Reflective strategies : tools for empowering Zimbabwean primary school teachers in the student teacher mentoring programme (STMP)

Abstract: Student teacher mentoring is implemented in the Zimbabwean education context because of the potential benefits it has for teacher training. This study makes new contributions to student teacher mentoring through exploring current mentoring reflective strategies. It considers the use of mentor reflective strategies and awareness of mentoring roles on trainee teachers. It is intended to answer the question, Can the use of reflective strategies and awareness of mentoring lead to primary school teacher empowerment in the Student Teacher Mentoring Programme (STMP) in Zimbabwe? The STMP has to be carefully examined, since it is the current Zimbabwean policy of teacher training, where teachers caring for student teachers during Teaching Practice (TP) have to play a critical function in this process. Such teachers need to be empowered. To solve this complex issue of empowerment, this study purposively sought to address the challenges faced by the host primary school teachers in the STMP. It also is meant to recommend strategies in facilitating student teachers’ professional development during TP. The theoretical framework of this study hinges upon the Norwegian Action-reflection model of the theory of mentoring which focuses on planned, formalised mentor-mentee conferences (Skagen, 2004). This theory is linked to the Attachment theory (Miles, 2011), which explains the adult relationship where closeness and attachment are critical. The conceptual framework of the thesis focuses on Goldhammer et al.’s (1993) Clinical Supervision model. This model argues that Clinical Supervision is executed in five stages: pre-observation conference; observation; analysis and strategy; post-observation conference; and post-conference analysis. The study also hinges on reflective strategies (Dewey, 1933; Schon, 1991; Eraut, 1995) as well as the empowerment theory (Carl, 2002; Ozturk, 2011; Stein, 1997) which argues that teachers have to be given authority and be decision makers in their practice, including guiding student teachers in their classes. Socio-cultural theories are part of the conceptual framework. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using a multiple case study which attempts to situate the issue of trainee teacher mentoring into perspective within the various training sites. The purposive research sample consisted of school heads, host...Ph.D