The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs 10 Years of Brazilian Scholarship : British Council Brazil and the Hornby Trust

One aspect of teachers’ working lives rarely given consideration within educational research is that of social interaction with colleagues. While research focuses strongly on linking teaching practices to students’ learning outcomes, the social benefits of teacher collegiality for teachers themselves is often neglected. In this study, I examine teachers’ perceptions among professionals working at the TEFL department at the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA) and the importance of social interaction for their professional lives. I argue for incorporating a social dimension into existing concepts of teacher collegiality and speculate that social interaction among colleagues may be beneficial in two ways. Firstly, social interaction may promote better working relationships, which, in the longer term, may improve the quality of teaching and learning. Secondly, positive social interaction may improve the emotional health of the staff community, thus reducing stress and burnout. This study discusses how the use of peer collaborative mentoring strategies can help to enhance the professional development of teachers in Universities. It describes a project where members of the peer mentoring group play the multi-faceted roles of problem definers, information gatherers, information sharers and knowledge creators. The overall goals and activities of the peer mentoring scheme are also discussed.