The Influence of mentoring relationships on the professional development of in -service distance education students

Abstract

The study reports on an investigation into the influence of the mentoring relationship on the professional development of in-service distant education student-teachers. It explored how student-teachers and their mentors at primary schools in Mpumalanga perceive and experience mentoring relationships as part of their professional development. The primary research question that guided this study was to determine what role mentoring relationships play in the professional development of in-service distant education student-teachers. Three subquestions were used that focused on mentors and mentees’ perceptions and experiences of mentoring relationships; aspects of the relationships that contributed most to their professional development; and the mentoring practice within the selected schools. This qualitative study used a case study design and semi-structured interviews generated the relevant data. The study was grounded in Hudson’s model of mentoring for effective teaching and learning as a conceptual framework. The participants consisted of senior teachers who acted as mentors and in-service distant education student-teachers were the mentees at six primary schools in Mpumalanga Province. The findings of this study show that mentorship appears to be conceptualised as individual or collective student-teacher emotional support and professional support. Mentorship provides learning opportunities for the student-teachers to fill in the gaps in what could be regarded as the unwritten rules of the teaching profession. The positive influence of the mentor relationship involves supporting distance education student-teachers to grow and mature into accountable, responsible and professional teachers. Through the mentoring process mentors have an opportunity to reflect on their practice for their own professional career growth. The negative influence of mentoring was caused by the characteristics of mentor and organisational challenges. Recommendations are made for developing policy and improving practice.