Learning to be a Mentor for New Teachers: A Challenge to Retain Teachers in Portuguese Schools

This study explores how mentor training, delivered through a structured teacher induction program, influences mentor teachers’ perceptions of their role in supporting NQTs. Twenty-nine teachers in Portugal implemented a mentoring program and completed a questionnaire (before and after the program). The main findings indicate that the participants felt the program helped them to reflect on the profession and highlighted that the quality of interactions shared during planning and postlesson reflection has significant potential to support early professional learning and, consequently, to encourage new teachers to remain in the profession.