As the functions of school heads expand and their responsibilities increase, increasingly higher qualification requirements are imposed on them, a constant need arises for self-assessment and improvement of competences. School heads, especially in their first years in this position, face many challenges, such as lack of skills and practical experience, loneliness, stress, fatigue, lack of support, professional mistakes, etc. In order to effectively manage schools, attract and retain school heads, newly appointed heads of institutions especially need the support of a person with more experience in this field. The aim of this study is to reveal the experiences of novice school heads and their mentors in participating in the mentoring process.

The study used a semi-structured interview method. The obtained data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. The research sample was drawn using criterion-based sampling. Mentors had to have at least two years of mentoring experience working with school heads and have mentored at least two novice school heads. School heads were required to have participated in a long-term mentoring programme and have less than 2 years of school leadership experience. The qualitative study involved 8 novice school heads and 8 mentors working in 8 counties of Lithuania. After the analysis of the scientific literature, an interview questionnaire was constructed, in which 6 groups of questions were distinguished: sociodemographic data of the participants, experiences of the informants in the mentoring process, motives for participating in the mentoring process, impact of mentoring on the participants, challenges of mentoring, and effectiveness of the mentoring process and opportunities for improvement. The research adhered to the ethical principles of respect for personal privacy, benevolence and non-maleficence, fairness, and confidentiality.

The study found that the need for mentoring is growing. Novice school heads seek to receive support from competent mentors, build professional fellowship, develop, and overcome professional challenges that arise in the first years of their careers, such as the management of human resources and the life of the educational institution, the lack of competences, the unfavourable environment, and building the future of the educational institution. Mentors engage in this process to provide support to others, share their experiences, update their competences, and thus continuously grow and improve.

Research has shown that mentoring experience is important for both novice school leaders and their mentors. According to the heads, the mentoring experience promotes their professional and personal growth and strengthens psychological well-being. According to the mentors, this activity gives them the opportunity to improve, realise themselves, create meaningful relationships, experience inner satisfaction, and receive financial benefits. The study found that effective mentoring requires compatibility between the mentor and the school head, active involvement of participants, professional training of the mentor, and a programme tailored to individual needs.

It was revealed that the mentoring process faces challenges such as process duration, lack of mentors, procedural constraints, time planning and lack of time, geographical availability, and interpersonal challenges.

Keywords: Novice school head, mentor, mentoring process.