Mentor Teachers Research Articles

The preparation of supervisors through collaborative supervision: A narrative account

AbstractTeacher educators are typically involved in preparing preservice teachers (PSTs) in initial programs through teaching courses and supervising practicum experiences, including the culminating student teaching practicum. Using self‐study of teacher education practices (S‐STEPs) during supervision, the authors describe a scaffolded process of learning to supervise teacher candidates and engage in reflections about their experiences working collaboratively. This narrative account by a more experienced supervisor and a new supervisor uses samples of feedback to teacher candidates to demonstrate a collaborative process based on multimodal observational field notes, which included sample discourse from the classroom to exemplify interactions, teaching activities, and photographs of classroom activities. Both researchers participated in joint meetings with (1) PSTs to discuss feedback, (2) mentor teachers to discuss progress of PSTs, and (3) all PSTs to discuss themes that emerged from observations and assessments, something unique to this collaboration. The authors discuss how their collaboration led to curriculum changes to a TESOL methods, curriculum, and assessment course influenced by observations in the field. The article concludes with implications and recommendations for other teacher educators interested in collaborative supervision.

Enhancing Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy through the Use of ELF in a Multilingual World

The teaching practicum, a psychologically demanding phase of professional development, yields diverse self-efficacy outcomes for pre-service teachers. While it is crucial to view the practicum as a cornerstone for shaping teaching beliefs, there exists a research gap in understanding its influence on the self-efficacy of pre-service English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers in East Asia and delving into the cognitive processes during this period. This mixed-methods study (n = 18) aimed to address this gap. The quantitative results revealed an overall increase in participants’ self-efficacy, notably in classroom management. The qualitative findings uncovered challenges faced by those with lower self-efficacy, particularly when discrepancies arose with mentor teachers over teaching English through a communicative approach. Conversely, individuals with linguistically and culturally diverse pre-practicum experiences exhibited resilience while maintaining robust beliefs about their own teaching. The findings suggest the necessity for tailored teacher preparation programs aiming at nurturing a multilingual perspective through interaction in English as a lingua franca.

Exploring Practical Pedagogy in High School Biology Education: A Qualitative Study of Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Experiences in Vietnam

<p style="text-align:justify">This qualitative study examines the experiences of pre-service high school biology teachers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, focusing on the challenges and transformative learning experiences encountered during their school-based internship. It aims to explore the dichotomy between specialized biology knowledge and practical applicability in high school teaching and uncover the significance of fostering student engagement through innovative strategies and the role of mentor teachers in guiding pre-service teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from pre-service biology teachers who completed a school-based internship in the Mekong Delta. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data. The study highlights the challenges of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and classroom practice, emphasizing the importance of innovative teaching strategies for student engagement. It recognizes the role of mentor teachers in guiding and enhancing the skills of pre-service teachers in creating effective learning environments. Findings suggest the need for curriculum reforms that balance specialized biology knowledge and practical pedagogical skills. The study emphasizes the importance of experiential learning through teaching apprenticeships to better prepare pre-service teachers for their professional journey.</p>

Creating communicative learning spaces in initial teacher education (ITE) with observation-grounded co-mentoring practices

ABSTRACT ITE has been criticised for being disconnected, with different languages being spoken in the two learning arenas of campus and schools. Bringing people together, such as through formal university-school partnerships, is not enough to open up communicative learning spaces – sites of collaborative learning that are democratic, safe and supportive. Practicum is recognised as a capstone experience in teacher education in which the mentor’s role is crucial. However, there are significant variations in the types and quality of mentoring and only some supportive frameworks. This paper investigates what arrangements are needed to enable mentoring practices as communicative learning spaces. An intervention was designed that structured conversations between student teachers, school-based mentor teachers and university-based teacher educators around an observation-grounded mentoring framework (OMF). Data was gathered from completed worksheets, reflection logs, and interviews and analysed through the lens of practice architectures. We explore issues of knowledge and power in the facilitation of learning when university-based teacher educators visit the school, and classroom observations frame the mentoring conversations. Findings show that the OMF offered a shared language for tripartite mentoring conversations as communicative learning spaces. The paper contributes to knowledge about supportive mentoring practices in ITE.

