Mentors’ perceptions of supervising student English language teachers during one-year clinical practice

Abstract

Mentoring in initial teacher education programmes is believed to play one of the primary roles in student teachers’ professional development, as it enhances the professional learning of student teachers in the context of their classroom and school experience. The purpose of the article is to explore mentors’ perceptions of their readiness, expectations, and relationship with student teachers during one-year clinical teaching practice. The article defines and discusses mentoring in an initial teacher education programme at a Czech university and reports the findings of a qualitative study which was conducted in a group of mentors who provided mentoring to student English language teachers during their one-year clinical practice. The clinical teaching practice is conducted in selected schools at primary and lower-secondary levels of education and mentors, student teachers, and university teacher educators communicate and cooperate closely. The study offers insights into the mentors’ perceptions of various aspects of mentoring, including the relationship of the mentors and the student English language teachers in the specific clinical practice model. The findings of the study are interpreted in the light of the proposed reform of initial teacher education in the Czech Republic and as such might be recognised by the education community and policymakers.