The Effectiveness of the Let’s Teach for Hungary Mentoring Program

The situation of disadvantaged students has been a problem in the field of education for decades, -so much so that several disadvantage-compensation programs have been set up in an effort to reduce its effect. This includes the mentoring process, the primary purpose of providing support and assistance to younger individuals. The subjects of the research are the 7 th grade students participating in the Let’s teach for Hungary mentoring program. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the autumn of 2019 ( n =585), during which I focused on the children’s expectations of the mentoring program, their learning difficulties, learning motivations, and their plans for further learning. Classifying students in clusters based on their motivations, highlights the fact that the range of participants is not homogeneous this aspect. The Coronavirus epidemic has posed a significant challenge to traditional education, and the opportunities offered by personal mentoring have been pushed into the background over the past year and a half. Educators and students alike have struggled through the transition to digital education (Kristóf, 2020). Attendance mentoring was forced to continue in the form of distance mentoring. In my current research, I examine the existence of distance mentoring, the exploration of experiences, and the preparedness of the participants in the Teach for Hungary program. Data collection began in December 2021, and the query process is still ongoing. I carry out the survey using a mixed-method. I collect quantitative data among students with the help of questionnaires, which focus on the experiences, opinions and readiness of the children. In addition, I use a qualitative, interview-based research method that provides an understanding of more comprehensive experiences. I conduct interviews with educators, mentors, and mentored students. The subjects of the research are primary school students (8 th grade students), mentors and teachers of a small settlement in Hajdú-Bihar county and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county ( n =60 people). The research results can serve as feedback to the participants on the success of work done during distance mentoring. The results obtained can also serve as feedback for the Let’s teach for Hungary program because the program can be developed in the future from interviews. in new new thus broadening their worldview. Previous research has found that for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunity to be mentored is a chance to escape from everyday life and familiar stressful situations, thus discovering the possibility of 'doing different - being different' in the mentoring process (Dávid et al., 2014). Examining the main characteristics of the groups, we found that the proportion of girls in the passive group is higher in terms of gender distribution, while the other two groups show a more balanced picture. Examined by cross-tabulation analysis, it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between groups and gender. The fourth graph shows whether students in each group had difficulties in learning. Learning-related outcomes are a very important factor at this stage of life, as learning and learning-related plans and attitudes are of particular importance in the context of further education and career choices. Perseverance, motivation, a sense of the importance and usefulness of learning, and the existence of goals can be components of academic achievement. All of them are factors that indicate a commitment to learning and/or school, interest in learning and positive attitudes towards learning (Szemerszki, 2015). When examining learning difficulties using a cross-tabulation method (chi-square statistic, p≤.05, sig.: .001), I found a significant connection between learning difficulties and group variables.


Introduction
Poverty, disadvantaged situations, and their various manifestations are considered significant problems in society. The concept of disadvantaged situations covers three main areas: (1) dimensions of the labour market, (2) regional development and (3) education policy. Disadvantages can be influenced by several factors, such as school failure, settlement-related characteristics, school staff and conditions, regional disparities, problems with the development of the settlement, and limited employment opportunities. Among the Hungarian researchers, Kozma was the first to address this issue and describe the concept of disadvantage. According to Kozma, those children and young people are considered disadvantaged, and as failing at school-, who have failed or even dropped out of primary education (Kozma, 1975).
From a pedagogical perspective, disadvantaged children are those children who have to grow up in more difficult circumstances than usual, which affect their personality development, their academic achievement, and the quality of their school life (Réthyné et al., 2006). This study aims to examine the Let's Teach for Hungary mentoring program. The research was carried out in two waves: the first wave explored the situation of the participating students before the pandemic, while the second wave included reflections on distance learning. We used both quantitative and qualitative techniques in our analysis.

