The evaluation of a pilot mentoring program for beginner science and mathematics teachers

A. McConney; D. Maor

This summative evaluation examines a pilot program supporting beginning science and mathematics teachers through mentoring. It includes mentors' and mentees' expectations of the outcomes of participation in the program and their perceptions of the success of their mentoring relationships across the latter part of the 2008 school year. As well, this evaluation provides examination of the actual outcomes that participants experienced as a result of their mentoring experiences as well as participants' views of what worked and what didn't, and their suggestions for future program enhancements. The approach taken for the evaluation of the Mentoring Program for Beginning Science and Maths Teachers pilot program may be characterized as collaborative, outcomes based, and mixed method. Three key questions guided the pilot program evaluation: (1) To what degree was the pilot program implemented as planned?; (2) To what degree did the project accomplish its goals and objectives (i.e. improvements in the capacity and resiliency of mentors and mentees and improvements in the likely retention of beginner science and maths teachers)? and (3) To what degree can the work and achievements of the project be considered scalable and sustainable? The Pilot Mentoring Program for Beginner Science and Mathematics Teachers was implemented with a high degree of fidelity to its funded plans, and has enjoyed a good degree of success with regard capacity-building for both mentees and mentors, and enhancement of the likely retention of this cadre of beginning science and maths teachers in the teaching profession. Additionally, the pilot mentoring pro highly scalable and its outcomes sustainable if appropriate conditions (especially workload reduction for new teachers) can be met by the key system stakeholders involved. Having heard the stories related by this cadre of new and experienced maths and science teachers, such investment in the near term induction of new teachers is likely to pay large dividends for schools and students over the medium and longer terms. Appended are: (1) Pre-program survey (mentees); (2) Pre-program survey (mentors); (3) Post-program survey (mentees); (4) Post-program survey (mentees); (5) Initial focus group interview protocol (mentees); (6) Initial focus group interview protocol (mentors); and (7) Post-program focus group interview protocol (mentees). (Contains 5 figures and 2 tables.)

The evaluation of a pilot mentoring program for beginner science and mathematics teachers

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