JELPP – Volume 39 (2025)
Embedding a culture of mentoring in a school: A case study
Kate Thornton
Abstract
This article presents the findings of a case study investigating the mentoring culture at a school in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study arose from the participation of staff in a professional learning course on effective mentoring practices attended by key school leaders, including the principal. Unlike in most schools, mentoring at this school is provided not just for beginning teachers but for all teachers, prompting an examination of the conditions, structures, benefits, and challenges associated with this approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, surveys, and document analysis, focusing on participants’ experiences of mentoring. Findings indicate that regular, scheduled mentoring sessions foster mutual trust and support, contributing to both personal and professional growth among staff. Participants highlighted the importance of mentor capabilities such as empathy and emotional intelligence, while also noting challenges associated with mentor selection and the balance of line management responsibilities. The study concludes that a structured mentoring programme can yield significant benefits for teacher well-being and professional development. Recommendations for schools considering similar initiatives include defining clear mentoring purposes, selecting appropriate frameworks, providing training for mentors, and ensuring regular reviews of mentoring effectiveness.
Leading with self-awareness: The antecedent to relational leadership
Andrea Driver
Abstract
For many educational leaders, the move to an online (virtual) teaching and learning environment which requires different ways of engaging from a traditional daily in person leadership approach can be daunting. The research reported in this article explored how I, an education leader who had previously enjoyed traditional face to face leadership roles, could move into an online teaching and learning environment and maintain the relational leadership approach I had strived to enact in face-to-face settings. Through an autoethnographic framework, journaling and critical reflective process, the research data captured the personal and professional characteristics and attributes that influenced my leadership practice. These characteristics were explored through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; 2005), and the philosophical framework of the Whatu metaphor (Hiha, 2015), strengthening the understanding that the personal and professional characteristics identified within my leadership practice had been shaped and influenced by my early life and formative experiences. The findings from the research offer a unique contribution to the limited research demonstrating how education leaders can enact agency of their leadership through self-awareness in an online teaching and learning environment.
Leading through complexity: A single case study on cultivating agility with cultural and emotional intelligence
Mel Martin, Peter Y. T. Sun and Sheralyn Cook
Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand’s educational landscape is complex, characterised by diverse cultural and emotional dynamics. This single case study explores how primary school leaders harness cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) to inspire agility amid complexities. Set in a semi-rural context marked by leadership changes and restructuring, a positive school culture has been fostered, making it a school where staff feel proud to teach and eager to send their own children.
Using a qualitative constructivist grounded theory approach, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with the principal, leadership team, and teachers. Three key themes emerged. First, leaders begin by identifying their own purpose and intentionally building trust with their teams and community. From this foundation, leaders draw upon deliberate actions that align their purpose and amplify energy to create an inclusive agile environment. Thirdly, the wider environment influences the leader’s effectiveness and shapes their collective ability to navigate complexity.
The findings underscore the crucial need for educational leaders to be agile. To effectively navigate the complexities of modern leadership, they must cultivate agility by applying a blend of CQ, EQ and cognitive flexibility (CF) to inspire their teams. This combination empowers and inspires their teams, fostering an inclusive, resilient and adaptive culture. Failing to do so risks creating a culture that cannot withstand the complexities and challenges evident in contemporary leadership.