Enhancing Teaching Practice Coordination: Exploring School Mentors' Perspectives on Assessment Rubrics and Their Role in Guiding Student Teachers.

Abstract

Effective teaching practices are crucial for fostering the intellectual development of learners, thereby making the evaluation of instructional practices during Teaching Practice (TP) sessions imperative. This study aims to investigate primary and secondary school mentor teachers' perceptions about teaching practice assessment rubrics and their role as mentor teachers, all to enhance teaching practice coordination. Drawing from constructivist, social cognitive, situated learning, professional identity development, and critical pedagogy theories, a qualitative case study approach was employed within an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through focus group discussions from 77 secondary and primary school mentors during a teaching practice orientation workshop in the central region of Botswana. The analysis of data was thematic, revealing mentor teachers' perceptions of assessment rubrics, challenges faced, and readiness to supervise student teachers. Results indicate that while mentors perceive the rubrics as effective tools, challenges such as lack of clarity and workload burden exist. The study further recommends enhancing assessment rubric clarification, addressing workload issues, improving student teacher resource supports, promoting collaboration, as well as conducting further research on teaching practice coordination. Implementing these recommendations can enhance teaching practice effectiveness, better preparing aspiring teachers for future roles, and fostering a supportive learning environment.