Developing an Ecological, Reflexive, and Praxis-Oriented Mentor-Training Program for Teachers: A Design Thinking Approach

• In Event: Roundtable Session 54
  In Roundtable Session: Induction, Mentorship, and Support of Novice Teachers: The Role of Mentors and Mentees

Abstract

This study used design thinking to interrogate the ecology of mentoring (Chandler et al, 2011) and to develop a new model of mentor training for teachers. Participants included five pre-service physical education teachers, ten elementary school mentor teachers, ten expert physical education mentor teachers and ten school principals from across the island of Ireland. A two-phase qualitative data collection (blended approach) and analysis (Actor Network Theory (Latour, 2005)) and a constructivist form of grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006)) was used. The research showed how a design thinking approach (Buchanan, 1992) could develop an ecological, reflexive and praxis-oriented approach to mentor training.

Authors

• Fiona Catherine Chambers, University College Cork

• Deirdre Brennan, University of Ulster

• Gavin Breslin, University of Ulster