Relationship between family background and school performance
The international literature highlights a strong connection between the low socioeconomic status of parents and the lower academic achievement of pupils. In Hungary, this is reflected in the results of competency tests and PISA surveys. Success or failure at school can depend on several factors affecting children's life trajectories, quality of life, and position in society (Réthyné et al., 2006). Research in this area shows that the proportion of (profoundly) disadvantaged students in the education system is continuously increasing (Anonymous., n.d.). Several factors can influence students' academic achievement, including the family's financial situation, the cultural capital brought from home, the presence/lack of a supportive family environment, and the general school-related results and learning opportunities provided by the school (Szemerszki, 2015). The main problem of poverty and the transmission of disadvantage is rooted in the fact that less-educated parents, following their own example, also direct their children towards earning an income as soon as possible rather than encouraging them to pursue higher educational attainment (Várnagy et al., 2000). Furthermore, this may be underpinned by a kind of 'information shadow', meaning there is a lack of information about further education opportunities. Previous research shows that the students interviewed have very little information about further education opportunities, the application process and university life in general. There are many administrative processes prior to entering higher education that are not so transparent, thereby causing them difficulties. Even more worrisome is, nearly 20% of them would have problems simply obtaining and filling out the necessary forms and printed materials. Hurdles like these may reduce disadvantaged students' chances of getting into university (Bocsi, 2018).

Learning characteristics of disadvantaged pupils
When looking at the learning characteristics and motivations of disadvantaged pupils, it can be seen that they put a lower value on learning, which can be due in part to a lack of positive experiences, successes and positive reinforcement. Among disadvantaged pupils, the importance of further education plays a less important role in career choice, even if the child's abilities would justify further study, and the young generation growing up would automatically remain disadvantaged (Várnagy et al., 2000). The institutional system of the school as an arena for secondary socialisation plays an extremely important role in the development of learning motivation. Motivation should always be present in the teaching and learning process, both as a goal and as a tool, but in the case of disadvantaged pupils, the lack of motivation to learn and the negative attitude towards school are typical. The combination of these affects their further performance (Várnagy et al., 2000). This suggests that school has a key role in reducing disadvantage and can help to make the inclusive school environment more understanding, thereby reducing prejudice (Vecseiné, 2011).

The aim of the programmes on reducing disadvantage -The presentation of the Let's Teach for Hungary mentoring program
Starting from a disadvantaged background (meaning the socioeconomic status of a family), can be further exacerbated by entering a particular institutional system, like the school. The experience of a series of hardships, difficulties and failures can make it difficult for an individual to strike out on one's own, and also making it clear that, that individual needs help. To this end, several programmes on reducing disadvantage have been implemented, specifically the Let's Teach for Hungary mentoring programme, on which my research focuses. The target groups of the program are primary school and upper secondary school pupils (7-8 th grade students) living in small villages, assisted by university mentors. A kind of duality can characterise the aim of the program: on the one hand, the emphasis is on creating opportunities, all the while, the mentors' task is to support the pupils all the way through completing their studies; on the other hand, while mutual learning and support are important, what is quintessential is that-, the mentors show the mentees opportunities beyond the settlement, of optional secondary schools, enterprises and professions. The program has spread nationwide, with nearly 20 institutions of higher education joining the initiative. University students can apply as mentors from any faculty, or any major. (Tanítsunk Magyarországért, n.d.).

Literature review on mentoring
Based on the literature background of mentoring, it can be concluded that the evolution of its definition is linked to the culture and the tasks expected of mentors. A similar idea can be found here, according to which the role of the mentor is fulfilled when we talk about a person who assists a younger, less experienced individual. In our country, mentoring has been present since the late 1990s, primarily as a tool for reducing disadvantage (Bander et al., 2015). Communication, trust, and acceptance of roles are crucial in the mentoring process. The process involves both mentors and mentees, and the establishment, and maintenance of good and smooth communication is an essential factor and driver for the process to work, and the minimum necessary to establish a relationship of trust. The mentoring relationship can be understood as a kind of interpersonal relationship whose progress is significantly facilitated by the existence of mutual trust and respect (Di Blasio et al., 2011).
Research suggests that mentoring can be a complete escape from everyday life and stressful situations for young people with disadvantaged backgrounds and those with problems arising from their life. They see entering the mentoring process as an opportunity to excel, based on a sense of "doing different -being different". As time goes on, the increasingly strong and deepening mentoring relationship may become a highlight on the young person's list of preferences and motivations for participating in mentoring sessions next time (Dávid et al., 2014).
Many mentoring programmes seek to unlock the benefits of mentor-mentee contact (Fejes, 2012), but the opportunities offered by face-to-face mentoring have been overshadowed by the past one and half years. With the emergence of the Coronavirus epidemic, traditional education has faced a significant challenge that the education system has not faced before. Many areas have been transformed, and the transition from traditional to digital education has brought on additional struggles for teachers and students (Kristóf, 2020). Traditional mentoring took the form of distance mentoring, the emergence of which raised an enormous number of questions and erected obstacles for mentors in carrying out their mentoring activities. The first step was to reorganise the mentoring activities, as the programmes that could be delivered face-to-face had to be moved entirely to the online space. However, not all of the mentored participants had the appropriate equipment, and one of the conditions for participating in mentoring sessions was the availability of appropriate digital equipment. There has been a greater emphasis on developing digital literacy for mentors and mentored learners.

Research design and Methods
In my previous research, I wanted to scout out the family background of the mentored students, to ascertain their personal expectations of the mentoring programme, and to form groups based on their personal opinions. I considered questionnaires to be the most suitable method for exploring these opinions, as it allows for a large number of items to be queried. The main blocks of questions in the quantitative method concerned general information about the students, their expectations of their prospective mentor and the mentoring program, and their overall opinion.
I used the Let's Teach for Hungary student questionnaire and the database created from it in my research as well. 7th-grade pupils of the participating primary schools were allowed to enter the program with parental consent. The research was carried out with the permission of the management of the Let's Teach for Hungary programme, and therefore I had access to the results of the questionnaire assessing the students' input. Due to the questionnaire survey, a database of 585 pupils was created, and the results were collected from primary schools belonging to the four higher education institutions (University of Debrecen, University of Nyíregyháza, University of Miskolc, University of Pécs). The survey was completed in the autumn semester of the 2019/2020 academic year.
In the second wave of the research, I will examine the existence and effectiveness of remote mentoring in the Let's Teach for Hungary programme, the experiences gained, and the participants' preparedness and skills.
The data collection started in December 2021, and the survey process is still ongoing. The survey will be conducted using a mixed-method, collecting quantitative data from students through questionnaires, focusing on children's experiences, opinions and preparedness. I also use interviews as qualitative methods, which provide a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences. The interviews will be conducted with teachers, mentors and mentee students. The subjects of the research are primary school students (N=50), mentors (N=4) and teachers (N=4) of small villages in Hajdú-Bihar County and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. To ensure anonymity, the interviewees are indicated by numbers. The draft interviews were conducted in autumn 2021, divided into main blocks of questions. After the general introductory part, I cover the question blocks on institutional preparedness, the implementation and experiences of online education, and the implementation of the mentoring program before and during the pandemic.
This paper focuses on the results of the interview survey based on the perceptions of mentors and teachers. The interviewed teachers are coordinators of the mentor program. My qualitative research is structured around the exploration of emerging and existing issues in the period of distance education and distance mentoring. There will be a focus on changes, experiences and ICT equipment during the period of digital education based on interviews with teachers.

Preliminary assumptions
Before starting the first wave of the research, I created three hypotheses, which were tested during the questionnaire survey: H1: When examining educational plans, I assume that they are primarily aiming to acquire a profession (Kocsis, 2018).
H2: Concerning the expectations about the programme, I assume that elements that are not related to supporting learning are also prioritised (Fejes et al., 2013).
H3: Regarding the expectations about the programme separate groups for the mentees. I assume that the groups separated in this way differ according to gender, learning difficulties and time commitment.
H4: In the second wave of the research, I assume that during the epidemic period, the difficulty for mentors was to motivate learners and reach them online.

Results of the first wave of research
The mentoring program has started with 585 mentored students, with a gender distribution of 52.6% girls and 47.4% boys. Looking at the students' family background, three quarters live with both parents, almost 20% live with one parent, and some of them are being raised by grandparents or foster parents. Among the universities, the University of Debrecen has the highest participation rate. I also measured the time commitment, and we can see that telephone use shows the highest time use (Figure 1). Before starting the first wave of the research, I created three hypotheses, which were tested during the questionnaire survey: H1: When examining educational plans, I assume that they are primarily aiming to acquire a profession (Kocsis, 2018).
H2: Concerning the expectations about the programme, I assume that elements that are not related to supporting learning are also prioritised (Fejes et al., 2013).
H3: Regarding the expectations about the programmeseparate groups for the mentees. I assume that the groups separated in this way differ according to gender, learning difficulties and time commitment.
H4: In the second wave of the research, I assume that during the epidemic period, the difficulty for mentors was to motivate learners and reach them online.

Results of the first wave of research
The mentoring program has started with 585 mentored students, with a gender distribution of 52.6% girls and 47.4% boys. Looking at the students' family background, three quarters live with both parents, almost 20% live with one parent, and some of them are being raised by grandparents or foster parents. Among the universities, the University of Debrecen has the highest participation rate. I also measured the time commitment, and we can see that telephone use shows the highest time use (Figure 1).