Exploring a TESOL supervisor's role in building mentor teacher community in professional learning sessions

Exploring a <scp>TESOL</scp> supervisor's role in building mentor teacher community in professional learning sessions

Positioning Field Supervisors at the Hub of Clinically Focused Teacher Preparation

ABSTRACT Clinical supervisors serve an essential role in the field of teacher preparation. Despite acknowledgment of the complexity of this work, supervisors are often marginalized, provided inadequate support in their roles, and seen as evaluators for individual student teachers as opposed to part of a larger program. Instead of positioning clinical supervisors at the fringes of our teacher preparation program, we reorganized our teaching internship to center supervisors as the hub connecting interns, collaborating mentor teachers, districts, and faculty. In this manuscript we share benefits of this relational model coupled with ongoing challenges. In the field of teacher preparation, there is a longstanding call for coherent preparation models that focus on, among other factors, the dynamic integration of clinical practice, the rigorous selection of clinical educators and coaches from both higher education and the PK-12 sector, and the designation of specific sites to support ongoing clinical preparation (AACTE, 2018; Darling-Hammond, 2014; Hands & Rong, 2014; McDonald et al. 2013, 2014; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2010). Essential to implementing these models are those who serve as clinical supervisors.

“You have to be a bit of a rogue teacher” – A qualitative study of sex educators in Metro Vancouver

Comprehensive sex education (CSE) is evidence-based, addresses a wide variety of topics, and is inclusive of sexual and gender minority (SGM) experiences. However, teachers are often not trained to deliver CSE and are uncomfortable teaching it. This can lead to the omission of important topics and leave youth dissatisfied with their sex education. Thus, more research is needed to understand educator needs/approaches when delivering sex education and how educators incorporate SGM-affirming content. We conducted fifteen interviews with sex educators in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada, in autumn 2021, to understand current approaches to and gaps in the provision of CSE. We used an interpretive descriptive methodology. Personal and structural factors constrain the delivery of CSE in BC. Personal factors include motivation, teacher comfort/knowledge, personal trauma, and fear of pushback. Structural factors include inequitable access to parent advisory council funding, Learning Standards design, and the peripheral nature of sex education. Participant recommendations for the future of sex education include increased mandatory pre-service and in-service training, the implementation of “sex education mentors” in each district, an online hub of resources, and government funding for community-based educators. We recommend (1) that government funding be allocated for at least one trained sex educator in every school district who can coach and mentor teachers; (2) the creation and promotion of an online information hub which includes lesson plans, videos, and resources for teachers; (3) and that teachers’ colleges create mandatory courses on teaching CSE.

Iskustvo primjene modela metodske supervizije za mentore učitelja pripravnika

The induction phase plays a key role in shaping the professional identity of the teacher, so it is important that the beginning teacher has good mentoring support. Method-oriented supervision can be useful for the development of mentoring skills because it enables mentors to build their competencies through the integration of their practical experience and theoretical knowledge. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the possibility of applying supervision in the development of competencies of beginning teachers’ mentors and to develop a model of method-oriented supervision. Proposed model was organized around the following topics: roles and responsibilities of mentors and beginning teachers, induction process, working alliance, experiential learning, communication skills and counselling skills. This model was applied with a supervision group consisting of five beginning teachers’ mentors. Based on the activity of supervisees during the process of method-oriented supervision and the reflections of the supervisor, it can be concluded that beginner teachers’ mentors developed educational mentoring approach. They also improved their observational skills and skills needed for establishing a working alliance. It can be concluded that the proposed model of method-oriented supervision has proven to be useful for the development of the competencies of the beginning teachers’ mentors. Key words: method-oriented supervision; experiential learning; mentorship; beginning teachers; professional development.

Infant/toddler mentor teachers’ professional learning through weekly co-planning meetings with preservice teachers

ABSTRACT Using communities of practice as a theoretical framework, the present study explored seven infant and toddler teachers’ professional learning in the context of weekly co-planning meetings with preservice teachers in four classrooms over one semester. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, observations, video-recordings, documents, and fieldnotes. The findings show that the teachers considered co-planning as crucial to their professional development. During co-planning, the teachers gained multiple perspectives through collective discussions; engaged in critical reflection; created new ideas of practice collaboratively; and enhanced their sense of professionalism. In addition, the preservice teachers were catalysts for the teachers’ reflection. The discussion highlights co-planning as a vehicle for sustaining a culture of reflective practice and collaborative inquiry; an opportunity to co-construct new knowledge and practice; and a space where teacher autonomy, collaboration, and experiential learning intersect to empower teachers in professional learning. Lastly, the study discusses ways to honor and support infant and toddler teachers’ professionalism.

Can Peer-Mentoring be a Model for Retention in Higher Education?

Research highlights the benefits of peer mentoring in helping less experienced students understand their university roles and achieve academic goals. The current study aims to explore the perspectives of mentees and mentors, focusing on program expectations, challenges faced, and suggestions for improvement. This single-case study investigates a 12-week mentoring program at a foundation university using qualitative surveys, monthly reports, and focus group interviews. The findings suggest that both mentors and mentees have academic and social expectations, encompassing the enhancement of problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills and mentees’ adjustment to campus life. As for the challenges encountered, the key themes emerged, establishing boundaries/relationship, time management, meeting diverse needs and expectations and coping with a lack of information/miscommunication. Mentors and mentees reported that the effectiveness of the mentoring program was influenced by factors such as support from academic programs, a well-structured program, and the training provided to the mentors before the program started. The participants stated that they took advantages of the mentoring program, acquired personal, professional, and academic skills, facilitating a smooth transition to the campus life. The results are expected to inform future mentoring programs and promote peer mentoring in higher education.

