| In this study I used complexity-thinking, ecologically-based sustainable capacity-building, narrative methodology, and pragmatism to explore the relationships among mentoring, conflict, and novice retention. In order to explore these relationships, I constructed stories from my interviews with six mentor-novice dyads in a southeastern 9-12 high school that was struggling with teacher retention. I analyzed these stories that addressed the nature of the mentor-novice dyad in light of eight primary indicators of complex systems as defined by Davis and Sumara (2006). I also found examples of teacher conflicts with administrators, students, and other categories. I noted how the mentor-novice dyad's complex nature and its use of ecologically-based sustainable capacity building helped mentors and novices handle those conflicts and barriers to conflict resolution. The findings from this study suggest that the mentor-novice relationships were distinctly different from other helping relationships at my research site; however, the relationship between novice retention and the ways mentor-novice relationships handled school conflicts and barriers to conflict resolution were inconclusive.;Key words: mentoring, retention, school conflict, complexity thinking, narrative inquiry... |
