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Rationale
In an effort to address the high rate of teacher attrition and assist novice special
education teachers in their first years of teaching, many districts provide mentor
teachers for their novice teachers (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018; Goldhaber et al.,
2020). These experienced mentors are usually working teachers and, ideally, are
working in the same or similar environment as the novice teacher (Wexler, 2020).
Mentors and mentees work closely together in activities such as meeting regularly,
observing each other’s classrooms, sharing lesson ideas and classroom management
Dr. Cynthia Rollins strategies, and providing site support in many diverse, non-teaching areas such as
Spangler completed using the copier, managing paperwork and information, writing goals, and conducting
her EdD at Northcentral
University and is a IEP meetings (Biggers et al., 2019; Weisling & Gardiner, 2018). The importance of
program specialist and quality mentorship has been established (Cornelius & Sandmel, 2018), but research
special educator. A is lacking in what leads to a positive and effective mentor-mentee pairing (Biggers
member of DKG since et al., 2019; Kwok et al., 2021; Lozinak, 2016; Mitchell et al., 2020).
2017, she is a past vice
president for Iota Nu Problem and Purpose
Chapter in California
State Organization. The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was the lack of effective
Spangler received a mentorship and the influence such a gap may have on novice special education
scholarship from her state teachers’ perceived level of job satisfaction. The purpose of this qualitative case
organization to assist study was to identify the factors that special education mentors and novice teachers
in funding her doctoral perceived as leading to a positive pairing in an induction program and to consider
studies.
how pairing impacts perceived job satisfaction. Understanding what makes a positive
cspangler59@gmail.com mentor-mentee relationship from the perspective of both the mentee and the mentor
is important to the satisfaction of the novice teacher and to a lower rate of turnover
in the first years of the novice teacher’s career. The results of this study furthered
the understanding of positive pairings for novice and experienced special education
teachers, which may result in a higher level of teacher satisfaction and a lower level
of teacher attrition.

Research Questions
The study answered three research questions:
• What are novice teachers’ perceptions of the factors that lead to a positive
mentor-mentee relationship?
• What are mentor teachers’ perceptions of the factors that lead to a positive
mentor-mentee relationship?
• Does the mentor-mentee pairing have a perceived impact on a novice
teacher’s job satisfaction?

Population and Sample
The population of this study was comprised of teachers and administrators
who were participating in or had participated in the induction program in one rural
community in southern California in the 5 years prior to the study. A sample of
12 special educators and administrators with first-hand knowledge of the induction
program was recruited via district email. Participants included novice teachers
(“mentees”) who were in or had graduated from the program to work toward earning
their clear credential or participated in the program as mentees in the prior 5 years;
mentor teachers who were paired with mentees and provided support throughout
the 2-year program; and coordinators who administered the program through the
county office of education. This was a viable number of participants for a qualitative

12 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators