MENTORING AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING THE PROFESSIONAL ADAPTATION OF YOUNG EDUCATORS IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

The first years in any teaching career carry a weight that formal preparation rarely anticipates. The evidence shows that systematic mentoring cuts the adaptation period from 12–18 months to 6–9 months, reduces the share of educators reporting high stress from 64% to 29%, and raises three-year retention rates from 54% to 82%. The article argues that in a country like Uzbekistan-where over 38,000 new preschool educators were hired between 2018 and 2023-mentoring is not a soft support measure but a structural necessity.