Dynamic Research Journals (DRJ)

Journal of Economics and Finance (DRJ-JEF)

Volume 2 ~ Issue 4 (April, 2017) pp: 11-18
ISSN (Online); 2520-7490
www.dynamicresearchjournals.org

Experiences and Beliefs of Mentors Towards Student Teachers on

Teaching Practice in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Jeriphanos Makaye
Great Zimbabwe University, Box 1235, Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract: This qualitative study explored the silent but powerful voices of critical stakeholders in the development
of teacher practitioners. It is an unarguable fact that an effective teacher programme hitherto student teacher
cannot be produced without passing through good mentorship. In many a case, studies make reference to the mentor
but little has been heard from the mentors. This study attempts to capture the experiences, beliefs, concerns and
views of mentors with regard to mentoring. Thus, the study focused on 10 mentors from both urban and rural
experiences in Masvingo district. These responded to semi -structured interviews. Their selection was purely
purposive and convenient. The study revealed interesting results which can be utilized to enhance effective and
productive student-mentorship relationship. The results pointed on both the contact of student teachers as well as on
the strong synergy between the school and the college. Thus, the study recommends for a symbiotic relationship
amongst and between mentee and mentor, and school and teacher training institutions as it was found out that
teacher development is an all inclusive process.
Key words: Mentor; Mentee; Mentoring; Experiences; Beliefs

I. Introduction and background

Teaching practice (TP) is an integral component of teacher education. No doubt that a student teacher (ST) who
performs exceptionally well during teaching practice is likely to be the best teacher for his entire teaching career.
According to Scherer (2012) student teachers who are well prepared, particularly during teaching practice are likely
to remain in teaching at much higher rates than those not prepared. This underscores the role of the teaching
practicum or teaching practice. More, importantly to the teaching practice is mentoring. The trend in most teacher
education institutions is that a teacher on teaching practice is supposed to be under the guidance of an experienced
and knowledgeable mentor who will always guide, supervise and give technical as well as moral support to the
teacher during the time he/she will be on TP. The teaching practice period may vary from two weeks, one school
term or the whole year depending on the institution. Chireshe and Chireshe (2013) view a mentor as someone who
counsels, sets the pace for the teacher and models the student into an effective one. Thus, the mentor is supposed to
play the role of advisor, role model, subject expert, supervisor, instructor, counselor, etc. Since the student teacher is
a novice the mentor is supposed to model the teacher into what both the ministry and college/university expert.
Kufakunesu, Dzingo & Dekeza (2013) posit that mentors assume several roles including inter alia, guide, supervisor,
counselor, overseer, coach, coach supporter, critic and supporter. The criticality of the role of the mentor
underscores the need for a very cordial professional relationship between the student and him/her. The teaching
practice thus, marks the beginning or entry of the student into the profession (Makaye, Mapetere & Madungwe.,
2017) hence, it is imperative that a critical analysis of the mentorship programme be made if ever an effective
teacher is to be produced.
In Zimbabwe as elsewhere the world over, student teachers are supposed to be under the mentorship of an
experienced qualified teacher. Most teacher training colleges in the country operate under the 2-5-2 model, meaning
that a student teacher will spent two school terms (about 24 weeks) on college and five terms (60 weeks) on
attachment or practicum then the last two terms again at college. For Post graduate diploma in Education, students
are subjected to one semester (36-48) of theory then another semester on teaching practice. Pre-service
undergraduate students in most cases spend two years on theory and a full year on teaching practice and another year
after teaching practice. In most cases the first residential part of the student at the college will be based on theory of
education, pedagogies as well as academic knowledge on the subjects the student is to teach when he/she goes for
attachment. The first residential period prepares the student teacher to what she/he will encounter on teaching
practice. Thus, besides pedagogic and academic knowledge the student is exposed to a wide range of co-curricular
activities s/he will encounter. Thus, when the student goes on teaching practice she goes with enough ammunition to
navigate through the teaching adventure. Whatever, period the student will take on teaching practice or practicum

