Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book covers theories and models of mentoring, understanding of teachers’ motivations and readiness to be a mentor, beginning science teachers’ expectations of their mentor, embedding reflective practices in their mentoring and strengthening the mentor–mentee relationship to support a beginning teacher’s professional development. It focuses on supporting a beginning teacher to plan, teach and evaluate lessons, mentoring steps to employ a lesson observation cycle effectively, and holding weekly mentoring meetings to support a beginning teacher’s development in a constructive manner. The book then focuses on knowledge, skills and understanding about communities of practice to support beginning science teachers to become autonomous teachers, extending and enriching their planning further and teaching special educational needs and disability pupils in a full class context. It also details the science teachers’ knowledge for teaching the science curriculum to develop pupils as effective science learners.