Mentor teachers’ achievement goal orientations for mentoring during the practicum

ABSTRACT Teachers’ varied goal orientations meaningfully explain differences in their behaviour and cognition. Achievement goal orientation theory (GOT) provides a valuable theoretical framework for understanding teacher motivation. However, GOT has not yet been applied in the context of mentoring student teachers during the practicum. This study explores the use of GOT and describes mentor teachers’ motivations during the school practicum. For this, we analyse semi-structured interviews with 23 Austrian mentor teachers using qualitative structuring-content analysis. Results show that within the mentoring context it is important to differentiate between self- and other-oriented goal orientations. Mentor teachers are strongly mastery and relational goal oriented, while ability-avoidance and work-avoidance goals are less prominent. Overall, the findings demonstrate GOT’s value in understanding mentor teachers’ motivations. Implications are offered as an avenue for future research.

Intergenerational Asian diaspora mentoring in the academy: mapping the terrain of allied political struggles through critical relational ethnography

ABSTRACT This paper investigates intergenerational Asian diaspora faculty mentorship within the context of higher education in North America. Drawing on intersectionality, rightful presence, and third-generation cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), the authors theorize across three activity systems—predominantly white academic institutions (PWI), a collaborative research project (LSP), and critical dialogue space (ADS)—to understand their collective work as part of a continuous arc of justice in the academy. The study explores the intersectional power dynamics and cultural conflicts that shape how junior and senior (South and East) Asian-identified authors negotiate reauthoring their rights in the pursuit of rightful presence within and across these activity systems. Through two vignettes, the findings illustrate the complexities of allied political struggles and intergenerational mentoring in higher education. In doing so, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how Asian diaspora faculty navigate can foster bidirectional intergenerational, critical, justice-oriented sociopolitical allyship within academia, advancing conversations on mentorship and equity in education.

Pembimbingan Dan Evaluasi Pada Kegiatan PLP Di SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Pekanbaru

The introduction of the school field (PLP) activity was carried out as an effort to form qualified prospective educators students of The Bachelor of Education Study Program are required to take PLP courses. Through PLP, students are expected to improve their pedagogy, social personality and professional skills. This article discusses the implementation of the introduction of the school field (PLP). The results of the introduction of field schooling (PLP) are described using qualitative descriptive methods. Dinalisa evaluation based on the assessment of the Mentoring Teacher. Based on the evaluation results, PLP participant students of Muhammadiyah University of Riau who PLP in SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Pekanbaru have successfully met the indicators that have been set in the implementation of PLP activities.

Adapting feedback to the demands of teaching in diverse classrooms. Novel feedback concepts for preservice teachers during practicum

ABSTRACT During their practical training, feedback for preservice teachers should address the demands of diverse classrooms. Using the critical incident technique within a participatory research framework, this study investigated whether and how mentors adjust their feedback in this regard. Based on a sample of 33 preservice teachers and 46 mentor teachers in German primary and lower secondary education, the results indicate that although pupils’ differing prerequisites clearly presented challenges for preservice teachers, only part of the mentors referred in their feedback to these demands. Mentors who adapted their feedback referred to well-known methods for addressing differences in pupil performance and background and suggested specific novel strategies by specifying what is possible and expedient (or not) when pupils’ prerequisites and backgrounds differ. These methods were found to enhance preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and competencies in teaching diverse classes, and mutual diversity-oriented feedback also benefited mentors. In conclusion, the study identifies implications for feedback development.

Conceptual Problems of Mentoring in Education and Experience in Implementing the Innovative Project at Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University in Turkmenistan

Introduction. The article aims to study mentoring in education in both theoretical and applied aspects. The conceptual and methodological analysis is focused on the problem of transforming mentoring from traditional forms to modern methods based on the active interaction of the mentor and the mentee. Мethods. The practice of mentoring is examined using as an example an innovative educational project “teacher – teacher” developed and implemented by Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University, where the main emphasis is on developing in young teachers the universal competencies they lack. Results. The innovative nature of the developed and practiced model lies in its content and structure built within successive four stages: 1) identification of deficits in the development of universal competencies among young teachers; 2) training them in accordance with additional professional development programs; 3) post-course support for the development of universal competencies of teachers; 4) final assessment of the mastery of the acquired universal competencies of teachers. This work is not limited to national boundaries and becomes the subject of international interaction. Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University actively cooperates with universities and educational authorities of Turkmenistan. Conclusion. The article reveals the content of the project and the possibilities of its implementation in the educational system of this country.

