Knowledge input in responses to a government inquiry concerning probationary year for new teachers; the role of mentors and headmasters

In Sweden, with no tradition of mentors participating in formal summative assessment of newly qualified teachers, a Government Inquiry proposes this dual role for mentors. This paper examines how the mentor’s and headmaster’s role in the assessment and the relations between mentor and mentee are discussed in the 108 responses sent to the Swedish Ministry of Education, as response to this Government Inquiry. Results show that the issue of evaluation in discussed in half of the responses (54 of 108); the headmasters role in mentioned twice as much as the mentors role (in 41 respectively 23 of the 108 responses); and that higher education institutions are most active focusing the mentors. Only 23 of the responses mention the mentor’s role in the assessment; none of these responses is positive to the mentor’s double role but eleven questions it; and the relationship between the mentor and mentee is discussed in only four responses. This raises question as to what extent new information or perspectives could be expected from responses, especially from a research-based perspective.