Mentoring and motivation: Examining teachers’ experiences in an immersive research program

Abstract

The present study examines motivational aspects of science teachers’ engagement in a professional development (PD) program during an immersive mentoring program. Teachers from high-poverty schools were selected into the program, particularly novice teachers, women, and individuals from minority groups. Self-determination theory (SDT) was used to frame the findings and to analyze teachers’ data collected via focus groups and individual interviews. Overall, the study findings describe the array of teachers’ motivations and values for the program. In addition to generic motives and values, the results provide significant understanding of the SDT’s key components, such as competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Findings suggest that teachers placed importance on experiences that provided them with feelings of competence (e.g., ability to successfully complete the tasks), autonomy (e.g., flexibility in choice of tasks and level of engagement), and relatedness (e.g., ability to connect with peers and mentors in the process of learning). These findings have numerous implications for PD program design and for teachers and administrators.

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