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 Experiences and Beliefs of Mentors Towards Student Teachers on Teaching Practice in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

the novice teacher or student teacher will be attached to a mentor. Ideally, the mentor is a qualified mature teacher
who will guide the mentee traverse the teaching practice journey. Villani (2009) describes a mentor as someone who
helps, guides, teaches and coaches a mentee. In most cases a teacher mentee is assisted on;
a. documentation, that is planning, scheming, remedial work for students who will have encountered challenges
and difficulties, extension work for those who will have excelled, extra mural or co-curricular )
b. Lesson execution that is how he/she will go about the actual teaching. How he/she introduces a lesson,
develops and concludes it are some of the critical skills the student teacher should have and lastly
c. the student teacher has to be assisted on how he/she conducts him/herself professionally. This covers dressing,
punctuality, discipline and how the ST socializes with others. In simple terms the student teacher is helped to
develop into a mature, effective and efficient professional.
Thus, Ambrosetti and Dekker (2010) perceive the role of the mentor as a dynamic one involving both
relationship aspects and process aspects. Whilst a lot of literature has addressed on the roles of mentoring and
mentors very little has been publicized on what mentors conceive of their role(s), what they perceive of student
teachers and their college/university lecturers. In most cases mentors are thought of and rarely do they express their
voices with regard to mentoring.
In a study on teaching practice generated stressors in Zimbabwe Mapfumo, Chitsiko and Chireshe (2012)
specifically looked into the perspectives of student teachers and ignored the views and plight of mentors. The study
recommended that mentors should treat student teachers with respect and fairness and reduce workload for student
teachers. The study skirted around the views of mentors. In another study student teachers perceived mentors as
relief teachers and others did not have confidence in them (Maphosa et al.2007). The two studies were based on
what student teachers perceive of mentors and hardly did they solicit for the mentors voices. Kiggundu and
Nayimuli (2009) on the other hand presented different student views from South Africa with regard to their mentors,
with some regarding them as helpful and others viewing them as of little help. The same views were also established
by Blunden (2000) from Australian students teachers. Shah, Syed Manzar-Abbs and Lijiehu (2013) in their study of
various practicums of different countries recommended that mismatches between mentors and mentees should be
resolved. Shar and Lijiehus (2013) study reveals that there are differences between the mentor and mentee and the
only way to resolve these differences is to explore the mentors inside story of their beliefs and experiences. The
overarching question underlining this study however is; how do mentors perceive of themselves, the mentee and the
whole mentoring process
Thus, the major argument of this current study is if ever the mentoring process is to be effective an inside view
of what mentors perceive of their role should be established. This paper therefore explored the views, beliefs and
experiences of the mentors of the mentoring exercise and student teachers in particular. Alexander and Alexander
(2012) bemoaned that lack of information in mentoring creates a gap on how to make effective improvement in
teaching and this study is premised to fill up the gap. Whilst the utility of mentoring to improving teacher practice
has been extensively debated in literature mentors beliefs and experiences have received less attention. Ambrosetii
and Dekkers (2010) on the other hand presented findings from their study which solicited from both mentors and
mentees beliefs on their roles. The study established that mentors define their roles as that of providing support,
help, instruction and feedback. The same roles were also identified by mentees. Blunden (2000) attempted to capture
mentors beliefs in a quantitative study at the University of Melbourne. The study requested mentors to present their
beliefs on their roles, the difficult and rewarding aspects and skills they tried to develop in mentees. The study
established that mentors believed that they played two major roles namely relationship and technical. Relationship
roles include the support and encouragement they give to students while technical roles range from planning to
successful teaching. Lack of time, guidance from the university and developing an effective relationship were cited
as some difficult aspects of mentoring. Mentors also cited the most rewarding aspects of mentoring as; sharing
information/knowledge, professional interaction and involvement and seeing the students developing. On the
contrary they complained of too much paperwork. Mentors however felt that they developed in student teachers
skills such as; preparation/planning, critical analysis, adaptability/flexibility, research skills, communication skills,
evaluation, self confidence and create an aware of organization. Whatever students perceive of their mentors most
studies acknowledge that mentoring is critical to the development of an effective teacher (Pogrund & Cowan, 2013.,
Mostafa, 2005., Patricia Wambugu et al., 2013). Against this backdrop of a thirst of literature on mentors the major
question to be answered by the study is; what are the mentors beliefs, attitudes and experiences of student teachers
on teaching practice? Thus, the sub-problems to be addressed are; how do mentors perceive of their role? What are
their experiences of mentoring students on TP? What suggestions can be made to improve on the current TP
effectiveness?
The results of the study are intended to add value to the current discourses on teaching practice and/or
mentoring with a view to craft effective mentoring policies and practices.

