Teacher Mentoring for Effective Teacher Training and Development

Abstract

The subject of teacher mentoring has attracted worldwide attention in recent times. This article presents an account of a preservice teacher mentoring project undertaken in Kenya through a partnership of Kenyatta University in Kenya and Syracuse University. The purpose of the study was to understand the effectiveness of the collaborative mentoring model on preservice teacher training. The implementation of the project employed an evaluative survey design evaluating the mentoring process. Findings from the study indicated that collaborative mentoring has the capacity to enhance teacher development at the preservice level. However, there is no policy at the university or the national level to guide the implementation of mentoring in teacher education. The article recommends the establishment of a policy on teacher mentoring in preservice teacher education at the university and national levels. Such a policy could address aspects such as the roles of each participant in the mentoring process.