Amplifying mentor teachers' voices: capturing first-hand perspectives on mentoring preservice teachers during the practicum in initial teacher education

The school-based practicum is often considered the most influential component of initial teacher education (ITE) programs in developing the practical teaching skills and pedagogical knowledge of pre-service teachers. Initial teacher education institutions depend on schools and school-based mentor teachers to host pre-service teachers for the practicum. Mentor teachers provide support and guidance to pre-service teachers as they navigate working in schools and applying theoretical knowledge to classroom practice. However, the quality and effectiveness of the practicum can vary, and the literature consistently emphasises the importance of mentor teachers’ abilities and knowledge in shaping this experience for pre-service teachers. While successive Australian government reports stress the need for mentor teachers to be supported in their role through appropriate professional learning opportunities, this is not obligatory and may be one reason that practicum experiences can be variable for pre-service teachers. Professional learning is one aspect of mentoring practice that is examined in this study, but other important components of mentoring related to mentor theory, adult learning principles and mentoring practices are exposed through the literature review and through hearing from the mentor teachers themselves. This study presents the voices, perceptions, and experiences of 12 ITE mentor teachers each with a range of teaching and mentoring experiences. To enable a deep understanding of the views and actual experiences of mentor teachers about their role and practice, qualitative research methods were employed. The study participants were sourced via social media platforms, which ensured a diverse group of mentor teachers from varied primary and secondary educational settings across Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria. This study gathers data from the mentor teachers via individual semi-structured interviews to gain insights into their perspectives on the mentoring process, their roles and responsibilities, and the challenges they face in mentoring pre-service teachers. The data was analysed using both Qualtrics and manual coding methods against the research questions, enabling key themes to be revealed. This study draws on mentoring and adult learning theories and frameworks to analyse the data collected and to evaluate the actual experiences of the mentor teachers. The study also explores the impact of mentor teachers' own beliefs, values, and experiences on their mentoring practices. The data is presented in narrative accounts that describe the mentor teachers’ views and authentic experiences in mentoring pre-service teachers during practicum in their individual school settings. The mentor teachers’ stories provide an opportunity for both a snapshot of experiences at a particular time and a comparison of experiences across a range of situations. This study regards mentor teachers as co-learners alongside their pre-service teachers during the practicum. The importance of using adult learning principles as well as mentoring theory frameworks in the development of future professional learning for mentor teachers emerges as one of the key findings. Importantly, the mentor teachers’ actual experiences, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes are brought to the fore in this study, which alongside evidence-based theoretical frameworks provides insights as a catalyst for future change in the way mentor teachers are supported in this important role and how a mentoring identity may be supported and recognised in both the ITE sector and the broader educational landscape. The findings of this research will contribute to the understanding of the role of mentor teachers in ITE and provide insights into how supporting and recognising the role of mentor teachers can better support pre-service teachers' learning and development which ultimately will positively impact the learning outcomes of future generations of Australian school students.