New Teacher Perceptions - Mentoring and Coaching at a California Catholic School

An explanatory case study was employed to explore the perceptions of the influence of coaching and mentoring programs on new first year teachers. The research was conducted at a private Catholic high school in Southern California. Guided by the Situational Leadership model, which was founded in the ideal that no single approach to leadership exists, this study examined how new first-year teachers perceive the influence of coaching and mentoring programs on their growth and performance, and their students’ learning in a private Catholic high school in Southern California. This study revealed that new first-year teachers perceived that coaching and mentoring had a significant impact on their growth and performance as well as their students‘ learning. Nine new first-year teachers participated in semistructured interviews with the researcher. Questionnaires were also utlized to gather data from all new first-year teachers some of whom may not have opted to participate in the interview. A focus group of site administrators was also used. The questionnaires, interviews, and focus group data were coded using hand coding and Nvivo software. Responses to the questionnaires, the interviews, and the focus group reflected the new first-year teachers\u27 perceptions of coaching and mentoring programs. New first-year teachers benefit from the support of experienced teachers who act as coaches and mentors. Future studies should discuss the long-term impact of the program as well as expand the scope of the study