Figure1. Daily time commitment estimated in minutes (n=582; means)
Source: own edition Figure2 shows the averages of students' expectations concerning the mentoring program. We can see that the emphasis is on programmes that focus on experiential learning, while students attribute less importance to factors that are related to school and studies. As mentioned above, for young people with fewer opportunities, mentoring can be a way for Figure2 shows the averages of students' expectations concerning the mentoring program. We can see that the emphasis is on programmes that focus on experiential learning, while students attribute less importance to factors that are related to school and studies. As mentioned above, for young people with fewer opportunities, mentoring can be a way for them to escape from their everyday life and stressful situations, based on a sense of 'doing different -being different' (Dávid et al., 2014), and this can be achieved mainly by having new experiences, exploring new places, adapting to new roles and learning about themselves.  refers to the plans for further education, which shows that the majority of students want to continue their studies. Most of them want to study a profession, while nearly 30% want to enter an institution offering a school-leaving certificate. The desire to acquire a profession and earn an income as soon as possible is also confirmed by previous research, as a study of disadvantaged secondary school students shows that this trend is also present among young people. For the secondary school age group, the primary target group for plans is to finish school, obtain a school-leaving certificate and a vocational qualification. However, finding a job in the labour market is also among the most important goals (Kocsis, 2018).
The figure visualising plans for studies by gender shows that the priority is to obtain a profession for both genders: almost 50% of boys and almost 30% of girls want to study a profession. This is followed by 11.2% of boys who want to obtain a school-leaving certificate, and 10% of boys who do not yet know where they would like to study. For girls, the latter factor comes second (almost 20%), with similar figures for the next highest ranking being the school leaving certificate (17.9%) and going to university in the future (16.9%). Source: own edition Kocsis,N. 6 Figure2.Expectations concerning the mentoring program (n=582; means of six-point scales) Source: own edition Figure3 refers to the plans for further education, which shows that the majority of students want to continue their studies. Most of them want to study a profession, while nearly 30% want to enter an institution offering a school-leaving certificate. The desire to acquire a profession and earn an income as soon as possible is also confirmed by previous research, as a study of disadvantaged secondary school students shows that this trend is also present among young people. For the secondary school age group, the primary target group for plans is to finish school, obtain a school-leaving certificate and a vocational qualification. However, finding a job in the labour market is also among the most important goals (Kocsis, 2018).
The figure visualising plans for studies by gender shows that the priority is to obtain a profession for both genders: almost 50% of boys and almost 30% of girls want to study a profession. This is followed by 11.2% of boys who want to obtain a school-leaving certificate, and 10% of boys who do not yet know where they would like to study. For girls, the latter factor comes second (almost 20%), with similar figures for the next highest ranking being the school leaving certificate (17.9%) and going to university in the future (16.9%).

The groups of mentees
Based on the expectations toward the mentoring program, I have developed clusters of three groups of mentored students. The clusters were performed using a K-means procedure based on what the students expected from the programme. The question block contained ten questions, which students were asked to rate their aims on a six-point scale. The minimum number of items in each group was 105 (Table1). To be more aware and conscious of the world 5,647 3,686 4,800 To meet a person I can talk to about anything 5,544 2,981 4,600 Source: own edition The first group comprises 'engaged' students, for whom all factors are highly valued, i.e. they are open, curious about the programme and more motivated to start working together. The next group is called 'passive', containing those who are seen as involved in the programme but whose expectations are not evident. This may be because, although they were not excluded from the program, they were not motivated to take up this new opportunity, as it was a novel program, and therefore no previous knowledge and experience were available at the time on which these students could build. The third group is one of 'experience-oriented' students, whose expectations were mainly expressed in gaining new experiences, discovering new places and thus broadening their worldview. Previous research has found that for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunity to be mentored is a chance to escape from everyday life and familiar stressful situations, thus discovering the possibility of 'doing different -being different' in the mentoring process (Dávid et al., 2014). Examining the main characteristics of the groups, we found that the proportion of girls in the passive group is higher in terms of gender distribution, while the other two groups show a more balanced picture. Examined by cross-tabulation analysis, it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between groups and gender.
The fourth graph shows whether students in each group had difficulties in learning. Learning-related outcomes are a very important factor at this stage of life, as learning and learning-related plans and attitudes are of particular importance in the context of further education and career choices. Perseverance, motivation, a sense of the importance and usefulness of learning, and the existence of goals can be components of academic achievement. All of them are factors that indicate a commitment to learning and/or school, interest in learning and positive attitudes towards learning (Szemerszki, 2015). When examining learning difficulties using a crosstabulation method (chi-square statistic, p≤.05, sig.: .001), I found a significant connection between learning difficulties and group variables. The highest rate (60%) is observed for the engaged group, presumably because there are more people in this group and the engaged group spends the most time studying, and it can be assumed that the higher rate of difficulties is also due to the higher rate of time spent studying, which makes it more likely to recognise difficulties. Analysis was performed using a cross-tabulation method, and a significant relationship was found between groups and the presence of support persons (p≤.05, sig.:.015). Their responses showed that supportive, helping persons were less available for the passive group ( Figure 5). For the other responses, the persons mentioned as helpers were mainly family members, namely close relatives, parents, siblings and friends.

