Experience of mentors and beginner primary school teachers in applying the principles of shared leadership during the school adaptation period: The case of Lithuania

Abstract

The article analyses the concept of mentorship in primary education, discusses the shared leadership experiences of mentors and beginners, which were acquired when young teachers interacted with mentors during school adaptation. After completing their studies, educators acquire professional knowledge, which they can apply in their pedagogical activities, but when they start working at school, in practical activities they often face situations they have never encountered during their studies. Primary school teachers have to do not only pedagogical work during lessons, but also solve conflicts between pupils, communicate with the pupils’ parents, and perform certain administrative tasks related to filling in documents. A mentor with both pedagogical experience and leadership qualities can help a beginner with these issues. The study used semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed according to the coding categories, which are considered to be the mentor’s main functions, i.e. mentoring to help the pre-service teacher to acquire practical skills (career function) that are directed towards professional development, mentoring to help with personal development (psychosocial function) and counselling and emotional support (counselling and emotional support function). 10 participants took part in the study, including 4 mentors and 6 novice teachers.

Keywords:

• shared leadership
• teacher mentors
• beginner primary school teachers
• experiences
• adaptation of teachers

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

The article presents the experiences of a primary teacher mentor in collaboration with pre-service teachers during the adaptation period in an educational institution. It discusses the activities in which the teachers share their experiences and help each other. The mentor-leader contributes to the integration of beginning primary teachers by working together, helping them to understand the culture of the organisation, its traditions, and providing professional and emotional support. It has been found that beginning teachers are most helped by mentors’ empathy and ability to encourage them to achieve both professional and personal goals. The attitudes of school administrators, a positive attitude towards supporting new staff, and encouragement of continuous professional development are important in helping to integrate the novice primary teacher into the school community. The article presents problem-solving approaches that may be of value to many school leaders and teachers.

1. Introduction

Lithuanian education practice is facing a growing shortage of educators and their increasing average age. In 2025, Lithuania will face a lack close to 2 thousand teachers of various subjects and over 500 education support specialists (Kaminskienė, 2021). In addition, after working under the COVID-19 pandemic, when teachers in Lithuania were essentially only working remotely between 7 November 2020 and 1 July 2021, as many as 1475 educators decided to give up their jobs at school in the summer of 2021, whereas there were 1300 teachers who resigned from their job at school in 2020. These are extremely high numbers for Lithuania, so there is a shortage of primary school teachers and subject teachers in many schools in major cities (Dranseikaitė, 2021; Kasnikovskytė, 2021; Nuotolinis vaikų ugdymas pandemijos dėl COVID-19 metu: grėsmės ir galimybės ekosisteminiu požiūriu [Distance education of children during the COVID-19 pandemic: threats and opportunities from an ecosystem perspective], 2021).

In Lithuania we face a situation where the pedagogical population is rapidly ageing, and according to Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, 2018, Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, 2018) survey data, the need for replacement of teaching staff in Lithuania will be seven out of ten over the next decade. Currently, beginner educators, although graduating with a bachelor’s degree and demonstrating motivation to do pedagogical work, usually do not pursue their career at school. One of the problems is that a large number of young teachers give up their work in the first year, and each teacher’s departure costs because investments in education, school investment in the employee, the effort and work made by the employee themselves go in vain. Therefore, efforts are being made in Lithuania to reduce the drop-out of new teachers (Bargailienė, 2019). It is not only in Lithuania that there is a problem with the lack of teachers. Almost half of the European Union’s member states are facing an ageing teacher population. Some countries also face challenges related to keeping younger teachers in employment (Teaching Careers in Europe: Access, Progression and Support, European Commission, 2019). The example of Ireland demonstrates that educators can be motivated to seek a degree in education by a decisive reform of initial teacher training services (Looney & Hyland, 2019). Increased demand to seek teacher qualification makes it possible not only to meet the shortage of educators, but also to select the best students. Since 2015, France has also paid more attention to independent practices and traineeships for beginner teachers in their teacher training programmes (Formation des enseignants, 2015).

The form of shared leadership encourages the creation of a collaborative school community where the mentor’s support for a young teacher would be an effective tool to make it easier for a teacher to adapt at school. The problem of the shortage of teachers, attracting educators to teaching occupation is addressed by foreign scientists (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018; Elliott et al., 2010; Looney & Hyland, 2019), but there is little scientific data on the subject in Lithuania. Since primary school teachers are confronted with exceptional peculiarities of their work, as children need not only to be taught the basics of several different subjects, but also to be educated and brought up in a broad sense, by laying the value foundations, forming and developing attitudes towards life, it has been chosen to examine the experience of shared leadership of mentors in primary education, where the educator is assisted by the primary school teacher-leader during the adaptation period. Beginner teachers are significantly influenced by the structured assistance of an experienced and qualified mentor, who helps them to continuously improve and gain the necessary experience. In the first steps of a beginner teacher, experience is what they lack the most, so they are given opportunity to gain experience and learn from mentors who advise and help solve problems when beginner teachers do not yet know how to behave (Ergunay & Adiguzel, 2019; Jones, 2017).

The research problem is what support is given to primary school teachers by the mentors-leaders of primary education working in the same organisation; how it is provided, to what extent it is useful.

