Mentors' Perceptions of Their Roles in School-based Teacher Training in England and Germany

This research project is located in the present context of raising standards in initial teacher training. It is designed to identify similarities and differences in the way in which teachers perceive themselves in the role of 'mentor' in school-based teacher training in England and Germany. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate concepts and procedures in mentoring with reference to the cultural and structural framework determining each setting. It focuses on the mentor's role in terms of 'adviser', 'trainer', 'partner', 'friend', 'assessor' and examines the extent to which these aspects of mentoring influence the development of beginning teachers. Following a qualitative approach, data collection took place by means of questionnaires and recorded interviews. By giving mentors their own voice in the form of direct speech statements, the data represent a range of individual perspectives. Aspects of similarity and difference between the two systems are used to raise generic as well as culturally specific issues and are discussed in relation to one another and to other research findings. Through the evaluation of the different approaches to mentoring it is hoped that further insights and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved can be gained.