The impact of distance learning in the light of qualitative research
The second wave of research is still ongoing, with surveys, interviews and analysis of the data received. The experience of the interviews conducted so far suggests that both students, mentors and teachers have found it difficult to cope with the significant changes in the education system caused by the epidemic. The main difficulty was encountering and switching to digital education, compounded by the lack of ICT equipment for disadvantaged students. The following pieces of interviews support this result. From the interviews analysed so far, it can be concluded that this period was experienced mostly as a difficulty and a challenge. They said that the second wave was somewhat easier for them to continue teaching digitally with more experience and routine compared to the first period of limitations. This is partly because teachers were somewhat aware of the limitations that were likely to come and wanted to be better prepared to do so. To this end, they have taken part in training The highest rate (60%) is observed for the engaged group, presumably because there are more people in this group and the engaged group spends the most time studying, and it can be assumed that the higher rate of difficulties is also due to the higher rate of time spent studying, which makes it more likely to recognise difficulties. Analysis was performed using a cross-tabulation method, and a significant relationship was found between groups and the presence of support persons (p≤.05, sig.:.015). Their responses showed that supportive, helping persons were less available for the passive group ( Figure 5). For the other responses, the persons mentioned as helpers were mainly family members, namely close relatives, parents, siblings and friends. The second wave of research is still ongoing, with surveys, interviews and analysis of the data received. The experience of the interviews conducted so far suggests that both students, mentors and teachers have found it difficult to cope with the significant changes in the education system caused by the epidemic. The main difficulty was encountering and switching to digital education, compounded by the lack of ICT equipment for disadvantaged students. The following pieces of interviews support this result. From the interviews analysed so far, it can be concluded that this period was experienced mostly as a difficulty and a challenge. They said that the second wave was somewhat easier for them to continue teaching digitally with more experience and routine compared to the first period of limitations. This is partly because teachers were somewhat aware of the limitations that were likely to come and wanted to be better prepared to do so. To this end, they have taken part in training courses and have also placed great emphasis on developing digital literacy among  courses and have also placed great emphasis on developing digital literacy among students. Teachers' opinions on distance learning are divided: some see it as a good idea and an appropriate alternative, while others see it as a kind of forced/necessary solution in the school where they teach because they say that only face-to-face teaching works in their institution.
The following table presents the main characteristics of the interviewees in the research. Staying motivated and motivating others in a time of constraints took a significant effort. In one of the question blocks of the interview, I wanted to hear about this experience, how the participants experienced this period, the mentoring process, the problems and difficulties they faced in distance learning and whether they could stay motivated during these months.
"We had a very difficult time, especially during the first wave; I lost them for about, I think, two weeks, so I didn't know anything about them. And I got really worried; I even asked the head of the class if she knew anything about them or what she thought. I also have children who don't have access to the internet, or maybe they have it for, let's say, the beginning of the month, for 1-2 weeks, until the parents pay for it and then they don't have it anymore." (Interviewee 1, mentor) "Many times, I felt that they were not motivated, although I could understand that, because it would be difficult for me, I would probably have a hard time counting on someone without even meeting them. I think that was the biggest problem, apart from the fact that I couldn't reach them at some point." (Interviewee 1,mentor) "No. Well, I was counting on the fact that the lessons happen on x day, fine, I look for it, I start it, I wait, I sit in front of it, ready, nobody. But I knew it would be the same another day, next week, so I wasn't motivated. I didn't get any new ideas because I knew they wouldn't come because there was no attempt to even get them to surface." (Interviewee 3,teacher) "From the point of view, colleagues stayed motivated because they knew that they had to do something for the children so that the children would not lag behind and we could start the next year well, so they used a lot of cooperative techniques and methods. It was a way to motivate themselves, and they saw that if they tried something and it worked well, it was a joy for everyone." (Interviewee 4,teacher) "They didn't take it seriously, for understandable reasons, because they were at home, it was just like being on a break, the difference was that in theory, they had to go to classes, but very often not only they, but the parents as well, couldn't take it so seriously. The whole distance learning, distance mentoring thing didn't feel like school enough to be taken seriously enough." (Interviewee 9,mentor) Overall, the responses reflected that, after accepting the constraints of a difficult and unfamiliar situation, both teachers and mentors were keen to organise lessons and mentoring sessions in a more realistic way. This required constant communication between colleagues, sharing methods and platforms, transferring ideas and using them. Mentors used playful online exercises, video chats with personal messages, pictures as a motivational tool to encourage and help their mentored students.

