Analyses of Secondary Science Teachers' Needs for Mentoring Programs Improving Their Professionalism in Science-Gifted Education

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed secondary science teachers' needs for mentoring programs improving their professionalism in science-gifted education. A survey was administered to 111 teachers who had experience in teaching science-gifted secondary students in Seoul. Analyses of the results indicated that most teachers needed the mentors' support in science content knowledge, knowledge of beliefs about science-gifted education, knowledge of science-gifted students, knowledge of instructional strategies for science-gifted education, knowledge of curriculum for science-gifted education, knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education, and knowledge of external factors influencing in implementing science-gifted education. Most teachers, especially having the perceptions of lower levels of professionalism, relatively needed more mentors' support in the knowledge of the instructional strategies for science-gifted education and the knowledge of assessment in science-gifted education. Most teachers wanted the mentors' supports for all subcategories of professionalism at the planning stage of the classes, and some did the support for some subcategories at the performance stage and the reflection-evaluation stage of the classes. They also relatively wanted more mentors' support for all subcategories of professionalism through lectures and/or group discussions, some did the support through face-to-face interviews and/or real-time or non real-time online interviews. They variously responded in the suitable ratio of mentors and mentees, and perceived positively the qualities required to mentor as well as the necessary factors for the effective use of mentoring.