Exploring research on mentoring policies in education

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to expand the conversation about mentoring and policy and provides a detailed analysis of empirical research on mentoring polices in education, with a focus on adult mentoring in primary and secondary schools. Design/methodology/approach - Articles in peer-reviewed journals were examined using a systematic content analysis. In total, 405 abstracts/articles were reviewed, and 37 articles were subjected to an in-depth analysis. Findings - Although very few articles dealt specifically with mentoring policy in any substantial way, a major finding that emerged was that to be effective, policy development should include not only the stakeholders who have the power to create it, but also those who must implement it. Research limitations/implications - Although the authors acknowledge that the systematic search process may not have captured all the relevant articles, and that other books or resources on this topic might not have been accessed in the search process, serious research on the topic of mentoring policy and its implications for primary and secondary school contexts nevertheless seems to be limited. Practical implications - The findings have implications for practice and future research, and point towards the need for a comprehensive research agenda on this topic. Originality/value - The paper has value for the directions of future research.