The professional learning continuum: mentoring in initial teacher education
Thematic Report
Recommendations
ITE partnership schools should:
- R1 Link their work in ITE more strongly to the development of practice and provision in school, and especially to that of professional learning
- R2 Work closely with their university partners to ensure that mentors have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for teacher educators
- R3 Develop robust plans to improve the research skills of school staff, making the most of their partnership with their university partner
- R4 Ensure that senior mentors play a strategic role in developing mentors and in evaluating the effectiveness of ITE partnership working
- R5 Work alongside university partners to design and implement ITE programmes that ensure a successful blend of theory and practice.
Universities should:
- R6 Work closely with schools to support the development of research skills and strategies
- R7 Improve mentor training and development to focus more on the skills of teacher education
- R8 Work with schools to develop more robust processes to evaluate the quality of mentoring
- R9 Work alongside university partners to design programmes that ensure a successful blend of theory and practice
- R10 Strengthen student teachers’ skills of reflection, evaluation and critical analysis
- R11 In collaboration with their partner schools, consider the most effective ways to assess students that takes good account of their development towards QTS
Welsh Government should:
- R12 Work with ITE providers to support a national approach to mentor development in ITE