Section archive - Mentoring & Supervision

This article aims to examine the critical features and outcomes of an Australian collaborative university- and school-partnership. This partnership was based on an immersion project for mentoring final year pre-service primary teachers in the area of special education. The findings reveal that this project provided scaffolded, authentic opportunities for pre-service teachers that were also beneficial for school staff, students and the school community. Mentors ensured that time spent in schools comprised a high-quality experience, and that pre-service teachers had formal opportunities to observe, discuss, trial and reflect upon theory and practice. The authors conclude that participants experienced real growth and challenges whilst being supported by school mentors and the university coordinator for the full academic year.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of peer mentoring of undergraduate education students enrolled in core curriculum, writing-intensive courses. The findings indicated that there were similarities and differences in what students and mentors considered to be important characteristics of a peer mentor. Both students and mentors said that knowledge in the field of writing and good communication skills were the most important characteristics of undergraduate peer mentors (UPM). The results revealed the major constructs of a peer mentor program that students found most beneficial. The students mentioned feeling more comfortable going to their peer mentor for help and feeling less intimidated than if they had asked their instructor. In addition, the findings on the UPMS indicated that participating in the UPM program resulted in several benefits to peer mentors as well.

This study aimed to examine practicing mentor teachers (MTs) and prospective teachers' (PSTs) perspectives on their experiences in co-learning events. The findings reveal there is evidence of a personal orientation toward mentoring interactions among both PSTs and MTs. MTs noted that the co-learning events helped them connect with and build relationships with PSTs, in particular the sessions when MTs joined the PSTs in their methods courses. MTs saw these personal connections to PSTs as supporting their ability to serve as mentors. However, the authors also found that some PSTs resisted the positioning of MTs as learners during particular co-learning events. PSTs said that they considered the methods course as a learning space for them. Hence, when MTs joined the class, they expected them to instruct the class in particular content.

In this article, the authors addressed two issues that could improve the mentoring relationship. The first issue refers to a system for prompting regular contact between mentor and mentee. The second one addresses to a prompt to both mentor and mentee that provides relevant and timely topics as a springboard for conversation and mentoring guidance during those meetings. The authors describe how the use of creative technology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts addressed these two issues.