Mentoring as a way to the professional development of in-service physics teachers

Abstract

Nowadays education is facing new challenges based on the changes in the world and society. The generation of pupils has changed and their needs are different to what the teachers were used to. The change not only in teaching and learning methods but also in the way of thinking is necessary. To help teachers to find a different point of view on education and implement the changes, the Regional teachers’ support centres were established. The first two launched in 2021 and within three years there should be 40 centres across Slovakia. The main idea is to provide individual support for primary and lower secondary teachers as well as training in five main topics -i) school curriculum, ii) assessment and evaluation of pupils’ learning outcomes, iii) educational process and teaching style, iv) personalization and inclusive education, v) digitalization. Individual support is provided by a mentor in the form of class observations and mentoring conversations. The physics teachers can be involved and work on professional self-development in the topics they feel they want to improve. The paper reports on the mentors’ activities with the main focus held on the possibility of the in-service physics teachers’ professional development.