The object of the research is the experience of mentors-leaders and beginners of primary education in applying the principles of shared leadership during the period of school adaptation.

The aim of the research is to assess the experience of cooperation between primary school mentors and beginner teachers in the process of adaptation and successful work while applying the principles of shared leadership.

2. The concept of mentorship in primary education

”The Regulation on Teacher Training” (2018), approved by the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, defines a mentor as an educator who, in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Minister of Education and Science, has the necessary competences and rights to provide consultative and subject-related and/or didactic assistance to other teachers and students. Mentors who are competent, experienced and who appreciate their work and the organisation they work in, are a substantial help to a freshly recruited educator. Mentoring is a process in which a more qualified and experienced person teaches, supports, promotes, advises and maintains good relationships with a less skilled or experienced person in order to accelerate their professional and/or personal development (Alerd et al., 2000; Lankau & Scandura, 2002). Mentorship is a consciously created two-person relationship that strengthens the education of one or both parties, during which a person learns new skills or improves the skills they already have in order to adapt to the current situation. The activities performed by the mentor bring benefits to both the educator they supervise and to the organisation, so the mentor’s competence must meet the requirements. It is not only the presence of a mentor in an organisation that is crucial, but also their proper qualifications and competence. The mentor’s professional growth is closely linked to self-education. For a teacher, mentorship, as a form of cooperation, provides an opportunity for growth. The mentorship process allows the teacher to reflect on the experience gained, review their own work in dealing with pupils and collaborate with the beginner teacher and share the experience gained. Therefore, teacher activities focused on mentorship encourage the development of daily activities and the analysis of pedagogical practice, thus improving the competences of both the teacher and the mentor (Aspfors & Fransson, 2015). Cooperation between the mentor and the beginner can create a close relationship that can bring mutual benefits, as active involvement of both parties in the process creates partnerships focused on continuous development and performance analysis. For such mentorship, a qualified and motivated mentor should be appointed, who appreciates the importance of their activity and sees its benefits. The interaction between a competent mentor and a motivated beginner promotes cooperation, respect for each other and therefore an active work process and changes in the formation of work skills, a positive attitude towards the activities undertaken.

2.1. Expression of shared leadership principles in the process of mentorship

Cooperation where every member of the community wants and can offer ideas, accepts and understands the ideas of others, and seeks to contribute to the best result created by the community is called shared leadership, defined as a network of interactions between individuals and different situations (Harris, 2010). The purpose of the application of shared leadership principles is to strengthen the responsibility, self-confidence and motivation for work and learning of the members of the organisation; to develop a culture of cooperation and accelerate the implementation of most necessary changes (Auškelis, 2011; Melnikova, 2017) and create environments of the learning organisation (Valuckienė et al., 2015). The school, which develops shared leadership, features active teacher collaboration, continuous updating of knowledge, sharing of roles and responsibilities, trust, and a high culture of communication (Valuckienė et al., 2015). Harris (2010) distinguishes between the following principles of shared leadership expression: a broad division of role-based activities; several individuals of different levels of the organisation involved in decision-making; attention paid to improving educational activities; the functions performed by formal and informal leaders; flexibility, versatility and transferability of activities and functions.

Research shows that when new educators engage in pedagogical practice, cooperation is most needed to support them when interacting with pupils’ parents (Niemi, 2015). In the practice of education, shared leadership is of particular importance, as the unique experience of each educator can contribute to the creation of successful activities and to solving the persistent challenges. Table 1 gives an overview of the expectations of beginner educators that they have for the mentor-leader:

Table 1. Mentor-leader activities in applying the principles of shared leadership

Author	Expectations for the mentor-leader
Bento, 2011	To continue learning and improving the learning process To participate in the decision-making process To organise qualification improvement, share experience To advise individually and help educators solve problems To participate in the evaluation process of activities and to provide constructive feedback
Harris, 2010	To seek authenticity in pedagogical activities To share best practices not only within the educational institution but also outside of it To build trust in educational institution To seek to involve as much of the school community as possible in the education process
Çetin & Keser, 2015	To participate in the evaluation of the activities of the educational establishment To create and maintain the vision and culture of the educational establishment To help plan the education process and provide constructive feedback
Valuckienė et al., 2015	To focus on training and learning, sharing best practices To create and maintain a culture of cooperation that promotes the professional growth of colleagues To bring colleagues together to implement innovation in education To support and promote the leadership of other members of the community

