Mentoring Early Childhood Beginning Teachers through Facebook: Understanding the impact of online dialogue

This study investigates the mentoring practices that occur through open dialogue on Facebook and explores the perceptions of both early childhood beginning teachers and online mentors regarding the influences and dependencies that they are currently experiencing with this social media platform. Using an existentialist theoretical framework and a mixed-methods approach across three data phases, findings suggest that Facebook mentoring is both a positive and negative experience for beginning teachers where mentor identity is at times ambiguous and dogma must be navigated through. Facebook, however can be a powerful tool in the future to support and build professional efficacy and identity.