EXPLORING NOVICE TEACHERS’ SELF-EFFICACY AND PERCEPTIONS OF VIRTUAL MENTORING FROM AN INDUCTION PROGRAM

Teacher turnover is an issue plaguing states and districts around the country, particularly among novice teach ers. Research indicates that strong induction and mentoring programs can provide novice teachers with crit ical support and guidance as they make the transition from the pre-service environment to the professional workforce resulting in higher levels of self-efficacy and performance. While there is a considerable amount of research on traditional, face-to-face new teacher induction (NTI) programs, there are few studies that investi gate the integration of technology for a virtual experience. This study sought to explore quantitative measures of teachers' self-efficacy and the perceptions of novice teachers engaging in virtual mentoring in the context of an NTI program. Results of the survey indicate that participants (n = 67) reported a moderate degree of confi dence in their ability to satisfactorily accomplish tasks within their classrooms. Several themes emerged from the qualitative data highlighting the importance of the frequency, quality, and content of teachers' interactions with their mentors. This study contributes to the existing literature on virtual mentoring and explores how the experience can provide teachers with an opportunity to cultivate self-efficacy.