Active mentoring and empathy of Russian teachers

Abstract

Background. In modern Russian realities, mentoring is becoming a very popular method of professional development for the young teachers. Essential conditions for its effective implementation are the subject of research by teachers and psychologists, who offer a wide arsenal of pedagogical ideas and psychological classifications.

Objective. The study had its purpose to identify the relationship between various substantive aspects of mentoring and teachers’ empathy, as well as to describe the essential characteristics of different modes of mentoring focusing on its active form.

Study Participants. 73 English teachers of the Russian general education schools took part in the online survey.

Methods. Teacher Mentoring Self-Efficacy Scale (TMSES) (Tickell, Klassen, 2024); Empathy Scale for Teachers (EST) (Wang et al., 2022) adapted in Russian (Chagina, Zabelina, 2022); short Big Five personality inventory (Gosling et al., 2003) adapted in Russian (Sergeeva et al., 2016).

Results. Low ratings of respondents on a number of statements of the Teacher Mentoring Self-Efficacy Scale reflect their avoidance of intensive and time-consuming activities (experience comprehension, analyzing practices, organizing meetings), which constitute the content of the active type of mentoring. The respondents were best able to show respect and tact, give support and pay a sincere interest to their mentee, which characterizes the imitative type of mentoring. Exploratory factor analysis made it possible to identify 6 factors that make up the teachers mentoring self-efficacy. Correlation analysis revealed certain relationships between various aspects of the teachers’ effective mentoring and the Big Five personality factors, and also established some connections between teachers’ empathy and their prevailing forms (“modes”) of mentoring. Thus, the cognitive component of the teachers’ empathy turned out to be interconnected primarily with the mode “plan — do — review”, the positive affective empathy of teachers turned out to be associated with the modes “professionalism” and “inter- and intrapersonal intelligence”, while the negative affective empathy — with the modes “inter- and intrapersonal intelligence” and “teacher-practitioner”.

Conclusion. The characteristics of active and imitative mentoring of teachers identified and described in the study, as well as their discovered relationships with teachers’ empathy and personality features, develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between mentors and mentees, which makes it possible to develop mentoring programs taking into account its productive forms and characteristics.

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