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Teaching Practice: Insights from Mentor Teachers in Johannesburg

In preparing undergraduates to become teachers, initial teacher education (ITE) institutions enter into partnerships with schools, a necessary but often ambiguous undertaking. Alignment or misalignment of the key roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder influences pre-service teachers’ experience of teaching practice. The overarching research question that guided this study was: What can universities do to better prepare pre-service teachers for teaching practice? The study is underpinned by Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s framework of knowledge for practice, knowledge in practice, and knowledge of practice. The article reports on findings from a case study of 79 purposively selected mentor teachers’ views on how to prepare pre-service teachers for teaching practice. Data were collected using a qualitative open-ended questionnaire distributed by email, with responses received in writing. The findings indicate that most mentor teachers (73%) highly value student teachers’ knowledge of the practice, and would like them to have a more detailed understanding of what teaching entails before they go on teaching practice. Based on the mentor teachers’ input, we recommend that fewer student teachers be sent to each school at one time, more emphasis be given to students’ professional behaviour, and that students be better prepared with content and lesson planning knowledge.

From traditional to clinical approach toward continuing professional development: Academia‐field partnership in teacher education

AbstractThe current study sought to characterize three partnership models in Israeli academic institutions—the traditional, the academia‐classroom, and the clinical field‐focused models. 42 interviews were conducted with educators (teacher educators; mentor teachers; program heads) at 14 Israeli colleges and universities where the programs take place. Differences between the models were found in relation to the role definition of the mentor teacher, the relationship between the pre‐service teacher and the mentor teacher, the contribution of the practicum to the pre‐service teacher, and the connection between theoretical and practical knowledge. Furthermore, the contribution of each of the three models is reflected in the scope of the experiential‐clinical component of the practicum; school‐academia partnerships; and the role of the principal of the training school. The study highlights the value‐added meanings and contributions of the experiential‐clinical component in teacher education programs in general and in the practicum in particular.

Empowering mentor teachers for supervision through an online mentor training program

AbstractThe study focused on the improvement of supervisory skills among mentor teachers in K‐12 who work with student teachers in an English language teaching program of an English‐medium state university in Istanbul, Turkey. The researchers explored how the mentor teachers' supervisory skills, namely observation and giving feedback, were improved after participating in an online mentor training program. The training program was designed based on Morrison et al.'s (2013) instructional design model and implemented for seven mentors during the practicum period. The program included mentoring tasks that asked mentor teachers to organize reciprocal observation sessions with the student teachers, followed by mutual feedback discussions. The researchers investigated the influence of the tasks through thematic analysis of the mentor teachers' reflection reports. The data showed that the tasks improved mentor teachers' understanding and practice of the supervision process and increased their awareness of their own teaching practices by promoting personal and professional growth. The results suggest that an online mentor training program may have the potential to empower mentor teachers both for their supervisory roles and ongoing professional development.

Unveiling the relationship between psychological adaptation and problem-solving skills in gifted intermediate school students: A Saudi Arabian perspective

This study examines the relationship between psychological adaptation and the problem-solving skills of gifted students at the intermediate school stage in Saudi Arabia to determine the difference in the level of influence according to gender and grade. The study involved a random sample of 187 gifted students, whose responses were received through an online questionnaire. This quantitative study used a T-test, one-way analysis of variance, two-way analysis of variance and regression analysis. The findings indicated a positive effect of psychological adaptation on all dimensions of problem-solving skills. In addition, substantial differences were observed between males and females in the four dimensions of psychological adaptation. The results also showed no differences between males and females regarding the problem-solving skill dimensions of problem definition and decision making. However, there were significant differences between the remaining dimensions and the total general dimension of problem-solving skills. The study recommends that psychological aspects be included as the core and cognitive objectives when planning care programmes for the gifted, intensifying the role of psychosocial counselling and rehabilitation programmes for teachers and educational mentors.

Anti-Racist Lesson Plan

This paper delves into a personal exploration of race, identity, and experience in the University of Saskatchewan’s Anti-Racist Education Mentorship (AEM) Project. I recount my process of learning about racism, its ramifications in society, and my conclusion that racism is taught and passed down generationally. I define anti-racism and emphasize the importance of anti-racist education when pursuing racial justice. I detail my experience creating an anti-racist lesson plan about residential schools in Canada and delivering my lesson plan to grade 2/3 students in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I reflect on this teaching experience, students' engagement, and understanding of anti-racism concepts, and I stress the importance of age-appropriate discussions surrounding racism. My experience delivering an anti-racist lesson to grade 2/3 students disrupts the status quo by challenging the conventional belief that early elementary students are not mature enough to discuss experiences of racism.