Beginner teachers face not only the lack of practical knowledge or experience, but also complex psychological experiences, which often lead to young employees giving up their jobs. One of the most important ways of helping is structured and regular communication between a mentor and a beginner teacher (McRae & Zimmerman, 2019). A mentor may provide assistance to a beginner in different professional areas: when planning and preparing the content of the lesson, when adapting the classroom space to lessons, and when discussing professional responsibilities and didactic aspects of activities (Bradley-Levine et al., 2016). Regular meetings more than once a month help to highlight emerging professional problems and issues. During the activity discussion it is useful to compare and review observations, evaluations and reflections of the teacher and mentor themselves, to discuss the results achieved and to set further goals (Pearson, 2010). One of the key challenges beginner educators and mentors face is different perceptions of the roles of mentorship and the resulting needs and expectations (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018; Trevethan & Sandretto, 2017). Beginners gain confidence in their own efforts by monitoring the activities of mentors, when they can analyse and discuss mentors’ work, to spot its strengths, and that motivates a young educator. The mentor, who works closely with the teacher, also monitors their work, as well as discusses its strengths and offers ways to further improve the education process. Active cooperation between beginner teachers and mentors helps to create a more stable relationship not only mutually, but also with school colleagues (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018). This means that the mentors should help young educators to integrate into the school community, boost their confidence and encourage them to take the initiative and make decisions (Lofthouse, 2017). Such communication allows a teacher not only to improve their activities by analysing emerging problems, but also to reflect on the broader context of curriculum related to school or state education policy. Mentorship is built on the basis of respect and trust, when a teacher is not afraid of negative assessment or remarks. The partnership-based dialogue between mentor and educator enables a young teacher to seek growth, at the same time it also expands the experience of the mentor themselves, enabling them to develop through a mutual discussion about the educational process and various problems in the education process (Cornu, 2015; Elliott et al., 2010; Tichenor & Tichenor, 2005; Wallin et al., 2017). The mentor should note that of particular importance to the beginner teacher is the relationship with their immediate supervisor (Bartz et al., 2017). The school administration allows the teacher to feel that their work is appreciated, noticed, the employee feels that they can reveal and solve the problems, as well as contribute to the process of socialising at school. Beginner teachers should feel special, and the mentor should be a person who enables a teacher to maintain positive contact with the administration, welcoming and highlighting the strengths of a young educator. The TALIS report (Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, 2018) shows as much as 75% of Lithuanian teachers who received feedback or evaluation in the last 12 months feel positively influenced by these evaluations. This proves that the beginning of a career at school is a particularly important period, which can help to shape an educator as an employee.

2.2. The role of introductory curricula for primary educators

Introductory training is provided to beginners or future teachers as support. Since the skills of the educator as a professional are complex and require a high level of responsibility, it is important to provide special assistance during the first stages of their teacher’s career (Tichenor & Tichenor, 2005). At this stage, teachers therefore carry out the tasks developed by experienced teachers and receive remuneration for their work in order to gain the necessary professional experience. “Introductory training has formative and auxiliary elements; it usually includes additional training and personalised assistance and advice” (European Commission, Teaching Careers in Europe: Access, Progression and Support, 2019, p. 51). This support is regulated differently in EU countries. In most cases, introductory training is a mandatory condition for obtaining compulsory qualifications that allow you to work at school. Introductory training can also be considered as a trial period.

In Lithuania, in the first year of the employment at an educational institution, a teacher performs an educational traineeship which is “organised and implemented on the basis of cooperation by an educational institution employing a trainee educator and a centre or other higher education institution chosen by them which implements study programmes in the field of pedagogical studies” (Ministry of Education and Science, Pedagogical Training Regulation, ”2018, p. 5). It is only after completing the traineeship and receiving a positive assessment that the teacher is employed in the organisation to work independently. In Lithuania beginners are also provided with conditions to participate in traineeships and training organised at universities.

The data in Table 2 show the countries in which a Master’s degree is required from the primary school teacher, the length of time spent on educational practice and the support received by a beginner teacher:

Table 2. Primary teacher training criteria (Driskell, 2015; Zuljan & Požarnik, 2014)

Country	Study period	Required degree		Beginner teacher’s stage
			Pedagogical practice time
France	5 y.	Master’s degree	300 hours	Practice in 4^th-5^th years of study. The beginner teacher receives special support during the first two years of employment. The first year after passing the recruitment test is a probation period, feedback/advice from mentors and the school inspector in monitoring the classroom is provided.
Germany	5 y.	Master’s degree	18–24 months	The beginner teacher working part-time receives support in the form of training seminars and mentors in order to develop professional competences and overcome initial insecurity. After three years of taking up their duties, teachers receive a term of office or (permanent) civil servant status.
Estonia	5 y.	Master’s degree	10 weeks	An introductory programme of a year with clearly defined objectives: to further develop the competences of the teacher and to provide support in solving practical problems. Four stakeholders are involved in the programme: school leaders, mentors, beginner teachers and university introductory year centres.
Finland	5 y.	Master’s degree	18 weeks	A six-month probation period during which the municipality and the school provide support to new staff in the system.
Canada	4–2 semesters	Master’s degree	16 weeks	During the first 2 years of pedagogical work, the educator participates in a program during which they collaborate with the mentor.

