Using the art of trompe l’oeil to research induction and mentoring

Abstract

This paper reveals how the art device of trompe l’oeil provided a way of thinking about the induction and mentoring experiences of seven beginning teachers in secondary school settings in the state of Victoria, Australia. The research study – a phenomenological, narrative inquiry – drew on Bourdieu’s theorising of ‘misrecognition’ and ‘symbolic violence’ to analyse data collected from interviews and the participants’ diary entries (written narratives). Both the trompe l’oeil art device and the theoretical lens illuminated the reframing of the participants’ initial understandings of mentor relationships to gain a different perspective on their early professional lives.

Keywords:

• teacher socialisation
• teacher professionalism
• narrative enquiry
• phenomenology
• mentoring
• beginning teachers
• misrecognition

Notes

1. Characters in the popular George Lucas directed Star Wars movies.