Collaborative Mentoring Pedagogy in Initial Teacher Education: Lessons from a Scottish Context

• Published in: International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies (Part A) Vol. 22; pp. 383 - 401
• Main Author: Aderibigbe, Semiyu Adejare
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Education; Teacher education; Teacher education methods; Teacher education pedagogy; initial teacher education; Scotland; mentoring; teacher education reform; teachers and student teachers
• ISBN: 1784411361; 9781784411367
• ISSN: 1479-3687
• DOI: 10.1108/S1479-368720140000022001

Abstract There is currently an increasing interest all over the world in the improvement of teacher education and the quality of teachers. Teachers are now expected to be lifelong learners in order to strengthen their professional knowledge. Mentoring as a component of collaborative partnership between schools and universities is considered a tool for improving teachers’ professional practice. Essentially, collaboration in mentoring between teachers and student teachers is acknowledged as being pivotal and instrumental to personal and professional development in initial teacher education contexts. However, studies indicate that the enactment of collaborative endeavors in mentoring processes between teachers and student teachers are not without challenges. Thus, this chapter documents collaborative mentoring pedagogy as practiced and experienced in a relatively new teacher education reform context in Scotland. Drawing on what has been learned in the Scottish context, the challenges to effective collaborative mentoring pedagogy and the means for strengthening collaborative mentoring pedagogy are discussed. Lastly, a framework for developing and enhancing collaborative mentoring pedagogy in initial teacher education is suggested.