Do epistemic beliefs matter for mentoring? Investigating mentor teachers’ perceptions & approaches to supporting model-based science teaching

This study explores the relationship between mentor teachers’ epistemic beliefs and their perceptions of mentoring practices in reform-oriented science education. Using the Epistemic Orientations to Teaching Science for Knowledge Generation (EOTS-KG) survey, two high-scoring and two low-scoring mentors were purposefully selected for semi-structured interviews. Analysis revealed that high EOTS-KG mentors viewed mentoring as bidirectional, while low EOTS-KG mentors perceived it as primarily unidirectional. Although both groups valued communication, their approaches to addressing problems of practice differed. The study highlights the importance of epistemic beliefs in shaping mentoring practices and provides insights for aligning mentoring models with science education reforms. • High EOTS-KG mentors saw mentoring as bidirectional; low EOTS-KG, unidirectional. • Regardless of EOTS-KG levels, all mentors viewed mentoring as a supportive process. • Both groups valued communication but differed in addressing problems of practice. • All mentors recognized the need for two support types: instructional and emotional. • High EOTS-KG mentors stressed effective pedagogy and critical thinking in mentoring.