A plea for a mentoring framework that promotes dialogic professional learning in the ELT teacher education context

Yıl 2007, Cilt: 3 Sayı: 3, 43 - 64, 01.12.2007

Jeylan Wolyie Hussein

Öz

The paper emerged out of my own and my colleagues’ growing discontent with the traditional, ill-organized and unproductive way of evaluating the one-month-teaching practice of student teachers of English Language Teaching (ELT) at Haramaya University. It advances the argument that student teacher evaluation systems should be restructured to represent the voices and experiences of the student teachers. Towards this end, I proposed a mentoring framework that potentially encourages student teachers to become critical practitioners. The model I propose emphasizes the professional agency of the student teacher. The paper holds the position that to transform their views of teaching and learning, student teachers as well as their trainers should be empowered to seek justice and emancipation from the traditional model of evaluation. Finally, it attempts to leave readers with the impression that if we prefer our zone of comfort at the expense of our student teachers’ growth, we must know that we are jeopardizing the fate of teacher education

Kaynakça

• Anderson, E. M. & Shannon, A. L. (1988). Towards a conceptualization of mentoring. Journal of Teacher Education 39(1): 38-42.
• Atkinson, T. (1996). Teacher mentors and student teachers: What is transmitted? In G. T. Claxton, M. Atkinson, M. Osborn & M. Wallace. (Eds.), Liberating the Learner. Lessons for Professional Development in Education (pp. 228-241). London: Rutledge.
• Ballantyne, R. A. Green, A. Yarrow, and J.M. Water. (1999). Reciprocal mentoring: Preparatory Development, 3 (1), 79-94. materials for teacher development, Teacher
• Beattie, M. (2000). Narratives of professional learning: Becoming a teacher and learning to teach, Journal of Educational Inquiry, 1(2), 1-23.
• Boler, M. (1999). Feeling power: Emotions and education. New York: Routledge.
• Boudreau, P. (1999). The supervision of a student teacher as defined by cooperating teachers, Canadian Journal of Education, 24(4), 454-459.
• Chamberlin, C. R. (2000). TESL degree candidates’ perceptions of trust in supervisors, TESOL Quarterly, 34(4), 653-673.
• Cooper, J. M. (1995). Supervision in teacher education. In L. W. Anderson (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Teaching and Teacher Education (pp. 593- 598). Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd.
• Covey, S. (1992). The Seven habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Personal Changes. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd.
• Dahlström, L. (2003a). Critical practitioner inquiry and the struggle over the preferential right of interpretation in the South, Educational Action Research. 11(3), 467-478.
• Dahlström, L. (2003b). Position paper: Master’s degree: Critical Practitioner Inquiry for Educators, Department of Education, Umeå University, Sweden.
• Day, C. (1999).Developing teachers: the challenges of life long learning. London: Falmer Press.
• Egbo, B. (2005). Critical pedagogy as transformative micro-level praxis. Retrived July 2, 2005, from http://asstudents.unco.educ/students/AE-Extra/2005/6/Art- 4.htm1
• Fischer, C. (2004). Sink or swim: The need for mentoring of graduates of intensive TESOL courses. A paper presented on the 17th Educational Conference, Adelaide. www.sit.edu/edu/tesol/covalidated.html. May, 5, 2005, from
• Freire, P. (1970). Cultural action and conscientization. Harvard educational Review 40(3): 452-477.
• Freire, P. (1984). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum Publishing Corporation.
• Fuller, B. (1991). Growing-up Modern: The Western State Builds Third World Schools. New York: Routledge.
• Gadotti, M. (1996). Pedagogy of Praxis: A Dialectical Philosophy of Education. New York: State University of New York.
• Gair, M. (1998). Review of Giroux, Henry A. (1997). Pedagogy and the Politics of Hope: Theory, Culture, and Schooling. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Retrieved June 23, from, http://edrev.asu.edu/reviews/rev39.htm
• Ganser, T. (1996). Preparing mentors for beginning teachers: An overview for staff developers, Journal of Staff Development 17 (4), 8-11.
