The Contributions of Mentoring on Teachers’ Effective Classroom Management Strategies in Government Aided Secondary Schools in the Acholi Sub-Region

J Okumu ,Victoria Tamale Kaggwa ,Scott Wycliffe Wafula

doi:10.7176/jep/10-36-16

Abstract

The study investigates the extent to which mentoring services improve on teachers’ instructional processes in government aided secondary schools. Teacher effectiveness requires concerted effort and interventions to change the way teachers conduct their teaching. The research used cross sectional survey and mixed methods. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Data was collected from 462 secondary school teachers and school administrators and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square frequency. The results statistically significantly suggested that teachers are able to supervise and control learners during class activities as a result of mentoring services (M = 4.40). The study findings statistically significantly suggested (M =4.32) that teachers have acquired skills of controlling learners’ behaviours in the class as a result of mentoring services. It was also statistically significantly suggested (M= 4.25) that teachers acquired skills of controlling noise as a result of mentoring services. The findings through quantitative methods revealed that mentoring influence teacher effectiveness in government aided secondary schools. However, findings through qualitative methods revealed that Mentoring does not have any influence on teacher effectiveness. Findings through documents checked revealed that mentoring activities are not documented meaning no mentoring services in the schools. Mentors have not had formal training in mentoring, they have no mentoring skills. This is why teachers do not effectively manage their classroom and students’ performance remain poor. The study suggests that Ministry of Education and Sports should be empowered to regularly organize appropriate training for teachers and school administrators to scale-up teachers’ awareness and skills in mentoring to help improve on teachers’ instructional processes in government aided secondary schools. Keywords: Teacher Effectiveness, teaching, mentoring, classroom management. government aided secondary schools DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-36-16 Publication date: December 31 st 2019

Highlights

Teaching can be a daunting endeavor- for both experts and novice teachers
Regarding the question on the contributions of mentoring on teacher effective classroom management strategies in teaching, descriptive statistics on teacher rating was presented in table 1
The findings through quantitative methods revealed that mentoring influence teacher effectiveness in government aided secondary schools

Summary

Introduction

Teaching can be a daunting endeavor- for both experts and novice teachers. Mentoring is a teaching tool that helps guide both the experienced and inexperienced teachers. It is an interactive process that helps individuals acquire teaching skills based on lesson designs, methods of delivery; stimulating interests in the subject and motivating students to learn more effectively and efficiently improving teacher effectiveness (Janas, 1996a; Metros & Yang, 2006b). The teachers to develop their talents, skills, knowledge, change of attitudes towards effective classroom management. Through mentoring teachers are made to think critically, creatively and become reasonable reflective practitioners. Mentoring means guiding and supporting teachers to ease them through difficult transitions; it is about smoothing the ways, enabling, reassuring as well as directing, managing and instructing(Fletcher, 2000)

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