Running a hybrid: mingling in-service and pre-service teachers in peer-mentoring groups

ABSTRACT

This study examines a hybrid form of the Finnish Peer-Group Mentoring (PGM) merging student teachers and in-service teachers of different career stages in group meetings facilitated by an educated mentor. Experiences of the in-service participants were studied by interviewing them, and the data were analysed through thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: 1) Enjoying group activities, 2) Personal professional development, 3) Attaching to the professional community and 4) Developing the teacher profession. The study shows that the hybrid model of peer-group mentoring enables opportunities for teacher learning that benefit both schools and teacher education institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher education
• mentoring
• professional development
• intergenerational learning
• thematic analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ulla Kiviniemi

Ulla Kiviniemi is a lecturer in art and craft pedagogy at the Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä (Finland). Her research interests are art and craft education, community art and professional development of teachers.

Päivi Tynjälä

Päivi Tynjälä is a professor  at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä (Finland). Her research area is learning and teaching in higher education. Her studies focus particularly on learning at the interface between higher education and working life, and the professional development of teachers.

Hannu L. T. Heikkinen

Hannu L. T. Heikkinen is a professor at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä (Finland). His recent work has involved collaborative philosophical studies on wisdom as well as ecosystems for learning, including in higher education, learning for work and at work and professional development of teachers.

Anne Martin

Anne Martin is a project researcher at the Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä (Finland). Her research interests are teachers’ professional development, agency and teacher identity, peer group mentoring and using creative writing methods to support professional development.