Capacity Building of Mentors in the Mentoring of Trainee Teachers

Abstract

This study examined the capacity building of mentors in the mentoring of trainee teachers as a way of improving mentors’ practices. The study employed the interpretive paradigm and used the qualitative approach and case study research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 27 participants perceived as rich informants. These participants included six mentors, 15 trainee teachers, five college lecturers, two lecturers from the teaching practice office, three senior lecturers in charge and one university lecturer who is a link person between the college and the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Zimbabwe. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and document analysis. It emerged from the study that mentors were not at all being trained to become mentors, therefore, mentors needed to be trained before the mentorship programme. The study revealed that most mentors depended on the knowledge they attained from college when they were training as teachers and a few from school staff development programmes. Thus, there was a gap in the capacity building of mentors and mentor selection.