Transformative Impact of Mentorship on Building Resilience and Enhancing Professional Success: A Systematic Review of Support Strategies for Novice Teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47453/edulead.v7i1.3416Keywords:
Novice Teachers, Mentorship, Professional Success, ResilienceAbstract
The early years of teaching are often marked by stress, professional uncertainty, and high attrition rates—especially in developing countries like Nigeria, where structural challenges exacerbate the experiences of novice teachers. Against this backdrop, mentorship has emerged as a critical support mechanism for building resilience and fostering professional success. This research investigates the transformative impact of mentorship on early-career teachers, focusing on how mentoring enhances teacher retention, emotional well-being, and instructional effectiveness within Nigeria's education system. The research seeks to identify effective mentorship strategies and frameworks that support novice teachers in navigating the complex realities of the profession, and to examine how mentorship aligns with broader educational goals, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). A qualitative Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted, guided by the PRISMA framework and focused on 45 peer-reviewed articles published between 2022 and 2024 from Scopus and ERIC databases. Thematic analysis revealed three dominant themes: emotional and psychological support, mentorship models and professional development frameworks, and cultural and contextual influences on mentoring practices. The findings show that structured mentorship significantly improves teacher morale, pedagogical competence, and resilience, which are essential for long-term retention and performance. Unlike previous studies, this research centres on the Nigerian context, offering culturally grounded insights into mentorship's role in educational reform. In conclusion, the research contributes a contextualised understanding of mentorship as a strategic policy tool, recommending its institutionalisation in teacher development programs to improve academic quality and sustainability in Nigeria.
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