The Role of Structured Mentoring Programs in Shaping Professional Competence Among Preservice Teachers: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63228/9084qq84Keywords:
Structured mentoring, preservice teacher education, professional competence, cognitive apprenticeshipAbstract
Despite widespread recognition of mentoring as critical to initial teacher education, the typical apprenticeship model observed in many school placements remains largely unstructured, yielding inconsistent learning outcomes. This study investigated the effects of a structured 12 week mentoring program on multiple dimensions of professional competence among preservice teachers using a quasi experimental design. Sixty preservice teachers were allocated to an experimental group (structured mentoring, n = 30) or a control group (conventional practicum supervision, n = 30). Professional competence was assessed before and after the intervention using an adapted Professional Competence Scale covering instructional planning, classroom management, assessment literacy, and reflective practice. An analysis of covariance was performed with baseline scores as the covariate. After the intervention, the structured mentoring group significantly outperformed the control group across all competence subscales, with the largest gains observed in instructional planning (F = 12.47, p < .001, ηp² = .18) and reflective practice (F = 9.85, p < .01, ηp² = .15). The overall between group effect was substantial (d = 0.86). Qualitative interview data revealed that structured protocols, cognitive modelling, and cycles of focused feedback were the key mechanisms driving these improvements. Structured mentoring that embeds explicit scaffolding, goal setting, and process oriented feedback significantly enhances preservice teachers’ professional learning. Teacher education programmes should move beyond unstructured placement supervision and adopt systematically designed mentoring protocols to bridge the persistent gap between theoretical preparation and classroom readiness.
Downloads
References
Akin Sabuncu, S., & Koç, Y. (2023). Mentoring in preservice teacher education: A systematic review of research 2010 2021. Teaching and Teacher Education, 124, Article 104021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.104021
Becker, E. S., Walberg, M., & Staub, F. C. (2021). Content focused coaching in the practicum: A field experiment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 103, Article 103372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103372
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77 101.
Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Newman, S. E. (1989). Cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching the crafts of reading, writing, and mathematics. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), Knowing, learning, and instruction: Essays in honor of Robert Glaser (pp. 453 494). Lawrence Erlbaum.
Darling Hammond, L. (2021). Teacher education around the world: What can we learn from international practice? European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(5), 585 608.
Davis, J., & Loughran, J. (2023). The Classroom Observation Protocol for Preservice Teachers (COP PT): Development and validation. Journal of Teacher Education, 74(3), 241 256.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81 112.
Hennissen, P., Crasborn, F., & Snoek, M. (2025). Mentor teacher competencies in initial teacher education: A Delphi study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 145, Article 105128.
Hudson, P. (2023). Mentoring for effective teaching: A framework for initial teacher education. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 31(2), 189 207.
Kırmızı, Ö., & Mutlu Gülbak, G. (2025). Mapping the complex terrain of mentorship in pre service EFL teacher education: Drawing metainferences from a practicum program. Research Papers in Education, 40(7), 961 985.
König, J., Blömeke, S., & Kaiser, G. (2022). On the measurement of professional competence of preservice teachers. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 34(2), 175 202.
Korthagen, F. (2022). The gap between theory and practice in teacher education: A reflective perspective. In M. Kooy & J. Loughran (Eds.), The international handbook of self study of teaching and teacher education practices (pp. 109 132). Springer.
Kram, K. E. (1983). Phases of the mentor relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 26(4), 608 625.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2019). The development of goal setting theory: A half century retrospective. Motivation Science, 5(2), 93 105.
Makoelle, T. M., & Burmistrova, V. (2022). Mentoring of pre service teachers as a method of enhancing effective inclusive teaching: A collaborative action study. South African Journal of Education, 42(1), 1 11.
Marín, V. I., de Benito, B., & Darder, A. (2023). Near peer mentoring in teacher education: A scoping review. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 31(4), 412 433.
Meland, A. T., & Kålhus, H. (2022). Tools for the school based mentoring of pre service teachers: A scoping review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 111, Article 103609.
Mok, S. Y., & Staub, F. C. (2021). Does coaching, mentoring, and supervision matter for pre service teachers’ planning skills and clarity of instruction? A meta analysis of (quasi )experimental studies. Teaching and Teacher Education, 106, Article 103484.
Mudau, P. K., Mweli, P., & Adebayo, S. A. (2026). Are pre service teachers receiving quality mentoring in rural schools? A synopsis from research in South Africa. Trends in Higher Education, 5(2), 37.
Satmaz, İ., Girgin, D., Yılmaz Yıldız, S., & Kiraz, E. (2026). Bridging expectations and realities in the teaching practicum: Preservice teachers’ evaluation of mentor competencies. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 26(1), 12 28.
van Ginkel, G., Kester, L., & van Merriënboer, J. J. (2024). Mentoring phases in teacher education: A longitudinal study. Journal of Teacher Education, 75(1), 34 49.