Summary
Before starting the analysis, I set out four hypotheses that I wanted to confirm through the questionnaire survey.
H1: The hypothesis about future plans is proven, as students' main ambition is to obtain a profession. Finding a job in the labour market and earning an income as soon as possible, creating material wealth may act as a motivating factor in their case.
H2: Based on their program expectations, I assumed that elements other than learning support were also highly important to them. I confirmed the second hypothesis, as the expectations of the students participating in the mentoring program were mainly expressed in gaining new experiences and learning about new places. H3: I separated groups according to their expectations toward the program and hypothesised that the groups would differ in terms of gender, learning difficulties and time commitment. I concluded that the differences between the groups were detectable along with these components, except for gender distribution, and therefore I could not fully confirm this hypothesis.
H4: The initial data seem to prove my hypothesis that motivating students and getting them online has been a difficulty for mentors and in other cases for teachers too, which may be due to a higher level to the students' inadequate ICT background and the lack of motivation.
Overall, it can be concluded that the range of participants is not homogeneous, which may depend on the institution and its location. The reasons for children's lack of motivation and performance problems in a disadvantaged situation may be complex and may have several underlying causes. A non-homogeneous target group is characterised by different motivations and opportunities, which may also lead to differences and specificities in mentoring processes. Among the groups identified in the analysis, the passive group is lagging, with lower importance of learning and a lower level of supportive presence. In order to alleviate and possibly eliminate the reticence in their case, I assume that further positive results and progress could be achieved by applying the following factors: trying to bring school activities closer to the students concerned, making the school atmosphere more interesting for them, making the teaching material more personal, and providing them with the opportunity to learn through their own experience, which opens the door to experiencing success and achieving success. A learner-centred form of education designed for this purpose is a different approach, enabling us to change the way we communicate, organise and assess (Polonyi et al., 2017). Based on previous research on attitudes towards learning, it can be concluded that Roma youth in our country have started to see learning and education as a value but face a lack of opportunities (Bocsi et al., 2021). In order to achieve the further results mentioned above, it would perhaps be most important if these opportunities were recognised and created, for which a mentoring program could provide a suitable basis.
Overall, in the light of the qualitative research findings, it can be said that the respondents experienced digital education as a challenge. Compared to the first period, which was full of constraints, however, they were able to continue distance learning more smoothly and routinely in the second year. The main problem was reaching and activating disadvantaged students due to the lack of equipment. The epidemic situation also influenced the development of teamwork, as communication between teacher-educator and mentor-mentee became even more necessary.
The mentoring process can be an extremely important factor in our everyday lives and an important step towards social development, reducing social inequalities and promoting equal opportunities. It is essential to have commitment, empathy, patience, perseverance, a sense of purpose, and a strong will to do something cooperatively. The latter starts with a small step and allows for the achievement of bigger goals, step by step, either by working together or by looking at individual life paths. In the mentoring process, it is considered essential that the mentor always think rationally and consistently pursue joint work with the mentee. Continuous feedback, positive reinforcement, listening to the mentored and being a good listener are important. There should also be an expectation of reciprocity from the students, as by agreeing to participate in the programme, giving mutual respect can become a principle. The following quote gives us a broad picture of mentoring, which I think can serve as both a motivation and a guide for us: "Mentoring is one of the most beautiful professions, in which participants give and receive reciprocally, generations meet each other spiritually." (Di Blasio et al., 2011, p. 192).