Uncovering perceptions of the induction and mentoring experience: developing a measure that works

Abstract

Effective induction and mentoring are regarded as essential components of teacher preparation programmes. However, there are no theoretically derived, psychometrically sound measures of programme quality. This investigation examined the properties of a new induction measure (Langdon Induction and Mentoring Survey [LIMS]) using quantitative (e.g. factor analyses) and qualitative approaches (i.e. semi-structured interviews), with a sample of 273 participants from New Zealand comprising four constituent groups: beginning, mentor, and classroom teachers, and school leaders. The resulting 58-item, one-factor instrument was found to be psychometrically sound for this sample. Moreover, significant differences were found in perceptions of programme quality between constituent groups for various factors, particularly between classroom teacher and school leaders. The contributions of this exploratory study are discussed.

Keywords:

• beginning teacher induction
• mentoring
• measuring quality