An Investigation of the Relationship Between Factors of Beginning Teachers\u27 Development Within a Mentor-Based Induction Program

This dissertation was a quantitative, correlational study that examined the impact of the mentor component of a mentor-based induction program on three factors of new teacher development and support. The focus of this study was on beginning teachers participating in a district-supported mentoring program designed to support and acclimate teachers to the role of professional teacher as well as to support and acclimate teachers to the policies, procedures, and culture of the district. A convenience sample totaling 130 teachers at a large urban school district in southeast Georgia participated in this study. The participants represented varied levels of degree completion, grade levels taught, and ages of teacher. These teachers voluntarily completed the Teacher Efficacy, Perception of Mentor, and Commitment Survey, which consisted of three sections that focused on each of the three focal factors outlined in this research. The survey included a combination of multiple choice items and Likert-scale responses taken from the Georgia State Induction Phase Teacher Survey and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample’s demographics, questionnaire items, and scale scores. Findings indicated no statistically significant relationship between the teachers’ perceptions of their mentors and their commitment to teaching. There was, however, a small, but statistically significant, positive relationship between teachers’ perceived teaching self-efficacies and their commitment to teaching