“Examining mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice: A case study of one teachers’ college in Zimbabwe”

This study examined mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice in one teachers’ college in Zimbabwe. The study employed the interpretive paradigm and used the qualitative approach and case study research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 27 participants who were perceived to be rich informants. These participants included 6 mentors, 15 trainee teachers, 5 college lecturers, 2 lecturers from the teaching practice office, 3 senior lecturers in charge and 1 university lecturer who is a link person between the college and the Department of Teacher Education. Data were obtained through face to face interviews, focus groups and document analysis. The study revealed that mentors performed both career development and psychosocial support roles during teaching practice, although the psychosocial roles were not very prominent. The interviewed mentors and trainee teachers also indicated that, although mentors knew how they should perform their duties, they encountered various challenges which hindered the effectiveness of the mentorship programme. The participants from the three schools revealed that mentors employed both good and bad strategies to provide career development and psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice. There was also evidence that colleges and schools use different mentoring mechanisms in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice.The data also revealed that there were challenges encountered in the use of these mentoring mechanisms. The participants also acknowledged that, despite these challenges, there were good practices and benefits of mentorship. However, there were gaps noted in the mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support. It emerged that there was lack of qualified school mentors resulting in inadequate provision of career development and psychosocial support. It was also established that financial constraints affected the effectiveness of mentorship. The study found that there were loopholes in mentor selection. Financial constraints also hindered capacity building programmes for mentors. The study established strategies that can be used to improve mentorship. Teachers’ colleges and schools should be adequately resourced to ensure effective mentorship during teaching practice. This could be done through adequate material resources, workshops, updates of schools and college activities supervision, review of mentorship iii programmes, incentives, orientation and induction for mentors. The study also recommended that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development (MoHTESTD), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), colleges and schools consider a mentorship policy that fuses global and national trends. Resources should also be mobilised by all the stakeholders involved who include the MoHTEST, MoPSE, teacher training colleges and secondary schools, for effective mentorship.The study recommended considering alternative mentorship models with regard to the provision of career development and psychosocial support to trainee teachers from secondary teacher-training colleges in Zimbabwe