Project Description

The “E-mentorship for (E)quality in Early Childhood Education” project brings experienced and novice teachers together to support children’s early childhood experience and reduce their achievement gap.

The project develops an effective one-to-one e-mentorship program for novice preschool teachers assigned to schools with predominantly disadvantaged students.

Summary

The E-mentorship for (E)quality in Early Childhood Education (E-mentorship) project is a comprehensive initiative designed to address critical needs in early childhood education. It aims to bridge the gap in teaching quality by developing, implementing, and assessing an e-mentorship program for novice early years teachers. The project’s primary focus is improving children’s educational experiences, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. To achieve this, the project’s first year involves collaborative efforts to prepare training modules covering essential topics such as curriculum design, classroom management, and diversity. These modules are transformed into an e-learning platform, enabling mentor candidates to access training materials and fostering interaction among mentors and mentees.

In the second year, the project enters its main phase as mentors are assigned to support mentees, and all mentorship activities are conducted online through the web portal. This phase is pivotal for novice teachers as they receive guidance, feedback, and support to develop their teaching skills and adapt to the teaching profession. In the third year, the project focuses on data collection and analysis to assess the program’s effectiveness and impact. Additionally, handbooks are prepared to document the e-mentorship program, its content, and outcomes, serving as valuable resources for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders. The project concludes with widespread dissemination of findings and best practices through seminars and conferences, promoting the adoption of effective e-mentorship practices in early years education.

Ultimately, the E-mentorship project serves as a bridge between experienced and novice teachers, aiming to improve the quality of early childhood education for disadvantaged students, aligning with national and European education priorities. By providing support, guidance, and mentorship, the project seeks to create a more equitable and effective learning environment for young children while fostering mentors’ and mentees’ professional growth and development in the early years of education.

The project’s target groups include direct and indirect beneficiaries.

Direct Target Groups

• Experienced Teachers (Mentors): Experienced teachers with more than 15 years of teaching experience who will receive training to become mentors and support novice teachers.
• Novice Early Year Teachers (Mentees): Novice teachers with less than 5 years of experience who will be matched with mentors for guidance and support in improving their teaching skills.
• Academic Members: Academic members who will design the online modules for the e-mentorship program and monitor interactions between mentors and mentees.

Indirect Target Groups

• Early Year Students (Ages 3-6): Young children from disadvantaged communities who will indirectly benefit from the project as the quality of teaching and learning improves through mentorship.
• School Staff: The entire staff of stakeholder schools involved in the project will be indirectly impacted as the project’s activities may influence the overall school environment.
• Academic Staff and Early Years Teachers: Academic staff and early years teachers who attend seminars held after the final transnational meeting can gain knowledge and insights from the project’s findings and experiences.
• Principals, Teachers in Other Fields, and Educators: Principals, teachers in other fields, and educators interested in mentorship and professional development can benefit from the project’s handbook on e-mentorship.