We see that in Finland, Germany, France, the qualification of primary school teacher is awarded after completing a 5-year Master’s degree. During their studies, primary school teachers are already included in long-term practice, during which they can improve their professional abilities and familiarise themselves with the professional challenges of pedagogical work. In Germany, France, Luxembourg and Austria, introductory training takes place during initial teacher training. It is worth mentioning that a programme has been set up in France to ensure that educators are required to continue their Master’s degree for 2 years after completing a 3-year Bachelor’s degree. Master students must take a competition test at the end of the first year; in their second year, they work in schools to gain practical experience as public service trainees (TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Centre, 2019). Such a model of teacher training allows teachers to acquire the necessary academic knowledge, but the main criterion of assessment for an educator is their practical abilities (Cornu, 2015). In Luxembourg, primary education teachers participate in introductory training after receiving a Bachelor’s degree and can become civil servants and suitably qualified teachers after three years of professional training. In Austria, introductory training has become mandatory for all future teachers since 2019. “Introductory training and mentoring programmes in the early stages of their careers provide teachers with the opportunity to improve their professional skills and forge useful contacts in the school environment. Continuing professional development enables teachers to improve their competences and adapt them to today’s rapidly changing environment (European Commission, Teaching Careers in Europe: Access, Progression and Support, 2019, p. 51). Introductory training programmes may be organised in different ways, for example, mentoring, training seminars, peer feedback-evaluation and regular meetings with the head of the school to receive personal, social and professional support. The support provided to the beginner by the school community, both in preparation for and after taking up work at school, gives confidence and encourages improvement. The support and monitoring of colleagues and school management is of particular importance for beginners, as it can help to meet the challenges facing them, to assess the performance of early-stage educators and thus to guide them appropriately towards professional development.

3. Method

In order to analyse how shared leadership principles applied by mentors can help educators to integrate, a qualitative study method—semi-structured interview—was chosen for empirical research. It highlights key problem areas in order to obtain reliable information to address the problem. The qualitative method of conducting the study was chosen because it focuses on human experience through systematic and interaction-based attitudes (Žydžiūnaitė & Sabaliauskas, 2017), asking open-ended questions, exploring what they see as the experiences of novice teachers and mentors, how and why they happened (Adams, 2015; Brown & Danaher, 2019; Evangelinou-Yiannakis, 2017). The qualitative study reveals the meaning and interpretation of structures that are difficult to analyse quantitatively. The qualitative data collected reveals experiences, meanings, and processes. The choice of this method is determined by the fact that it treats respondents as unique personalities who perceive social reality in their own way, and are not squeezed into any social frame (Adams, 2015; Brown & Danaher, 2019; Evangelinou-Yiannakis, 2017; Žydžiūnaitė & Sabaliauskas, 2017). Qualitative survey data were obtained remotely using a variety of communication tools.

The study was conducted between September 2020 and April 2021. A qualitative method for analysing content was used to process data obtained through interviews. This process was organised on a spiral basis, with a constant return to the first stage data in order to see the details that may have been missed but are important for the investigation.

3.1. Procedure and instrument

Such type of investigation was chosen to explore the possibilities for cooperation between beginner primary school teachers and teachers with working experience at two levels: at capturing the principles of mentors’ work and their role for beginner teachers. This led to the creation of a data collection structure (see, Figure 1) where interviews are conducted while talking to mentors and beginners with whom mentors collaborated. This model of study was chosen to compare the significance and role of mentor activities in relation to beginner teachers. A targeted, semi-structured interview allows us to anticipate the problem issues we are looking into, and to clarify them over the course of the interview, as well as to get more detailed, structured answers.

Figure 1. Structure of the semi-structured interview

In the case of a semi-structured interview method, the main questions on which the respondents were interviewed had been prepared in advance; in the case of uncertainty, clarification questions were asked. 8 key and complementary questions were formulated for beginners and their mentors. The same questions were asked to beginner teachers and to their mentors with different wording of questions. In the interview, questions were formulated based on the needs of beginner teachers and the principles of mentor activity. Beginner teachers who worked with mentors were asked questions of the same structure in order to understand the mutual process, experiences gained and their expression. In the interview, the questions fulfil the objectives of the study and allow us to investigate the subject-matter of the study (see, Table 3).

Table 3. Justification for questions of the semi-structured interview with beginner teachers and their mentors

Interview question	Relationship of the question to the problem of the study	Manifestations of experience
Please tell me what kind of mentor experience do you have? What strengths of yourself as a mentor would you distinguish?	Find out the experience of teacher mentorship. The aim is to recognise the qualities of mentor leaders.	Mentor’s personal, work-related qualities are an aspect of leadership.
What do you think are the reasons why beginner teachers often turn to mentors for help?	To clarify the professional challenges facing beginners in the adaptation and integration process.	A culture of cooperation is being developed, and good practice is being shared.
In your opinion, how can a mentor help the beginner teacher in the early years of their career?	To determine the mentor’s role for the beginner teacher.	Involvement into organizational processes, psychological support, work-related support, sharing responsibility, counselling.
Would you agree with the view that sharing experiences and problem areas between mentors and beginner teachers can strengthen the beginner’s self-confidence and performance? What good practices would it be worth sharing?	To identify the manifestations of mentorship.	Continuous focus on training and learning, sharing of best practices, reinforcement and encouragement through confidence building.
To what extent do you think the observance of the lessons taught by the mentor is useful for helping the beginner teacher to improve and for the mentor themselves to improve?	To identify the manifestations of mentorship.	Competent feedback, monitoring good practices.
Professional competencies can be personal, didactic and subject-matter. What professional competences do you think the mentor can help the beginner to develop the most?	To determine the mentor’s role for a beginner teacher.	The development of professional competences.
How do you think a mentor can help a beginner teacher to integrate into the school community?	Identify the role of the mentor in the integration process of the beginner teacher.	A culture of cooperation is being developed.

