European studies on teacher induction and mentoring: a literature review

Setting out to analyse and discuss existing European studies on teacher induction and mentoring, this literature review focuses on the following two questions: What are the recurring issues addressed by studies on teacher induction and mentoring in Europe? And how are induction and mentoring conceptualised in these studies? These questions are explored based on a review of a total of 108 studies from 18 European countries. The recurring issues explored in the literature review are: teacher induction in relation to professional development or developing a professional identity, newly qualified teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with induction, school leaders’ role in and views on induction, evaluations of induction programmes, and induction programmes having a gatekeeper function in relation to the profession. In discussing conceptualisations of induction, focus is on induction as a particular phase, as a process of socialisation and as a programme for newly qualified teachers, as well as on describing underlying assumptions concerning newly qualified teachers and the teaching profession. In discussing conceptualisations of mentoring, we focus on mentoring as supervision, support and collaborative self-development, as well as on peer-group mentoring. We conclude by discussing possible new lines of inquiry that the literature review reveals.