Travelling Practices: Planting a Hybridised Induction Programme in the Gibraltarian Education Ecosystem

Elaine Lima; Hannu L. T. Heikkinen

Jump to Content

Chapter 8 Travelling Practices

Planting a Hybridised Induction Programme in the Gibraltarian Education Ecosystem

In: Making Sense of European Teacher Induction and Mentoring Practices

Authors:

Elaine Lima

Elaine Lima
Search for other papers by Elaine Lima in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

and

Hannu L. T. Heikkinen

Hannu L. T. Heikkinen
Search for other papers by Hannu L. T. Heikkinen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 179–200

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004727557_008

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

€42.00€35.00 excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

Abstract

This chapter is based on a case study of a customised mentoring programme for newly qualified teachers in Gibraltar, the main idea of which has been to hybridise action research with the peer group mentoring model adopted from Finland. The study aimed to investigate how a programme based on these two approaches could meet the needs of novice teachers. The study is based on the theory of ecologies practices which suggests practices as ‘living things’ which, like species in nature, are parts of a wider ecosystem, inhabiting their ecological niche. Accordingly, we suggest that practices can travel from one ecosystem to another and settle in a different environment if the surrounding conditions are favourable. Species can also interbreed, as in this case.

The mentoring model developed in Gibraltar was based on the Finnish model of Peer Group Mentoring but it was not intended to be planted as such in new soil, but to adapt it to the specific ecological niche of the Gibraltar educational ecosystem. In this model, participants were guided to use the methods of participatory action research to identify areas in their own practice which might require attention. By combining these two approaches – peer group mentoring and action research – the study aimed to create collaborative spaces in which beginning teachers could identify areas of common concern and develop a critical understanding of their practice with a view to embedding reflective practice and self-directed professional development from the very start of their careers.

The theory of ecologies of practices (Kemmis, 2022) suggests that practices can be viewed as living entities that form ecosystem-like relationships with other practices on a specific site, or an ecosystem. In terms of the theory of ecologies of practice, a species survives and flourishes in a new environment only if it finds an ecological niche that offers it favourable conditions. On the other hand, species can also change so that their characteristics adapt to the new environment. This case study offers insight into how changes to existing practices, and the deployment of these in a new environment, represent a kind of evolution of these practices.

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004727557/BP000017.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

Making Sense of European Teacher Induction and Mentoring Practices

Series: Key Issues in Teacher Education: Policy, Research and Practice, Volume: 5

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004727557

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 12 Jan 2026

Subjects
- Education

Front Matter

Back Matter

ProCite

RefWorks

Reference Manager

BibTeX

Zotero

EndNote

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	48	48	8
Full Text Views	1	1	0
PDF Views & Downloads	3	3	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

Chapter 8 Travelling Practices

Planting a Hybridised Induction Programme in the Gibraltarian Education Ecosystem

Abstract

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

Making Sense of European Teacher Induction and Mentoring Practices

Table of Contents

References

Metrics

Metrics