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 Experiences and Beliefs of Mentors Towards Student Teachers on Teaching Practice in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

II. Theoretical Framework

The study was informed by Vygotskys (1978) socio-cultural theory. The theory stipulates that knowledge is a
social construct and individuals learn from each other through interaction. The accumulation of knowledge is not an
isolated experience. Thus, cooperation is critical if ever members are to be engaged in this social interaction. The
more the individuals interact with the knowledgeable others the more knowledge they will acquire. In this case the
positive interaction of both the mentor and mentee the more knowledge both are going to have at the end of the
interaction process. Student teachers as novice are likely to gain and acquire the trade skills from experienced
mentors and the mentors are also going to benefit from the mentee. Thus, the relationship is symbiotic. The mentor
gains from the ST and vice versa. However, this can only happen when there is cooperation between the two. This is
what Vygotsky describes as the zone of proximal development. Understanding mentors experiences and beliefs
helps us identify some of the skills, knowledge and values mentors accrue from the engagement and interactions
they have with student teachers and how the best can be made from the encounter or interaction. It is critical that the
mentoring process can be improved once mentors reveal their experiences and belief as net worth knowledge of their
interaction with student teachers. Thus, this can be effectively unearthed through prolonged qualitative discussions
with mentors. It is only through face to face interviews that mentors can tell their own stories of the experiences they
have through their encounter with mentees. The socio cultural theory thus informs the study in that as mentor and
mentee interacts there is a construction of experiences, knowledge and beliefs. Mentors construct knowledge of who
they are, their roles, and that of others whom they interact with. This assists greatly in designing and producing a
very effective and efficient teacher development programme.

III. Methodology
The study adopted a qualitative approach. Understanding beliefs and experiences calls for a dialogue
between the participant and the researcher which can be yielded effectively by using qualitative methods. Creswell
(2012) argues that qualitative studies use non quantitative data such as pictures, vignettes and thick description. In
this case participants narrations of what their beliefs and experiences of TP will be captured. A case study design
was used with a view to have a better understanding of the experiences of mentors in Masvingo (Yin,2003). In this
case only mentors were targeted. The idea was to get first hand information of mentors. Only ten mentors will be
conveniently selected. The number permits that the data would not be too large to handle. The number again is
manageable to allow the researcher to carry out the semi-structured interviews. The interviews were adopted to
enable the mentors to tell their own side of the story. Interviews which lasted from thirty minutes to one hour
permitted the interviewer to probe further, thus, allowing him to get a deeper understanding of what mentors believe
of the efficacy of teaching practice, their experiences with student teachers and what they think should be done to
improve on the current state of TP in Masvingo. Data from interviews were tape recorded and presented as thick
descriptions for thematic analysis. Pseudonyms for participants were adopted and used wherever possible in the
study to safe guard anonymity and confidentiality.

IV. Findings
Data from interviews were categorised into themes namely, general perceptions of mentorship, mentorship
roles, skills shared, skills or anything new learnt from student teachers and how the process can be improved. There
were divergent views with regard to how mentors perceive of mentoring .When asked about how they viewed the
process of mentoring in general, most mentors expressed that the experience brought very sad memories. Two of the
participants intimated that:
Iiii, muidzo uya. Thats a tempting experience with the caliber of students coming from college these days
its really a trying experience-one will never forget. These student teachers dont scheme, plan nor teach.
They are very lazy. You have to work for them. And the saddest story about them is that their colleges do
protect them. Despite their laziness they still pass the course.
Participants were asked whether that is associated with a college or university because some schools
receive students from various colleges. One of the participants lamented;
That is almost the trend with all colleges. You could be lucky to get a hardworking personality. Otherwise
they are the same. The most surprising thing is that students who play those games pass the course and you
really wonder why and how lecturers assess and grade them. Whether assessment is based on politics of
patronage or not?
To support the above views one participant presented her story;