For the categorisation of the data obtained during the interviews analysed, the coding categories were chosen on the basis of the mentor’s main functions (Alerd et al., 2000; Aspfors & Fransson, 2015; Lankau & Scandura, 2002; Propescu-Mitroi & Mazilescu, 2014; Ruohotie-Lyhty 2018), i.e., the mentor’s assistance to the beginner teacher to acquire practical skills (career function) that are focused on professional development, the assistance focused on personal development (psychosocial function) and counselling and emotional support (counselling and emotional support function). To identify the attitude of the mentor functions, the following features of the expression of mentor leadership were chosen: continuous focus on teaching and learning, creation of a culture of cooperation, exchange of best practices, pooling of colleagues for implementation of innovations, support and promotion of leadership of other members of the school community (Valuckienė et al., 2015; Nyiramana 2017).

The ethics of the study: the ethical principles of research were adhered to in the course of the investigation. Participants were involved in the study on a voluntary basis, anonymously. Voluntary participation was stressed and therefore consent was requested to participate in the study and to record the interview. Prior to the initiation of the investigation, participants were instructed about the purpose of the investigation, where the data would be used, and the issue of confidentiality was discussed as well (Head, 2020; Limes-Taylor Henderson & Esposito, 2017; Rupšienė, 2007; Weinbaum et al., 2019).

The study sample: targeted selection was used when the investigator chooses a sample based on a specific purpose, on the basis of certain criteria or decisions (e.g., according to certain competences, experience, events; Klassen & Kim, 2019; Rupšienė, 2007; Shaheen et al., 2019). The survey data were collected from 2 study groups—mentors (primary school teachers with work experience, participating in the mentorship process) and beginner teachers working in educational institutions for less than three years (only the experience of the first year is investigated). Cases that were informative from an investigative point of view were selected for the study by means of a critical selection method. Teachers who already completed their pedagogical studies, acquired the qualification of primary school educator and had a mentor assigned to them in the educational establishment were chosen as beginner teachers. The study involved 9 female and 1 male participants.

3.2. Participants

In the data analysis, respondents were encoded according to the sequence of interviews and group, from M1 to M4 for mentors (N = 4), and from B1 to B6 for beginner teachers (N = 6). The study analysed the experience of teachers in their first year of work (see, Table 4).

Table 4. Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents

Respondent No.	Gender	Position	Years of work experience	Years of mentorship experience	City
M1	Female	Primary school teacher-expert	42	1	Vilnius
M2	Male	Primary school teacher-methodologist	30	4	Kedainiai
M3	Female	Primary school teacher	25	1	Vilnius
M4	Female	Head of Education	13	4	Kaunas
B1	Female	Primary school teacher	2	-	Vilnius
B2	Female	Primary school teacher	3	-	Kedainiai
B3	Female	Primary school teacher	2	-	Kaunas
B4	Female	Primary school teacher	2	-	Kaunas
B5	Female	Primary school teacher	3	-	Vilnius
B6	Female	Primary school teacher	3	-	Vilnius

The mentors and the young teachers they currently mentor were selected for the study. From the data presented in Table 4, we can see that in one school in Kaunas and one school in Vilnius, the same mentor mentors two young teachers. Mentors were selected who are known in the Lithuanian pedagogical community for their quality work and ability to advice and support young colleagues. The mentors’ extensive experience is reflected in their length of teaching experience.

4. Empirical analysis of research data

4.1. The characteristics of the mentor: aspects of leadership

According to the results of the study, the mentor’s qualities were divided into two sub-categories: personal and professional qualities through which shared leadership manifests. The results of the study highlight that one of the main professional qualities of the mentor is high educator’s qualification and the working experience (see, Table 5).

Table 5. Examples illustrating the characteristics of the mentor as a leader

Subcategory	Mentors’ answers	Beginner primary school teachers’ answers
Professional experience	“Personal experience is a major achievement. A lot of work experience is the main thing < … > Mentors have to inspire with their work and to set their example to teach other teachers < … > a teacher has to be able to improvise and adapt to circumstances, react to the environment.” M1 “ … I’m not afraid to talk, to discuss with people, because I know the subject.” M2	“The teacher has the qualification of an expert, so her extensive experience is a key strength. At school, she organised seminars, quizzes, competitions, and the writing of dictations.” B1 “attention to detail, being systematic.” B2 “The goodwill to share her experience. < … > She shares her tasks, slides.” B3 “ … she has always showed an example of how to perform one task or another.” B4
Personal characteristics	“I’m an open person and I always tend to help < … > trust is very important. The next thing is respect.” M3 “a good mentor must not only help to achieve professional goals, but also to see a person as a personality, to help them develop fully.” M4	“Mentor is a wonderful teacher, a role model and an inspiring person. < … > Mostly the influence depends on the personality, i.e. on how that person will be able to engage, find a connection with the teacher.” B1 “Empathy is strength.” B3 “For the most part, a professional person is also a prominent personality.” B4 “She’s a maximalist and wants to try everything.” B5

The analysis of the category of mentor’s characteristics has highlighted the following traits that beginner teachers point to as the strengths of mentors: the work experience, works related to professional activities, empathy, goodwill and availability at the time of the mentor’s activities. In fact, all these personal and professional qualities that are important for a mentor have been highlighted in other researchers’ research study’s (Propescu-Mitroi & Mazilescu, 2014; A Reflective Guide to Mentoring and being a teacher-mentor, 2016; Scherer, 2012; Simpson, 2016). It can be concluded that the strengths of the mentor indicated by the participants of the study make it possible to create a close relationship between the mentor and the beginner educator, which affects the effective process of mentorship and adaptation of beginner teachers. The results of the study showed that a mentor must have the following characteristics: considerable professional experience, high personal and pedagogical competences. These qualities have been highlighted by both mentors and beginner educators.

