Supporting new teachers is a common challenge globally and the European Commission has recently emphasised the need to promote a lifelong continuum of teachers’ professional development by building bridges between pre-service and in-service teacher education.

Peer-Group Mentoring for Teacher Development introduces and contextualises for an international audience, a new model for teachers’ professional development; Peer Group Mentoring, (PGM). It is based on the constructivist view of learning, the idea of shared expertise, and the ‘Model of Integrative Pedagogy’ which emphasises the integration of different forms of expert knowledge in professional development.

This book explores the theoretical and practical background for developing the peer-group mentoring model, and provides important contextual information about the Finnish school system in which it was conceptualised, and also about teacher education. It presents several empirical studies on applying the PGM model with primary and secondary school teachers in different school contexts, and outlines future challenges; examining peer-group mentoring in the framework of wider practice architectures of teacher education.

The book is an indispensable reference tool for educationalists and education researchers interested in collaborative and dialogic learning, teacher professional development and school administration.

Contents

I Peer-Group Mentoring and Work-Based Learning in the Teaching Profession

1. Teacher Education and Development as Lifelong and Lifewide Learning

Hannu L.T. Heikkinen Päivi Tynjälä and Hannu Jokinen

2. Peer-Group Mentoring and the Culture of Teacher Education in Finland

Hannu L.T. Heikkinen and Jouni Välijärvi

II Empirical Studies on Peer-Group Mentoring

3. The First Years as a Teacher

Eila Estola, Leena Syrjälä & Tuuli Maunu

4. Mentoring as Sustainable School Develo>

Peter Johnson & Suvi Alamaa

5. Individual and Social Meanings of Mentoring

Anu Hiltula, Leena Isosomppi, Hannu Jokinen & Anu Oksakari

6. Diverse Landscapes of Mentoring

Päivi Mäki

7. Peer-group Mentoring in the Context of Transforming Local Administration

Helena Rajakaltio & Eija Syrjäläinen

8. Multiprofessional Mentoring Groups in Vocational School

Minna Ahokas

9. Experiences of PGM in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Groups

Maria Lahdenmaa & Hannu L.T. Heikkinen

10. Diversity of Mentoring

Leena Syrjälä & Eila Estola

11. Group as a Context for Peer-Group Mentoring

Saara-Leena Kaunisto, Eila Estola & Raimo Niemistö

12. Keys to Success

Sini Teerikorpi & Hannu L.T. Heikkinen

III Towards Collegial Learning

13. Future Challenges

Päivi Tynjälä, Hannu L.T. Heikkinen & Hannu Jokinen

14. Peer-Group Mentoring and the ...