The Institution of Mentoring in Greek Vocational Education: Challenges, Benefits, and Evaluation of Collaboration
Abstract
Introduction: The role of the Mentor in education is to support, guide, and advise newly appointed, substitute, or hourly-paid teachers, with the aim of facilitating their professional development and ultimately ensuring the smooth operation of the school unit. The present research investigated the institution of mentoring in Greece, focusing on the experiences of newly appointed and substitute teachers. The study explored the difficulties in implementing the institution, the opportunities offered by structured induction programs, the benefits of the mentoring relationship, and the evaluation of the collaboration between mentor and mentee.
Method: The questionnaire was developed entirely with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, which drafted and refined the survey questions in accordance with the study objectives. Each question was subsequently validated using a different AI tool to ensure its consistency and reliability. Data were collected electronically. A purposive sampling method was applied, specifically criterion sampling. This sampling method is considered the most appropriate, consistent with the information provided to the A.I. tools. The sampling procedure was non-probability, as the participants were not selected randomly but based on the criterion of professional experience. Teachers with less than five years of service, who fall under the provisions of the mentoring legislation, were selected. The research was conducted at the Sivitanidios School, one of the largest technical schools in Greece. Across its four schools and one laboratory center, out of 59 teachers supported by the mentoring scheme, 20 completed the questionnaire.
Results: The results were compared with those of the international literature through the application of artificial intelligence (A.I.) techniques. Although the results cannot be statistically generalized, they revealed that 65% of the teachers found it very difficult to accept the mentoring institution due to stereotypes and prejudices; 85% considered the existence of an organized induction program highly important; 50% believed that the quality of education in their school significantly improved through the mentoring relationship; and 60% expressed great satisfaction with their collaboration with the mentor.
Conclusions: Although most teachers initially viewed the mentoring institution with skepticism, they ultimately benefited from it and improved their professional skills. They expressed the desire for every school to implement an induction program for new teachers and emphasized that mentoring contributes to improving the overall quality of education. The research demonstrates that AI-supported tools can effectively contribute to the study and rigorous evaluation of mentoring practices, thereby linking technological innovation directly to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4: Quality Education).
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