Analyzing Mentor Narratives of Reflective Practice: A Case for Supporting Adult Learning in Hungarian Initial Teacher Education

In this paper, we outline findings from a research project on mentor teachers’ conceptualizations and strategies of mentoring novice teachers for reflective practice. The study was conducted with the aim to explore the qualitatively different ways in which mentor teachers conceive of mentoring for reflective practice and also how they translate this into actual mentoring strategies. We interviewed 10 senior mentor teachers who are certified mentors at Hungarian primary and secondary schools. The transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach. Mentor teachers were found to oscillate between fragmented and cohesive conceptions of mentoring for teaching with varying levels of integrating the notion of reflective practice and addressing mentees as adult learners. Based on the results a structure of conceptualizations and strategies was created.