Abstract:

After the recent approval of Organic Law 2/2023 on March 22nd, regarding the University System, Spanish universities find themselves in a new context where promoting teaching innovation becomes a fundamental principle. This promotion is to be achieved through training and development programs for their educators. Some university professors do not incorporate active methodologies in the classroom, either due to a lack of training, uncertainty about the most beneficial approach depending on the student's profile and the subject matter, or a lack of knowledge about implementation.

In its mission and strong commitment to promoting the use of active methodologies within both classrooms and curricular structures, as outlined in Royal Decree 822/2021, Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) has established the Network of Innovative Teachers. This network allows educators to share their experiences with their colleagues. Additionally, to encourage the transferability of active methodologies in the classroom, the Innovative Teaching Mentoring Program (PMDI) has been launched for the academic year 2022-2023.

Mentoring, within the academic context, serves as a potent developmental tool derived from the personal and reciprocal relationship between the mentor – a more experienced and knowledgeable university member who acts as a guide, model, teacher, and sponsor – and the mentee, a less experienced university member.

This paper aims to illustrate how mentoring can enhance teaching innovation and encourage more educators to incorporate innovative, active methodologies into their university classrooms. The justification for utilizing the mentoring tool to develop teachers toward teaching innovation is presented. The implementation of the PMDI at URJC can serve as an example for other universities, encouraging their educators to introduce active methodologies in line with Royal Decree 822/2021.

To implement the Innovative Teaching Mentoring Program, a systematic process with various stages has been followed. In its initiation, transversal work commissions were created, composed of experts from different Vice-rectorates with competencies in Teacher Training and Teaching Innovation, Teaching Staff, and Transformation and Digital Education. During this phase, university mentoring programs were analyzed, and the initial guidelines for the mentoring program were established to achieve the objective of transferring teaching innovation capabilities among university professors.

Pairing mentors with mentees posed challenges. The voluntary call for mentors resulted in participants from various faculties and schools with experience in diverse active methodologies. Similarly, the diverse mentee profiles presented a challenge in achieving the most effective mentor-mentee pairings.

PMDI is a novel initiative at URJC, reflecting its strong commitment to teaching innovation. While the regulations already mandate the use of active methodologies in university classrooms, some educators require training, support, or guidance for successful implementation. Through mentoring, URJC envisions innovation in the classroom not as a challenge but as a reality, shaping the future of university teaching.

Keywords:

Mentoring, Teaching Innovation, Teacher Development.