How does mentoring influence the lived experience of resilience in trainee teachers?

This research explores the impact of mentoring on trainee teachers' lived experiences of resilience. It examines the nature of mentor support and the relational aspects of mentoring encountered by trainees during school placements. Addressing a gap in recruitment and retention strategies, this study aims to deepen understanding of how mentoring affects resilience. A critical interpretative literature review concludes that recent policy guidance on developing trainee resilience overlooks the social dimensions of learning to teach and their variable impact on resilience. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with four recently qualified teachers. Findings indicate that mentoring positively impacts resilience when it allows space for holistic identity development. Three themes emerged: Power, Care, and Belonging, elucidating the complex social dynamics of the influence of the mentoring relationship on resilience. These insights can help mentors support trainee teachers’ resilience through identity development, contributing to their sustained commitment to the profession.