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On one occasion the whole school was really shocked when one student teacher, John (pseudonym) passed
the course when one who was hardworking was given a border line mark. This was the same when a very
lazy person was given a distinction by the external assessor. You really wonder what will be the fate of
these students after the course. What kind of teacher material will they be and what will be of the learners?
The same participant however pointed out that; she was very amused when the lecturers come and fail
some of the students. The sentiments were also shared and supported by Mugo who gave her side of the story, I was
really happy to see one of the students failing. She was very lazy, she could absent herself unnecessarily, for no
apparent reasons. So when lecturers give students what they deserve we are happy because passing someone who
does not deserve will send a very wrong signal. If that happens even mentors lose respect from these students. One
head had to send back a lazy student to the college after lecturers passed him.
Mugo went on to say that,
The school head had this time arraigned them[students] to his office and reprimanded them strongly. End
of last year we were asked to indicate those who would want student teachers none of us indicated in
support except two lazy ones but whom you really wonder what sort of help they would give to the students.
The above views from mentors indicate somehow on the personality of student teachers work ethics,
assessment validity and credibility and future work prospects of these teachers. The views are contrary to that of
Maphosa , Shumba & Shumba (2007) who indicated that students viewed mentors as relegating their duties on them
and thus treating them as relief teachers.
On what could be the reason for such attitudes some blamed the colleges for not being strict with students.
One participant could not mince his words; Universities are to blame. They just pass anyone who doesnt deserve.
Worse still on the command of English! Aaa you really wonder what sort of a teacher that person will be. Another
participant concurred that its not only English but pedagogies and didactics that they lack. She lamented ;
They dont know how to teach. You really wonder what they will doafter training. Its disaster I tell you!
Teachers were produced long ago during our days. Not these days when almost everyone is just promoted and
passed but very soon the repercussion will soon catch up with us. Thats destroying the nation.
The excerpts do indicate that mentors do have reservations on the quality of training students pass through
some institutions. Whilst students spend some time at the college/university learning the theory and practice of
teaching as well as content knowledge mentors have some reservations on the credibility of training. What is little
known is how lecturers feel about the quality of students recruited and how they would teach them to ensure that
they master the skills, knowledge and values of the trade.
The views expressed by participants show that teaching practice is perceived with some reservations.
Whilst it should benefit the student teachers, learners and to some extent the mentors themselves it becomes a
horrible and frustrating experience. These mixed feelings about teaching practice have also been observed by
Kiggundu and Nayimuli (2009) who established that mentees believed that they gained a lot from mentors whereas
others thought otherwise.
There were however, some mentors who had a different perception of the whole exercise. One such
participant had this to say:
Mentoring brings to me good memories of a hardworking student teacher attached to me last year. That
child was very hard working. She was very committed, ever punctual and dedicated to her work. You really
know that you have someone, an assistant. When you are absent you really feel that pupils are in the hands
of a teacher. The student was very rare. You would wish she teaches your own children.
The excerpt indicates that hardworking and committed students are rare though a few can be found. One
mentor indicated that some student teachers are really hardworking. He had this to say,
Vanoshanda zvokwadi vana ava[They really work hard. They can transform the learning environment in
the classroom].
One male mentor had this to comment about his mentee, The student really works hard. She is very
different from what we hear of other students who are lazy. This one is rare specie. The excerpt indicates that
although some participants indicate that there are some lazy students other student teachers are hardworking. This
was revealed by Makaye, Mapetere and Madungwe (2017) who established that some student teachers are
workaholics despite the ordeal environments they sometimes operate under. Participants were asked to indicate on
how they conceive of the benefits of mentoring. They concurred that TP was quite beneficial

Mentorship roles
On the roles they perform as mentors, almost all participants indicated that they guide the student teachers
on how to scheme, plan and teach. One remarked:

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When they come from colleges they dont know how to scheme and plan so we have to teach them how to
do this. This also covers even on how to introduce a lesson, develop it and conclude. The area of chart
making is one other area students have problems. They can write using any colour or font size on charts for
infants if not guided.
One participant indicated that she plays the role of a counselor. She said that,
Sometimes these students have problems-both social and professional and as a mentor you have to counsel
them lest they drop or even commit suicide. I remember one who had a misunderstanding with her husband
I had to intervene, give advice to save her marriage. When someone has social problems s/he does not
work well.
The participant indicated that they work in loco parentis and hence consider the students as their own
children. There were sentiments however that they only do that when the student teacher is open. Another
participant cited a case of financial problem as one area students are counseled on. Perhaps that could be
exacerbated by the fact that university students are not given a stipend when they are on TP. Some of these students
want to compare themselves with qualified teachers who are paid and as a result they ended up incurring debts or
do whatever sorts of dirty things to get money. So we have to assist them, said one mentor.