• George, D. H. (1995). A poet’s mentor. Research/Penn State, Vol. 16 (2): Retrieved October 9, 2005, from http://www.rps.psu.edu/jun95/mentor.html
• Ghaye, A. and Ghaye, K. (1998). Teaching and Learning through Critical Reflective Practice. London: David Fulton.
• Greene, M. (1986). In search of critical pedagogy, Harvard Educational Review, 56, 427-441.
• Gilstrap, D.L. (2007). Dialogic and the emergence of criticality in complex group processes. http://ccaerasig.com/papers/07/Gilstrap.pdf July 6, 2007, from,
• Hagger, H. Burn, K. and McIntyre, D. (1995). The School Mentor Handbook: essential skills and strategies for working with student Teachers. London: Cogan Page.
• Hanky, J. (2004). The good, the bad and other considerations: Reflections on mentoring trainee teachers in post-compulsory education. Research in Post- compulsory Education 9(3): 389-400.
• Hargreaves, A. & Fullan, M. (1992). (Eds.) Understanding Teacher Development. London: Villers House.
• Hoffman-Kipp, P. (2003). Model Activity Systems: Dialogic Teacher Learning for Social Justice Teaching, Teacher Education Quarterly, 30(2), 27-39.
• Holloway, J. (2001). The Benefits of Mentoring, Educational Leadership, 58(8), 85- 86.
• Hussein, J.W. (2006a). Hopes and challenges in using action research: the outcome of attempting to help in-service teachers learn how to design, evaluate and use reading comprehension questions collaboratively, Educational Action Research, 14 (3), 377-393.
• Hussein, J.W. (2006b). Locating the value conflicts between the rhetoric and practices of the public and teacher education in Ethiopia within the hegemony of the global neo-liberalism and seeking the alternative in critical pedagogy. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 4(2), Retrieved December, 10, 2006, from http://www.jceps.com/index.php?pageID=article&articleID=80
• Hussein, J.W. (2007). Experience gained through engaging student teachers in a developmental reflective process. Teacher Development, 11(2), 189-201.
• hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as a Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge.
• Housego, B. E. J. & Grimmett, P. (1983). The performance-based/development debate about student teaching supervision, Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 29, 319-337.
• Janas, M. (1996). Mentoring the mentor: A challenge for staff development. Journal of Staff Development, 17(4): 2-5.
• Kelemu, M. (2000). The policy and practice of pre-service secondary teacher education in Ethiopia: 1974-1999. In D. Bridges & M. Zewdie (Eds.) Secondary Teacher Education in Ethiopia (pp. 24-46). Addis Ababa: The British Council.
• Kokoi, S. (1997). The role of teacher mentoring in educational reform. Retrieved June 10, 2007, from, http://www.prel.org/products/Products/Role-mentor.pdf
• Ling, L. Y. (2003). Underpinnings of teachers’ professional development-a new conceptualization of field experience, Asia Pacific Education Review, 4(1), 11-18.
• Martin, C. (2004). Partners in Teaching Excellence: A Model for Transformative Mentoring. http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/tc/martin/martinmodule.html June 3, 2007, from
• Martinez, K. (2004). Mentoring new teachers: Promise and problems in times of teacher shortage, Australian Journal of Education, 48(1), 95-108.
• Montgomery, B. (2000). The student and cooperating teacher relationship. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education, 18(2), 7-15.
• Murray, M and Owen, M. A. (1991). Beyond the Myths and Magic of Mentoring. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
• Provident, I. (2005). Mentoring: A role of facilitate academic change, The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 3(2). Retrieved July 2, 2005, from %20Print%20Version.pdf
• http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/vol3num2/Provident%20
• Rennert-Ariev, P. (2005). A theoretical model for the authentic assessment of teaching. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation . Retrieved June 16, 2005, from, http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=10&n.
