A Survey of Bindura University of Science Education Student Teachers' Perceptions of the Mentoring Model of Teaching Practice

Abstract

The study investigated student teachers 'perceptions of the mentoring model of teaching practice that they went through with a view to improving future mentoring programmemes for student teachers from this university and similar institutions in the country. It focused on student teachers’ perceptions of the guidance that they received in developing professional skills. Forty-four (44) final year Bachelor of Science Education students and 24 mentors provided data for this study. The results were that pre and post lesson conferences with mentors enabled student teachers to develop new insights into their lessons, improved their reflective practices and that some mentors -were reluctant to have student teachers sit in lessons that they were teaching. The study concluded that mentoring vras an effective wo)- of initialing student teachers into school practice, improving coherence between the university and schools.