The beneficial outcome of a successful mentoring relationship: The development of inclusive education

In recent years there has been very high international interest around induction programmes aiming for the smooth integration of newcomer teachers in the working environment of the school unit. In addition, educational systems in many countries lay great importance on the provision of equal opportunities to all students and the provision of a more inclusive education. In this paper, using qualitative data from one school in Cyprus, the authors present how the mentoring relationship of two teachers resulted in the provision of a more inclusive education, not only regarding the two teachers involved in the mentoring relationship, but in the school in general. The data analysis led to the following two assertions: a) the mentoring relationship helped the newcomer to improve her practice and to increase student participation, and b) the mentoring relationship assisted in the development of cooperation between the mentor and the newcomer, and assisted in the development of a team spirit which was later spread out across the school. The results of the study imply that if the mentoring relationship focuses, among other things, on issues of equal learning opportunities and new teachers shift their attention at an early stage towards meeting the diversity of their students and not only on how to survive in the school environment, then teachers and schools will set solid foundations for the acceptance of diversity and the provision of equal educational opportunities for all students.