Impacts of Virtual and on-Site Mentoring on Instructional Delivery Effectiveness of Secondary School Biology Teachers in Ecology

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the impact of virtual and on-site mentoring interventions on the instructional delivery effectiveness of secondary school biology teachers in teaching ecology. The study adapted a quasi-experimental design with structured observations, incorporating interventions within two designated groups, with non-random assignment of participants. Through purposive sampling, 40 early-career biology teachers were assigned to both the virtual and on-site mentoring groups. The study raised and addressed three research questions. The research instrument utilized for data collection was Instructional Delivery Effectiveness Scale (IDES). A panel of three experts validated the IDES, and its inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.85. Virtual mentoring sessions were conducted online via Zoom video conferencing platforms, while on-site mentoring sessions took place face-to-face at teachers' respective school locations. Classroom observations during ecology instruction sessions served as the method of data collection. Data collected were analyzed descriptively using frequency, summation, means, and standard deviations. The findings revealed that both virtual and on-site mentoring interventions contributed to improvements in instructional delivery effectiveness of early-career biology teachers. Substantial decrease in the frequency of Poor and Fair ratings were observed in both interventions, indicating decline in previously identified inadequacies and inefficiencies in instructional delivery. However, on-site mentoring group exhibited a more impactful change in instructional effectiveness in teaching ecology. Some recommendations made include engaging in continuous professional development and advocating for policies that promote the professional growth of biology teachers.