Atee.2022.33

https://doi.org/10.22364/atee.2022.33 | 494-512 | PDF | © University of Latvia, 2023

Mentors’ Perceptions of Supervising Student English Language Teachers During One-Year Clinical Practice

Monika Černá, Irena Reimannová
University of Pardubice, Czech Republic

Abstract. Mentoring in initial teacher education programmes is believed to play one of the primary roles in student teachers’ professional development, as it enhances the professional learning of student teachers in the context of their classroom and school experience. The purpose of the article is to explore mentors’ perceptions of their readiness, expectations, and relationship with student teachers during one-year clinical teaching practice. The article defines and discusses mentoring in an initial teacher education programme at a Czech university and reports the findings of a qualitative study which was conducted in a group of mentors who provided mentoring to student English language teachers during their one-year clinical practice. The clinical teaching practice is conducted in selected schools at primary and lower-secondary levels of education and mentors, student teachers, and university teacher educators communicate and cooperate closely. The study offers insights into the mentors’ perceptions of various aspects of mentoring, including the relationship of the mentors and the student English language teachers in the specific clinical practice model. The findings of the study are interpreted in the light of the proposed reform of initial teacher education in the Czech Republic and as such might be recognised by the education community and policymakers.

Keywords: teaching practice, initial teacher education, mentor, mentoring, student/pre-service English language teacher

About the authors

Monika Černá works as an English language teacher educator in the Department of English and American Studies, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic. Her research interests include among others initial English language teacher education (teaching practice, mentoring, portfolio), Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and aspects of second language acquisition, more specifically individual histories of learning English.

Irena Reimannová is a member of the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Pardubice. Her research interests include mainly initial English language teacher education (teaching practice, mentoring, student English language teachers’ professional knowledge), and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (integration of ICT in ELT).

In:
To Be or Not to Be a Great Educator, 2022. Proceedings of ATEE Annual Conference
Riga: University of Latvia Press, 2023. 985 p.
Ed. L. Daniela
ISBN 978-9934-36-019-0 
https://doi.org/10.22364/atee.2022