4.2. The challenges of beginner teachers that mentors help overcome

A common reason for beginner teachers to give up work is professional challenges, which an educator with no working experience struggles to overcome. A mentor who already has a working experience and can share it with a beginner can help overcome these challenges. While examining the study results in the category of challenges of beginner teachers, 4 subcategories are identified, such as: the lack of working experience, integration in the organisation, criticism for beginners’ activities, overwork (see, Table 6).

Table 6. Examples illustrating the challenges faced by beginner teachers

Subcategory	Mentors’ answers	Beginner primary school teachers’ answers
Lack of working experience	“Assistance is needed to communicate with the parents of the pupils, to speak in the right tone.” M1 “He just lacks that work experience.” M3	“I asked questions about the role of the class leader: how to control pupils’ misbehaviour, how to motivate pupils, how to communicate with parents.” B1 “Most of the challenges are related to class management.” B3 “We need more help in dealing with parents.” B4 “How to mark standardised tests, what is the system in school.” B6
Adaptation in the organisation	“You want to show that they can do it, that they can really trust you < … >, and in fact you don’t know that microclimate or traditions very well yet—ethos altogether.” M2 “All people are new and unfamiliar to you. < … > An introduction to school life and traditions is crucial.” M3 “People are thrown in at school and left on their own. This raises the desire to change the institution.” M4	“A new person needs a lot of help to integrate.” B1 “I was assigned to a self-assessment group and … I didn’t understand anything. I lacked help here.” B2 “On certain internal rules of procedure.” B3 “The mentor can help, especially for a more closed person, perhaps by voicing their ideas in the team.” B4 “It was hard to orientate in the abundance of documents.” B6
Criticism for the activities of beginner teachers	“It is difficult to accept another person’s observations.” M3	“It should be agreed that this should be done without evaluation, amicably, so that it is reflective, nobody but mentor and teacher should be involved.” B6
Overwork	“They need to talk, sometimes you don’t even need to solve the problem for them, it’s enough to sit next to them and say “I understand you.” M4	“Burnout and just emotional state because work is quite emotionally draining.” B3

After analysing the experience of mentors and beginners, we can see that beginner educators face challenges that can affect the decision to go out of pedagogical work. Collaborating with a trusted fellow mentor can help to reflect on the problems that have arisen and thus help the beginner to answer emerging questions, resolve them and maintain their willingness to work at school (Greenfield, 2017). Mentors argue that a beginner teacher is an active educator with the latest knowledge, but a confrontation with real situations can be disruptive because young educators do not know or doubt how to do the right thing. In this case, mentors can help find the right way to solve the problem by engaging themselves or sharing experiences. Mentor statements confirm that not only direct help but also constant psychological support (Edgington, 2016; A. L. Jones & Kessler, 2020) is essential in overcoming challenges, which helps beginners to understand that they are not left alone to deal with problems arising in professional activities (Cross Francis et al., 2018), which gives teachers more confidence in themselves and in their actions (Keck, 2019; Moore, 2018).

4.3. Expression of mentorship: aspects of shared leadership

The study examined the experiences of mentors, which revealed the expression of mentorship by highlighting the aspect of shared leadership, which can be grouped to the following subcategories: emotional support and counselling, feedback, exchange of professional experience, creation of a system of motivation for pupils (see, Table 7).

Table 7. Examples illustrating the expression of mentorship based on aspects of shared leadership

Subcategory	Mentors’ answers	Beginner primary school teachers’ answers
Emotional support and counselling	“I always try to help the teacher feel safe.” M1 “I show you that you have your goal and you can’t get distracted by other things.” M2 “I can motivate, encourage, support, compliment, thank. I can encourage positive change, help her do more than she expects of herself.” M4	“I was encouraged to keep improving, to attend training courses, seminars, to continue my studies.” B1 “In a difficult situation, the mentor emphasized that we both got into that situation, and showed me that it’s possible to find a way out of all the problems. It builds self-confidence, a sense of what I’m doing.” B3
Exchange of professional experience	“I always share my experience, experiences I’ve been through and knowledge.” M1 “Our every observation and advice were worth its weight in gold.” M3	“In our team, teachers often share their strengths.” B4 “I learned not only work-related skills but also managerial skills.” B5
Creation of a system of motivation for pupils	“It is important to show respect for children; it has also been very helpful in attracting the pupils’ attention and bringing them together.” M1	“How to motivate pupils, because this is what bothers me most.” B1
Provision of feedback	“We would watch the lessons and then discuss them. We started every discussion with what worked. With what she thinks she was good at.” M3 “I commend them for their concrete achievements. I would ask them how they were doing. What are the difficulties? I showed specific activities where mathematical thinking activities can be integrated.” M4	“We discussed what worked in certain lessons, we discussed it also in informal settings.” B1 “He said I hadn’t done self-assessment at the end of the lesson, he pointed out that children should talk more during a lesson on how to organise self-assessment.” B5

