Mentoring Needs of pre-Service Teachers During Teaching Practice. A Case Study at a South African University

Abstract

Mentoring of students during teacher training is an important component in developing competent teachers. Different student have different needs and hence need to be mentored differently. The manner in which it is done will determine how successful a teacher will be in performing his/her duties and responsibilities when the teacher takes up a full time teaching post at a school. Mentoring has to be done in a way that meets the needs of the student and has an impact on the student and his future career. Often, on entering the teaching profession, the novice teacher will not be inducted into the profession by means of an induction program at the school, but will be required to commence with the normal duties and responsibilities. The teacher will need to “find his footing” on his own and this can lead to frustration, stress and disillusionment on the part of the teacher. However, if the student, while in training, receives mentorship in a structured and meaningful way, it will assist in easing the trauma that the novice teacher experiences on entering the teaching profession.Data was gathered from student teachers by means of a structured questionnaire to explore student’s teachers mentoring needs. The data was analysed with the view of identifying the mentoring need of pre-service teachers so that mentors assist student teachers in meeting their needs and overcoming some of the challenges that they may face on entering the teaching profession.