• Rodrigues, Y. E. (1995). Mentoring to diversity: a multicultural approach. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, Special Edition, New strategies and Challenges, 66, 69-77.
• Samson, J., & Yeomans, R. (2002). Analyzing the role of mentors. In A. Pollard (ed) Readings for Reflective Teaching. London: Continuum.
• Schapiro, S. A. (2003). From andragogy to collaborative critical pedagogy, Journal of Transformative Education, 1(2), 150-166.
• Stevens, N. (1995). R and r for mentors: renewal and reaffirmation for mentors as benefits from the mentoring experience, Educational Horizons, 73(3), 130- 137.
• Tomlinson, P. (1995). Understanding Mentoring: Reflective Strategies for School- based Teacher Preparation. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
• Van Thielen, B. (1992). Tutoring beginning teachers through a mentor teacher program. University of Saskatchewan. Centre for School Based Programs.
• Walkington, J., Christensen, H. P. & Kock, H. (2001). Developing critical reflection as a part of teaching training and teaching practice, European Journal of Engineering Education, 26(4), 343-350.
• Waters, G. A. (1998). Critical evaluation for education reform. Education Policy Archives 6(20). Retrieved October 8, 2005, from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v6n20.html
• Waterstone, B. (2000). Desiring voice: Complicity, consumption and critical literacy. Retrieved, http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/shed2000/bonnie.htm 5, 2005, from
• Williams, M. (1989). A developmental view of classroom observation, ELT Journal 43(2), 85-91.
• Yarrow, A. and Millwater, J. (1997). Evaluating the effectiveness of a professional development course in supervision and mentoring, British Journal of In- service Education, 23(3), 349-361.
• Zewdie, M. N. Abebe, B. Gebru & M. Kelemu (2000). Secondary teacher education in Ethiopia: An overview. In D. Bridges & M. Zewdie (Eds.) Secondary Teacher Education in Ethiopia (pp. 7-23). Addis Ababa: The British Council
• APPENDIX A: HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY GUIDELINE FOR EVALUATING A
• STUDENT TEACHER IN PRACTICE TEACHING
• Assessment 1 to 5 is given. The highest is 5 and the lowest is 1. Indicate your assessment
• by circling one of the points against the student teacher’s competence given below. Also
• write down your additional comments in the columns provided.
• The keys to the points are going to be given as follows.
• =very satisfactory; 4=satisfactory; 3=Average; 2=Less satisfactory; 1=Unsatisfactory
• Name of the student teacher ____________________________ date ______________
• Grade and Section _________________________________ Subject ______________ 1
• Instructional Planning Points Comments 1.1 Are
• behavioral terms or action words?
• Does the lesson plan provide a
• range of teaching strategies, which
• are consistent with the objectives?
• Are home works and other activities
• integral parts of the lesson plan? Are
• logically arranged? in 1 2 3 4 5 1.2 1 2 3 4 5 1.3 1 2 3 4 5 1.4 contents sequentially and 1 2 3 4 5 2
• Teaching-learning process
• Does the student teacher arouse the
• interests of students towards the subject matter?
• Are the factual information of the
• subject matter presented accurately?
• Are examples, illustrations and
• demonstrations used to explain and
• 10 Does the student teacher use differe4nt classroom management techniques? 1 2 3 4 5
• 11 Is the student teacher able to influence students’ behaviors in his or her presentation of the subject matter? 1 2 3 4 5
• 12 Is the student teacher able to maintain student involvement in classroom tasks? 1 2 3 4 5
• 13 Does the student teacher use different teaching materials like real objects, specimen, modes, etc. while teaching? 1 2 3 4 5 3
• Assessment of teaching learning 3.1
• Is learning monitored and evaluated
• in order to improve teaching and learning?
• Does the student teacher interact
• with students to know about their learning behaviors?
• Are appropriate assessment tasks
• (such as oral questions, class work,
• homework, observation) used to
• monitor progress in learning?
• Total (out of 100 points) 1 2 3 4 5 3.2 1 2 3 4 5 3.3 1 2 3 4 5 3.4
• Evaluator’s Name _____________________________ Signature _______________