Contributions of professional ethics to the enactment of mentoring in Chile

Abstract

Mentoring programs are beginning to increase in the Latin American context in response to the high rates of teacher attrition that occur in the first years of professional practice. This research aims to advance, from the contributions of professional ethics, in understanding the complexities that underlie mentoring from the question about the values that mobilize mentors and beginners in the enactment of the mentoring system in Chile. A qualitative deductive-inductive approach is proposed, which delves into the discourses of 4 pairs of mentors and beginners about three critical dimensions of mentoring: individual, relational, and community. The findings show the importance of recognition, trust, and vocation as values that guide and give meaning to professional work. It is discussed how these values are highly strung at school and how mentors and beginners update them.