It is important that the mentor, by showing the teacher’s strengths, discussing and supporting the teacher, engages them in active pedagogical activities, contributes to the development of an educational identity (Lutovac, 2020; Lutovac & Kaasila, 2018; McAdams, 2021; McLean et al., 2020; Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2018). The active presence of the mentor and the provision of high-quality feedback (Haughney et al., 2020; Nyiramana, 2017) indicate that the mentor needs to have leader traits. The ability to educate and empower beginner teachers for learning (McAdams, 2021; McLean et al., 2020), to encourage their innovative (Bafadal et al., 2019), critical thinking, to be a mentor and a helper in the education process—all these qualities are linked to the competence of leadership (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2019; OECD, 2019).

4.4. The conditions of the mentorship process

When analysing the data obtained during the study, 3 subcategories were identified in this category: mentor’s competence, constructive reflection, and positive organisational environment (see, Table 8).

Table 8. Examples illustrating the conditions for organising mentorship

Subcategory	Mentors’ answers	Beginner primary school teachers’ answers
Mentor’s competence	“You have to give advice, ideas to make him feel good when he comes into the classroom, bringing something that’s already created.” M4	“will not necessarily share the task, but will make you think for yourself from other points of view.” B3
Constructive reflection	“It’s important to thank, to appreciate the human effort.” M1 “The mentor must not say too much of the things to be corrected, but praise and encourage.” M4	“It’s necessary to get a reflection, feedback from the mentor.” B2 “This would be followed by constructive criticism or feedback.” B3 “Personal growth depends on how often the contact with the mentor takes place.” B6
Positive organisational environment	“A new teacher has to feel that teachers are a team.” M1 “It’s very important for a beginner educator to have a person they trust who listens and supports, assists, at least tries to understand.” M3 “If they feel good, they create things.” M4	“It depends on the school administration: how much decision power is given to the employees themselves, how much trust is placed on teachers.” B4 “Activities were offered by mentors, but we organised them together.” B6

When analysing the experience of the participants of the study, it was found that the quality of the mentorship process depends on the collaboration (Eisenschmidt & Oder, 2018; Flores, 2019) between a mentor and a beginner teacher. In order to ensure a high-quality professional development process for beginners, one of the most important criteria is the selection of the right educator for mentorship (Bell & Treleaven, 2011; Shwartza & Doria, 2016). This proves that a mentor not only performs the function of professional development by sharing certain methodological material, but the full willingness of a mentor as a personality to share their experience in order to help the beginner educator develop is important (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Zhou & Brown, 2015). A constructive reflection that is applied at every stage of mentorship allows a beginner teacher to pursue professional growth independently (Hairon et al., 2020; Montgomery, 2017; Morgan & Rochford, 2017). Questions asked by mentors encourage reflection (Hairon et al., 2020; Montgomery, 2017).

5. Discussion

The study presented aims to reveal the experiences of primary school mentors and beginner teachers, the application of shared leadership principles, the challenges faced by primary school beginner teachers during the adaptation period, and how they deal with the problems encountered. In the initial phase of their careers, primary school teachers are described as educators looking for their position in the organisation who continually accumulate practical experience and develop basic competences, who face challenges that may result in doubts about their career choices, they doubt their choices, avoid to take the initiative (Elliott et al., 2010; Lofthouse, 2017). Theory analysis and empirical data reveal that, in most cases, beginner teachers experience challenges in the face of the lack of experience, problems with integration in the organisation, fear of experiencing negative criticism from colleagues, lack of motivation. Thus, cooperation between mentors and young educators, which allows mentors to analyse and comment on different aspects of teacher’s activities, reflect and provide feedback and thus motivate a young educator (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Eisenschmidt & Oder, 2018; Flores, 2019; Zhou & Brown, 2015), give them personal confidence in their work (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018), can help to address these challenges.

A qualitative study revealed that beginner educators have a positive view of the activities of mentors, who responded to their needs to deepen their professional knowledge and receive personalised assistance. The leadership qualities held by mentors contribute to the development of shared leadership principles within the organisation and to the involvement of beginners in the activities of the school community, to motivate them to achieve a common goal and improve, to raise professional goals and actively pursue them. The principles of shared leadership among mentors and beginners during the mentorship process helped to strengthen the teacher’s professional self-confidence, solve the challenges, pursue professional development, and provide emotional support. Empirical data identify feedback and counselling as a crucial area of expression of mentorship through which beginner teachers can obtain the necessary information, address specific pedagogical issues, and evaluate practical activities (Bell & Treleaven, 2011; Hairon et al., 2020; Montgomery, 2017). During the study, both mentors and beginner teachers distinguish between the characteristics of the mentor, which are important to develop the principles of shared leadership (Fullan & Quinn, 2020; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2019; OECD, 2019). It is the ability of mentors to understand the beginner teacher, to support them, to motivate them to achieve their goal and to improve. The study distinguished between the mentor’s personal qualities and professional qualities associated with the pedagogical experience (Lutovac, 2020; Lutovac & Kaasila, 2018; McAdams, 2021; McLean et al., 2020; Ruohotie-Lyhty, 2018). The experience of the mentor makes it possible to reflect the features of the expression of educators’ shared leadership for learning, by sharing good practice, helping the beginner to pursue professional growth and the implementation of initiatives. The qualitative study found that the mentorship process is heavily influenced by the ability of mentors to provide feedback that encourages beginners to analyse their activities. Empirical evidence of the principles of shared leadership (Azorín et al., 2020; Harris, 2010; Harris & Jones, 2020) demonstrates that experience of cooperation between mentors and beginners helps to build self-confidence among beginners, increases job motivation and accelerates the implementation of change (Harris & DeFlaminis, 2016).

