Abstract
The study aims to improve teaching practice pedagogy. Student-teachers bring their theory-based knowledge, skills, and values to schools to help them learn by interacting with the mentors as co-teachers. However, mentors receive them as visitors who come and go, whereas a teaching practice session is meant to promote mutual benefit. I call this behaviour the follow-suit pedagogy since mentors display attitudes of teach-as-i-teach. The study followed the social constructivist theory that the students and mentors should interact in schools in the mentor-mentee relationship. Such interactions shape their understanding of teaching as a phenomenon. The study population is student teachers doing their final year or students doing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, mentors, and lecturers conducting teaching practice monitoring. This is a qualitative study; purposeful sampling was used to establish a sample of 8 students, 6 mentors, and 2 monitors, a total of 16 participants. Data was collected through interviews and document analysis. Data was analysed thematically. Among others, it is established that 1. student-teachers are viewed as a relief to mentors; they cease all their work to student-teachers to teach in their absence; 2. student-teachers need to observe and practice how they should teach the subject-specific content; this gap is not addressed in schools. It is recommended that the mentor’s guide needs to be reviewed to cater to the inputs of student-teachers, mentors, and monitors when such inputs are relevant.
Presenters
Ndanganeni Florence LitshaniLecturer-Associate Professor, Educational Studies, University of Venda, Limpopo, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Adult, Community, and Professional Learning
KEYWORDS
Pedagogy, Subject-specific pedagogy, Social Constructivism, Follow-suit pedagogy, Teacher Education and Training
