Desirable Attributes and Practices for Mentees: Mentor Teachers’ Expectations

Yıl 2013, , 107 - 119, 15.07.2013

Peter Hudson

https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.2.3.107

Öz

Research indicates attributes and practices for mentor teachers that can be used for effective mentoring. Universities provide guidelines for preservice teacher (mentee) engagement in schools generally from anecdotal evidence, however, what are desirable attributes and practices for mentees? This qualitative study gathers data from 25 mentor teachers through an extended response questionnaire and audio-recorded focus group discussions about attributes and practices for mentees. Findings showed that desirable attributes for mentees included: enthusiasm, being personable, commitment to children, lifelong learning/love of learning, open/reflective to feedback, develop resilience, and taking responsibility for their learning, while desirable practices included: planned and preparation for teaching, reflective practices; understanding school and university policies, knowing students for differentiated learning, and building a teaching repertoire (e.g. teaching strategies, behaviour management, content knowledge, and questioning skills). Preservice teachers need to consider teachers‟ suggestions on desirable attributes and practices that can help them achieve positive teaching experiences.

Anahtar Kelimeler

mentor, preservice teachers, mentoring, teaching practices, teacher training

Kaynakça

• Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Bradbury, L. U., & Koballa, Jr. T. R. (2008). Borders to cross: Identifying sources of tension in mentor-intern relationships. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 24(8), 2132-2145.
• Brodkin, A. M., & Melba C. (1996). What makes a child resilient? How you can help kids succeed against the odds. Instructor, 105(8), 28-29.
• Bruinsma, M., & Jansen, E. P. W. A. (2010). Is the motivation to become a pre-service teacher related to pre-service teachers' intentions to remain in the profession? The European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(2), 185-200.
• Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
• Ensher, E. A., & Murphy, S. E. (2011). Power mentoring how successful mentors and proteges get the most out of their relationships. Hoboken,NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2013, from http://www.qut.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=239438
• Evertson, C. M., & Smithey, M. W. (2000). Mentoring effects on proteges’ classroom practice: An experimental field study. Journal of Educational Research, 93(5), 294–304.
• Gu, Q., & Day, C.. (2011). Challenges to teacher resilience: conditions count. British Educational Research Journal, 39(1), 22-44. doi: 10.1080/01411926.2011.623152
• Hargreaves, A., & Michael, F. (2012). Professional capital transforming teaching in every school. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Hobson, A. J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A. & Tomlinson, P. D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don't. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 207-216.
• Howard, S., & Johnson, B. (2004). Resilient teachers: Resisting stress and burnout. Social Psychology of Education, 7(4), 399-420.
• Hudson, P. (2010). Mentors report on their own mentoring practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(7), 30-42.
• Iancu-Haddad, Debbie, and Izhar Oplatka. (2009). Mentoring novice teachers: Motives, process, and outcomes from the mentor's point of view. New Educator, 5(1), 45-65.
• Jones, M., & Straker, K. (2006). What informs mentors' practice when working with trainees and newly qualified teachers? An Investigation into mentors' professional knowledge base. Journal of Education for Teaching, 32(2), 165-84.
• Le Cornu, R., & Ewing, R. (2008). Reconceptualising professional experiences in pre-service teacher education... Reconstructing the past to embrace the future. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 24(7), 1799-1812.
• Longworth, N. (2013). Lifelong learning in action: Transforming education in the 21st century. London, UK: Routledge.
• Maynard, T. (2000). Learning to teach or learning to manage mentors? Experiences of school-based teacher training. Mentoring and Tutoring, 8(1), 17–30.
• McCann, T. M., & Johannessen, L. (2009). Mentoring Matters: Working with Student Teachers. English Journal, 99(1), 114-117.
• Monaghan, J., & Lunt, N.. (1992). Mentoring: Person, process, practice, and problems. British Journal of Educational Studies, 40(3), 248–263.
• Muijs, Daniel, & Reynolds, D.. (2011). Effective teaching: Evidence and practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
• Pianta, R. C., Bridget K. H., & Allen, J. P. (2012). Teacher-student relationships and engagement: Conceptualizing, measuring, and improving the capacity of classroom interactions. In S. L. Christenson,   A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 365-386). Newyork, NY: Springer.
• Rajuan, M., Beijaard, D., & Verloop, N. (2008). Student teachers' perceptions of their mentors as internal triggers for learning. Teaching Education, 19(4), 279-292.
• Schon, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Sempowicz, T., & Hudson, P. (2011). Analysing mentoring dialogues for developing a preservice teacher’s classroom management practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(8), 1-16.
• Sempowicz, T., & Hudson, P. (2012). Mentoring preservice teachers’ reflective practices to produce teaching outcomes. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 10(2), 52-64.
• Thompson, M. M., Turner, J. E., & Nietfeld, J. L. (2011). A typological approach to investigate the teaching career decision: Motivations and beliefs about teaching of prospective teacher candidates. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(3), 324-335.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Ward, M. J., & Wells, T. J.. (2003). Guests in the classroom: Top ten tips for preservice teachers. Kappa Delta Pi, 40(1), 42-44. doi: 10.1080/00228958.2003.10516414