Mentoring presidents within English language teacher associations

Abstract

Purpose: Mentoring is a significant form of professional development and learning that presidents of English language teacher associations (ELTAs) can benefit from. This qualitative case study investigates ELTA presidents’ experiences of mentoring and the role it played in preparing them for leadership. Methodology: Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with seven presidents leading ELTAs based in different countries around the world. Interview data were subjected to thematic analysis. Findings: The study indicates that mentoring enabled ELTA presidents to learn about the association they were leading and about what their role entailed. Mentoring helped them to deal with the leadership challenges they faced, fostered their leadership skills, and operated in conjunction with the professional development and learning they acquired via prior volunteering experiences. Mentoring also formed part of the leadership succession process they went through, especially when there was an opportunity for job shadowing. Originality/value: This study offers one of the first in-depth investigations into how mentoring supports the leadership development of ELTA presidents, shedding light on a critical yet overlooked aspect of volunteer-led educational organisations. By centring the voices of ELTA leaders across diverse global contexts, it highlights mentoring as a relational and context-responsive practice that contributes to sustainable leadership succession in ELTAs.