Advancing the Quality of Mentoring During the Teaching Practicum Through Content-Focused Coaching: A Field Experiment

• In Event: 28.089 - MTCC Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 28.089-2 - Focusing on the Supervisor and Mentor in Field Experiences for Preservice Teachers

Abstract

The teaching practicum is a pivotal element in teacher education. However, little is known about the effects of specific methods of assisting student teachers. In a field experiment, 59 school-based mentor teachers were randomly allocated to a control group or to one of three intervention groups that received training sessions in elements of Content-Focused Coaching: a) pre-lesson conferences, b) core issues for designing and reflecting lessons, c) both elements. Effects on the quality of the mentoring, as well as student teachers’ competency gains, and instructional quality (reported by pupils) were examined and implications for mentor teachers’ trainings are discussed.

Authors

• Eva Susann Becker, University of Zurich

• Fritz C. Staub, University of Zurich

• Monika Waldis, University of Teacher Education Northwestern Switzerland

• Oana Costache, University of Zurich