Online (Web-based) Education for Mentors of Newly Qualified Teachers: Challenges and Opportunities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project concerning a web-based (online) course for mentors of newly qualified teachers (NQTs). — Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-method approach with questionnaires and interviews was used to collect the data. Findings – Positive attitudes towards online education were discerned and initial concerns about the use of technical tools were dissipated during the course. It was found that the mentoring related content of the online course could be mediated. The most significant difference in the participants’ meaning making and ability to ‘connect theory and practice’ with ‘concrete knowledge’ was between those with experience of mentorship before or during the course and those without. Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on one cohort of mentor participants (n=18) attending one mentor education course. Practical implications – The paper contributes to the value of online education for mentors of NQTs and includes some practical recommendations for mentor education providers. Originality/value – This paper reports on an under-researched area. Research on professional development programmes for mentors in general is limited, and even more so when it comes to online education for mentors.