Skills shared
The study sought to establish the skills mentors also share with mentees. There were some conflicting
views as one participant believed that student teachers assisted them on interpreting the curriculum and the other felt
that students were just novice who needed such guidance from a qualified mentor. With the new curriculum you
find out students come with new ideas from the college especially about the new curricular so they assist us, the old
dogs. On the contrary the other one has this to say, We have to help the students interpret the new curriculum. If
those in the field have challenges what about the students?
What it implies however is this that if both the mentor and mentee share their experiences that can benefit
both of them and the student in general.

Skills/lessons learnt from students. Any new pedagogy?

The study attempted also to find out whether mentors do have anything they have learnt from mentees.
Most of them concurred that they learnt a great deal from the students. You know some of us are now too old to
compete with young ones in sporting areas so you find out that student teachers help us a lot to train our sporting
teams. Whether mentors were not reneging their coaching roles to student teachers or providing them with the
autonomy is another grey area. Another participant has to openly acknowledge that he was humbled by the
commitment of his students to duty. She comes early and leaves late. Sometimes she comes on the weekend to work
on her charts, classroom, etc. I have really learnt a lesson. As a result I have developed also such an attitude
especially these days when most teachers are demoralized by meager salaries.
Another participant said that she was introduced to some new pedagogy from students, especially in the
area of ECD (Early childhood development). My student teacher brought new strategies and some ECD games new
to me and I am very happy about that.
One participant indicated that schools or teachers that have student teachers are lucky as they are always
kept abreast of the new current issues in pedagogies and changes from colleges and universities. If you receive
competent and hard working students regularly the school and pupils tend to benefit immensely but if you happen to
be unlucky and receive lazy ones you will leave to regret.

Advice you may give to improve on the process: to the student, school, and college
The study also sought to establish from participants the advice they would give to the college, school and
colleges. Most mentors gave parental advice. They insisted that students should work hard and be focused on their
college work and nothing more. We want them to be well behaved, work hard and forget about some of the dirty
tricks.
They also suggested that schools should support students in terms of stationery and to some extent a stipend
considering that university students do not get any financial support from the government. There are some who
come from under privileged families who are in need of financial support and the school or local authority should
do something especially those who work hard. You really feel sorry for such students, said one participant.
There were also sentiments that the colleges should frequently organize workshops with mentors on their
expectations, the number of lessons they teach per week, how they should be supervised, the frequency of the
supervision, and supervision expectations. One participant had this to say; There is need for some workshops by the
colleges on their expectations and guidelines. This will safeguard against unruly behavior on the part of the students

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and mentors as well. Mind you there are some mentors who take students as relief teachers. Such guidelines will
allay such things.
Another participant raised this, whilst colleges supervise students we appeal that they also do that without
favour. Sometimes students are intimidated and others are awarded marks/grades they dont deserve. Its unfair for
lazy ones to be awarded high grades or distinctions in some cases at the expense of hardworking one. Lets give
students what they deserve if we are to mould them into competent teachers.
Participants were however grateful to the colleges for their sacrifices to visit students regularly. We really
appreciate the university for its sacrifice to visit students even in remote schools like ours, where we dont usually
expect visitors, says one participant. The participant was making reference to the university which deploys its
students all over the country despite the geographical or economic terrain.

