A Qualitative Investigation of the Effects of Mentoring: Teacher Narratives from Tianjin, China

The uniqueness of this research captures the dynamics of mentoring relationship between mentors and mentees and to what extent they have an impact on each other. Based on the qualitative analysis from teacher interviews done in Tianjin, China, the mentees greatly benefit from this relationship evident on the pedagogical knowledge, classroom management skills and psycho-behavioral aspects that they perceived and reported. On the other hand, mentors highlighted the effect on their leadership capacity and the sense of validation they get from this relationship. This paper concluded that although the benefits may not be weighed exactly the same on both ends, the effects are fundamentally significant and still ‘mutual’. The understanding of how teachers perceive and receive mentoring structures present in their school systems support and promote the literature on mentoring as professional development, induction, and an established practice that transcend vividly in a Chinese context.</jats:p>