Does In‐Service Training Relate to Improved Interpersonal Skills of Primary and Secondary School Teachers?

This study aimed to measure the interpersonal skills of primary and secondary school teachers and their correlations with in‐service training programs within the context of the mentoring system, using a sample of 720 from China. Results show that these teachers' interpersonal skills remain at a high level, with the mean score for Self‐Disclosure being the highest among the three sub‐skills. Female teachers, teachers from primary schools, and those in administrative positions have significantly higher values in interpersonal skills. With other variables controlled, the training in which teachers participated before serving as mentors had significant positive relationships with their interpersonal skills and sub‐skills in Self‐Disclosure, Emotional Support and Guidance. However, the training that teachers participated in after serving as mentors was positively related to conflict management skills. The training content on Mentorship Implementation Strategies and Psychological Health Guidance before serving as mentors, along with Excellent Case Sharing after serving as mentors that teachers participated in, positively correlated with their interpersonal skills and sub‐skills. Furthermore, there was heterogeneity in the relationships between various training content and the interpersonal skills of teachers at different school stages.