“An incentive for innovation”: the impact of being a subject-specific secondary ITE mentor within an HEI partnership on the professional learning of teacher mentors

This paper explores how the subject-specific professional learning of secondary history teachers is supported by mentoring a preservice teacher within a subject-specific Higher Education Institution (HEI) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) partnership. The research was conducted using a case study approach focused on three subject-specific HEI-school ITE partnerships, where the ITE curriculum and mentor development is coordinated by a subject-specialist teacher educator. The study found that subject-specific mentoring stimulated history mentors’ intrinsic professional motivation for continued subject-specific learning and their sense of obligation to undertake this. It also revealed the role of mentoring in stimulating mentors’ engagement with professional learning communities, providing mentors with a sense of belonging and opportunities for collaboration. From these findings, the researchers developed a framework that demonstrates the opportunities inherent in mentoring with a subject-specific HEI–ITE partnership. The framework provides a valuable insight for policymakers and ITE stakeholders seeking to identify and evaluate effective mechanisms for supporting the subject-specific professional learning of teachers.