V. Discussion of findings
Results from the study indicate that mentors viewed the whole mentoring programme with skepticism. Mentors
were skeptic with how student teachers discharge their TP duties. The attitudes of STs leave a lot to be desired as
some elicited a care free attitude and others performing exceptionally well. Kiggundu & Nayimuli (2009) in their
study established that most student teachers join teaching as a last resource and hence dispose off a care free
attitude. This attitude has influenced mentors to perceive the noble exercise in a negative way. Some mentors have
shifted the blame on the universities/ colleges which they think are just passing students who do not deserve. What it
implies is that student who display bad professional etiquettes such as laziness put their institutions into disrepute
and as a result the institution loses its credibility. It was revealed from the participants that one school head decided
to approach one institution in a bid to bar it from sending students to his school. The issue of student teacher
assessment has been viewed by Mswazi, Makaye & Mapetere (2012) as a source of axiological and epistemological
controversies particularly when objectivity is compromised. Such controversies and partial supervisions have caused
mentors to raise their eye brows when university lecturers pass someone whose work seems to be below the grade.
In support of this one participant had this to say, You really wonder how lecturers pass such a student with a
distinction. Findings however indicate that other lecturers supervise student teachers with impartiality and that
concurrence in assessment brings relief to mentors who perhaps would have pointed out the strengths and
weaknesses of the student previously. Such experiences bring solace to mentors when lecturers complement their
supervision. In most cases mentors use the same supervision instrument used by the lecturers hence their
observations should more or less be congruent.
The study revealed that mentors assist student teachers in one way or the other on both the professional and
social sides. That is on their daily execution of the demands of the trade and on how they can be good social
cultured citizens. It was revealed that although student teachers come with a lot of theory from college the majority
of them get assistance from mentors on scheming, planning, chart making and lesson execution. One mentor
indicated that some STs could hardly make charts for infant classes as they come from college. There were
revelations that mentors also counsel students on quite a number of occasions on how they can present themselves as
professionals as well as good citizens. Participants cited professional ethics such as punctuality, dressing and
commitment as some of the constructs they help to develop in STs. Thus, mentors model good professional ethics. It
was also revealed that mentors counsel students on personal issues such as love and marital affairs as well as on how
they can integrate with others. There was however, a condition to this as one mentor remarked, You only assist
when one opens up his/her problems to you.The general observation was that mentoring requires two individual
who are supposed to engage in a kind of relationship in which they both benefit. It is a kind of give and take
relationship. One can decide to take or leave. Another mentor had this to say; these students are like my children
so I cant just let them behave somehow. I am obliged to guide them wherever possible. They may accept it or not
but I will have played my role. In a way mentors are found to be in loco parentis. They can go out their way to
leverage STs on how they can meet the ends since university students in particular do not receive any financial help
from the Government. It was established that when students have social problems they are likely not to perform well
at work. Whether student teachers accept this kind of treatment is another Pandoras Box. The discussed roles
played by mentors affirm Blundens (2000) assertion that mentors play two major roles namely relational and
technical.
The study revealed that mentors believed that they also share and learnt something from mentees. Admittedly,
they indicated that student teachers can bring new pedagogies from colleges. Examples were drawn from early
childhood education (ECD). Most participants acknowledged that student teachers help greatly in sporting activities.
Most colleges expect students to engage in co-curricula activities hence students have to excel in these areas.
Mentors admitted that student teachers play an active role in sporting. However, issues to do with the new
curriculum were some of the examples student teachers can learn from mentors. Ideally, if mentors and mentees

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share both their knowledge and skills they are likely to benefit and eventually that may improve student
achievement.
The study also revealed that mentors are concerned about the welfare of student teachers. Realizing that they are
not given any support from the government mentors urged and appealed to the schools/ responsible authority to
provide student teachers with all the necessary stationery they would want and some financial support and wherever
possible. Contrary to a study by Maphosa et al. (2007) where students blamed mentors for leaving classes on them it
was found out that mentors do not perceive STs as relief teachers though at times they may leave them in charge of
classes when absent. When mentors leave their classes manned by student teachers they do this with naivety as they
feel some of the STs are too amateurish to man the class alone. This concurs with Wang & Chin (2007) who
indicated that although mentors offer the practice teachers opportunities to teach they consider seriously the learning
of their students.
Over and above, some mentors indicated that they had good experiences of student teachers and the whole
teaching practice process. The deployment of hardworking students gives them some learning episodes in their
teaching careers as teachers. When a mentee works hard that will force the mentor to work hard also and ultimately
improve on learner achievement. Such experiences were applauded and participants would wish if training
institutions would deploy such students to all parts of the country for equity of opportunities to learn.

VI. Conclusion
From the findings and discussion above it can be concluded that the teaching practice exercise is viewed with
mixed feelings. The whole process is symbiotic which calls for mutual understanding between mentor and mentee
and school and college/university. An open dialogue is critical if ever the process is to reap good fruits. This process
should be based on mutual understanding, commitment and collegiality. Anything short of this results in mentors
viewing the process in a negative way. When student teachers are found short of these mentioned qualities mentors
and schools do not welcome them. It can however, be concluded that hardworking and committed student teachers
constitute a very small fraction of the majority. The study concludes that both the colleges and practicing schools
should complement each other if ever a quality teacher is to be produced.

VII. Recommendations
Thus, the study recommends that colleges should provide clear guidelines on mentorship, stipulating their
expectations. These should include students professional contact; attire, the number of lessons they should teach per
day/week, how they should be supervised, the supervision instrument(s) to be used, the frequency of local, or other
school supervision. Workshops to this effect can be held. School authorities and/ or government should give
financial support to student teachers on teaching practice. To motivate student teachers school authorities should be
given the authority to recruit some of their former student teachers after graduation.

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