It is useful for beginner teachers to work in an organisation that applies shared leadership principles, as they have the opportunity to develop, discuss the process of their activities and achievements, knowing that they will have the opportunity to consult, and receive both professional and personal support. Being able to get support can meet the expectations of beginner primary school teachers to collaborate and to adapt to a school community by becoming its equal member (Fullan, 2012; M. Jones & Harris, 2020).

6. Study limitations

The small number of beginner primary school teachers and their mentors who took part in the study has limited the extent to which the data does not reflect the experiences of pre-service teachers in Lithuania as a whole in applying the principles of shared leadership. However, the data from our study are very important in making political and strategic decisions. Furthermore, the experiences of the study participants are also important for school leaders, who can use the data to research and self-assess whether the activities of beginner primary school teachers and their mentors. In addition, the survey participants’ responses show which experiences of young teachers help them in their first year, and what kind of support they need from both teachers and their mentors. These experiences are important for achieving transformational changes in educational practices. We believe that this study provides a perspective on the prospects for collaboration between first-year teachers and mentors in their first year of teaching, when shared leadership principles are applied. We hope that our research can be transferred and adapted to the unique context of another country, clarifying the experiences of beginning teachers, and anticipating the ways in which mentors can collaborate and provide support.

7. Conclusions

Summing up the data obtained from the study, it can be observed that mentors and beginners, on the basis of their experience, identify the conditions for organising mentorship, which reflect positive attitudes of the school community towards the beginner educator and the goal of helping them adapt to a new organisation and engage in pedagogical work. It is indicated that in the context of shared leadership within an organisation, the mentorship process can be freely developed without restricting cooperation between mentors and beginner teachers. In this way, the mentor is actively involved in the activity of a beginner teacher by observing it and providing constructive feedback. When analysing the answers, it should be noted that mentors draw attention to the form of feedback, and they state that positive assessment is particularly important for beginners, which allows them to develop positive attitudes to work, improve professional competences and seek constant improvement. Meanwhile, beginner teachers see feedback as one of the most important parts of the mentorship process, which makes it possible to spot areas for improvement. It can be assumed that, with extensive professional experience, mentors reflect to make sure that the feedback they provide reaches and influences beginner educators. This proves the role of the mentor as an experienced educator in the process of effective mentorship.

By contributing to the integration of beginner primary school teachers, the mentor-leader seeks to cooperate, helps beginner teachers to understand the culture of the organisation, its traditions, and provides professional and emotional support. The aim is thus to meet the professional development needs of the beginner teacher and to address the challenges arising from the lack of working experience. Mentors with leadership qualities have empathy, the ability to engage and motivate others in the process of shared leadership, and the desire to share good practices. The study found that mentors’ empathy and their ability to encourage beginner teachers to pursue both professional and personal goals work best for beginner teachers. In collaboration with the mentor, beginner educators learn how to overcome the challenges in pedagogical practice, manage the classroom, and interact with pupils’ parents. The mentor helps the beginner teacher to adapt to school and engage in pedagogical activities by providing professional support, constructive reflection, and counselling. The beginner educator is influenced by the general school culture during the adaptation phase. In order to support the inclusion of primary school teachers in the school community, the position of the school administration is important: positive attitudes towards support for staff, and the promotion of continuous professional development. In accordance with the principle of shared leadership, beginner educators are engaged in as well as initiate the activities of the organisation.

Author statement

The author of this paper, prof. dr. Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė, is a curator in the field of primary school teacher education in Lithuania, responsible for the bachelor’s degree programme at Vytautas Magnus University. Daiva is also a co-author of the general curricula and a curator of educational content works. Research interests: innovative didactics, cooperative learning, integrated language teaching in multicultural contexts. There is a severe shortage of young primary school teachers in Lithuania, so working together with the co-author of the article, Lina Ignatavičiūtė, we explored what kind of mentors are needed in order to help a new colleague who is starting a new educational institution.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė

Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė Head of Preschool and Primary Education Study Programs, Professor, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania; European Commission Inspector of Pre-school and Primary Education in European Schools, Representative of Lithuania. Research interests include: Curriculum theory, pedagogy, general didactics, didactics of elementary language arts education, integrated didactics of languages, Cooperative learning, Assessment of students’ learning and progress.

Lina Ignatavičiūtė

Lina Ignatavičiūtė Master’s degree in Educational Management from Vytautas Magnus University, successful primary school teacher for 5 years. During her bachelor’s studies, Lina did an internship and studied innovative ways of organising education in Belgium, in a European school. Research interests include: shared leadership and the adaptation of young teachers to the school.