and the ‘mentoring’ of newly qualified teachers. This may mean that the same phenomenon is described in different ways, or that different descriptions are applied to the same phenomenon.The purpose of this conceptual paper is to problematize how the concept of ‘mentoring’ is used in the literature to address the ‘phenomenon of mentoring’.Perspective(s) or theoretical frameworkIn this study, a sensemaking perspective is used to acknowledge the processes of sensemaking and negotiation of meanings. According to Weick (1995), sensemaking involves three specific elements: a frame of past moments and understandings, cues of the present moment of experience and a connection in-between, Accordingly, ‘the content of sensemaking is to be found in the frames and categories’ (p. 111) that summarize past experiences. Thus, how the concept of ‘mentoring’ or the ‘phenomenon of mentoring’ is made sense of in individual or specific contexts is a result of negotiations of meanings.Methods and dataThe data for this conceptual paper comes from strategically chosen journal articles as examples of how the concept of ‘mentoring’ is used in different national and cultural educational contexts. A content analysis is performed to identify the various meanings of mentoring and the contexts in which it is used (Miles, Huberman & Saldaña, 2014).Arguments and conclusions The analysis shows that major challenges in (accurate) sensemaking can be due to:(a) language transformation (notions and concepts from one language are transformed into another language, most often into English, which can result in a change of meaning)(b) context transformation (sensemaking of context specific circumstances may be difficult)(c) context insensitivity (mixing up different ‘mentoring contexts’)(d) phenomenon insensitivity (mixing up different phenomena, e.g. ‘coaching’, ‘mentoring’, etc.In certain contexts, some of these issues may be of minor relevance, whilst in others they may be vital for achieving (accurate) sensemaking.The paper draws attention to the importance of acknowledging linguistic, conceptual and contextual dimensions of ‘mentoring’ in the sense-making process in order to achieve stringency and coherence in research, for instance when research overviews are conducted to frame own research.References:Kemmis, S., Heikkinen, H., Fransson, G., Aspfors, J. & Edwards-Groves, C. (2014). Mentoring of new teachers as a contested practice: Supervision, support and collaborative self-development. Teaching and Teacher Education. Vol. 43, 154–164Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: a methods sourcebook. (3. ed.) Los Angeles: Sage.Mullen, C.A. (2012). Mentoring: An Overview. In S.J. Fletcher & C.A. Mullen (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Mentoring and Coaching in Education (pp. 7–23). London: SAGE.Sundli, L. (2007): Mentoring – A new mantra for education? Teaching and Teacher Education. 23(2). pp. 201–214.Weick, K. (1995): Sensemaking in Organisations. Thousand Oaks. California: Sage Publications.
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