Mentorship Models in Teacher Education: Rethinking Support for Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

Mentorship is generally acknowledged to be an important part of teacher education, but currently existing models do not tend to offer pre-service teachers long-term and context-specific assistance. In the current paper, the modern-day structures of mentorship within teacher education are discussed and a reformulated model is suggested that aims at enhancing professional learning, the formation of identity, and competence in instruction. Basing on the existing material in the literature on teacher development, reflective practice, and collaborative learning, the research examines the more traditional methods of supervision and the new models, including peer mentoring, co-teaching partnerships, and networked professional communities. Specific emphasis is placed on the relative, pedagogical, and institutional aspects that determine the effectiveness of mentoring. The paper argues that mentorship must be removed off the evaluating supervision onto developmental partnering on the basis of trustworthiness, dialogic reflection and inquiry. It singles out existing problems like lack of mentor preparation, role ambiguity, the quality of feedback inconsistencies and structural constraints to school-university partnerships. Based on qualitative data consisting of the case examples and program analyses, the research determines the practices that can promote resilience, instructional confidence, and adaptive expertise among pre-service teachers. An alternative mentorship model is suggested, as incorporating structured reflective dialogue, goal-focused observation cycles, collaborative problem-solving, and continuous mentor training. The model focuses on mutual learning, cultural responsiveness, and congruency between the course work and field lessons. Teacher education programs can be used to better serve novice educators in their first to second year of practice by redesigning mentorship as a dynamic professional learning relationship, and not a hierarchical assessment mechanism. The results may also be aligned with the current debate on teacher preparation reform and highlights the necessity of systemic support of high-quality mentoring systems. Enhancing the mentorship models has important consequences in terms of retention of teachers, classroom performance, and educational progress in the long run.