The purpose of this analytical paper is to examine how culturally embedded norms, values, relations and prerequisites operate in the development of a mentoring system. This is done by comparing Sweden’s top-down mandatory one-to-one mentoring approach and evaluation, with Finland’s bottom-up peer-group mentoring approach initiated, piloted and implemented by researchers. The analysis is based on meta-analysis of research, policy documents, written and oral information.

The analysis show that culturally embedded issues, such as a culture of trust, an ideology of distrust, teachers’ and researchers’ positions and the ‘need’ to strengthen cooperation or evaluate teachers in different ways, contribute to the development of peer-group mentoring and one-to-one mentoring with evaluation.