The Role of Mentoring in Teacher Professional Development in one specialized school in Nur-Sultan

Abstract

Teacher professional development (TPD) is a crucial element in the field of education in Kazakhstan today. School teachers, both newly arrived teachers, and less experienced ones are required and in most cases are in need to develop their professional skills and abilities. Mentoring along with other different methods and tools applicable in secondary schools is one of the effective models for teacher development and highly demanded among newly arrived teachers. The purpose of this research was to explore teacher- mentors and –mentees perspectives on the process and importance of mentoring as an effective way of TPD in Kazakhstan. Qualitative research using a case study approach was selected for this research which was conducted in one specialized school in Nur-Sultan. A purposeful sampling was used to select six teachers from the English department to participate in this study. Three of the study participants were mentors and three were mentees. The data was obtained via one-on-one semi-structured interviews with mentors and mentees and document analysis. The research findings show that the mentoring process is well known and understood by the participants. It is effectively implemented in the specialized school in Nur-Sultan and despite challenges and some negative attitude towards mentoring, it is accepted positively. All the participants highlighted the importance and necessity of mentoring for both mentees and mentors. The research findings are helpful in identifying ways of implementing mentoring effectively. The obtained data may serve as a source for further research and creation of new policies relating to the successful realization of mentoring programs in schools of Kazakhstan.