To Learn or Not to Learn: Early Career Teacher Perceptions of Their Peer Mentoring Experience

Research indicates that too often the newest teachers do not receive the support and development they need to serve their students well, especially in the hardest-to-staff schools in the highest poverty communities. The purpose of this modified case study was to examine the perceptions of whether, what, and how early career teachers learned from their peer mentoring experience, seeking to illuminate their voices. The following data collection methods were utilized to achieve triangulation: (a) initial one-on-one in-depth interviews to gauge participant perspectives and a second interview to explore further areas of interest after analysis of the first interview, (b) teacher evaluation report to determine the alignment between written supervisory feedback and peer mentoring support, (c) An examination of public documents for each school, with a specific focus on the school’s climate and culture and learning environment. Participants included 10 early career teachers in a 3K-12 public school district in New York City, who were in their first to fourth year of teaching. Results indicated that beginning teachers perceived that they learned strategies, techniques, and instructional methods from their mentors; however, they lacked information to help them navigate the technical aspects of their jobs. Future studies should explore how to leverage all stakeholders within a school community to support the transition of early career teachers into the profession