Mentoring Beginning Teachers: Bridging the Gap between Pre-Service Training and In-Practice Realities.

Abstract

Research on quality and relevance of pre-service teacher training programmes has found out that their products are ill-prepared for service delivery in schools. This is because there seems to be a disconnect between the college curriculum and the job in-practice. Given the critical nature of teacher input in the teaching-learning chain of curriculum implementation, many authorities have recommended that teacher preparation for primary, secondary, and tertiary education be restructured to address the anomalies to suit the dynamic educational environment. Available literature indicates that inadequacy in teacher training programmes is not unique to any particular state, county, or region. Several scholars, task-forces, and commissions of inquiry have suggested viable approaches for improved teacher training quality but there has been minimal progress. It is therefore necessary to come up with in-service options that would bridge the gap in question. One such in-built mechanism is mentoring that would take place either formally or informally in schools. Both the mentor and the protégé gain hence, wholesomely, improved service delivery to pupils for quality education