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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION

CASE STUDY ON MENTORING IN INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING OF SCIENCE TEACHERS IN IRELAND

NAME OF AUTHOR(S)

Etain Kiely and Dr. George McClelland

NAME OF PUBLISHER

University of Limerick

YEAR OF PUBLICATION

2004

LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION

English

PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY

Conference Article

TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION

School Directors, Teachers, Policy Makers

SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION

3 – 10 pages

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS

This paper describes the Lucent Science Teacher Mentoring Initiative (LSTI) which was developed at the University of Limerick from 2000-2005. The University of Limerick has been a major producer of graduate teachers of science for the almost thirty years and has been the largest single source of science teachers in the Republic of Ireland.
All prospective teaching graduates studying for the Bachelor of Science (with concurrent Education) degrees spend, as part of their professional training, 16 weeks on full-time Teaching Practice (TP) in second level schools. Each student was assigned two tutors from the University faculty, who were responsible for the student's preparation for TP, for supervising the student during TP, and for the assessment and grading of the student. The paper describes how LSTI was a response to shortcomings noted in the traditional supervision model:
• amount of contact which is possible between the student and tutor during the Practice is necessarily very limited. As a result there is little opportunity for tutors to influence and monitor the day to day development of the student's work.
• Assessment of students is made largely on the basis of a small number of observed teaching sessions.
• TP can often fail to avail of the experience and expertise of practising teachers and school staff.

The paper itemises the overall aims of the LSTI project as being to develop, initiate, and evaluate new models for the professional training of teachers of science at second level in Ireland. It describes the criteria for recruitment and appointment as a mentor, by inviting selected schools to nominate a science teacher as a participant in the programme. Schools were selected on the basis of their record of excellence in the teaching of science and their past involvement with University of Limerick in the training of science teachers. The training commitment and qualification system that the LSTI implemented is described, as is the role of the mentor before and during the Teaching Practice.
Perhaps the most significant stakeholder in the Initiative was the mentee. The papers summarises the quantitative and qualitative research that was carried out into the outcomes for the mentee. This includes experiences of students who would have had an initial Teaching Placement under the traditional supervisory methods and then a second teaching practice with a Teacher Mentor. The outcomes are:
The LMT provides a source of practical advice on such critical matters as teaching methods, experimental work, pupil background and ability. In comparison with the traditional system, students find that the LSTI
model makes this advice much more readily available.
• The LMT constitutes a source of on-going feedback on the student’s progress. Students find this extremely useful and in marked contrast with the traditional system where feedback from co-operating teachers is very variable in quantity and quality.
• The relationship between the student and LMT is different in kind to that between the student and UL tutors. The latter relationship is more distant and formal, and is dominated by the student’s concerns about grades; the relationship with the LMT is more relaxed and tutorial in nature.
• Students placed with LMTs are much more comfortable and feel more accepted in the school than is generally the case under the traditional system. The TP placement is, therefore, a more positive and enjoyable experience.
The paper recommends that in order to bring the education and training of teachers in Ireland into line with international practice, school-based mentoring programmes, designed specifically for the Irish system, are required.

A presentation made at the Science and Mathematics Education Conference in Dublin in 2004 gives further detail on the mentor and mentee experiences on the programme. This can be accessed at http://www4.dcu.ie/smec/abstracts/Kiely,%20Etain.pdf

REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION

While the funded research programme has not continued in its original form, it has underpinned some of the work of the Regional Centre for Teaching and Learning (RCSTL) (which has evolved into the National Centre for Excellence in Maths and Science Teaching and Learning).
The LSTI project ran from 2000 to 2005 and during that time 23 schools participated and 33 teachers successfully completed the training programme. These teachers received special training to enable them to mentor student teachers of science placed in their schools for Teaching Practice.
To build on the success of the LSTI, the RCSTL invited schools to nominate one or more science teachers from their school to participate in a 3-day summer school that took place June 2009 on the UL campus. The teachers who attended received training in professional mentoring and other aspects of Teaching Practice. They also had an opportunity to meet and interact with experienced Mentor Teachers. The Science teacher mentor programme was a very successful and highly regarded project and all who participated, found it an extremely rewarding experience.
In terms of the Continuum of Professional Development, the comments of the mentors in the linked presentation are very significant:
‘Allowed to reflect on my own strengths/weaknesses as a facilitator of learning and evaluate your own teaching’
‘Sharing - brainstorming re -preparation of topics/approaches/appropriate lab practicals’
‘Team - teaching sessions - playing to mentees and mentors strengths, etc. more effective teaching and learning outcomes’
‘Reduces classroom (laboratory) isolation’
‘Keep up to date with fresh teaching ideas’
‘Innovative ideas to approach subject matter, new and more exciting approaches to well- worn topics ’
These seem to indicate that there is a duality of gain in this type of initiative: the practising teacher also benefits from sharing the experiences of the trainee teacher.
It is recommended that the presentation linked to the document also be read:
http://www4.dcu.ie/smec/abstracts/Kiely,%20Etain.pdf
This presentation was made at a number of science education conferences in Europe.

WHERE TO FIND IT

www.mint-mentor.net/en/pdfs/CaseStudy_EtainK.pdf

PDF OF THE PUBLICATION

12_Mentoring CaseStudy_EtainK.pdf

NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION

Limerick Institute of Technology

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome

Date: 2013.11.25

Posted by İbrahim Ethem Yavuz (Turkey)

Message: This paper informs rhe reader about a very important educational topic which is practical preparation of young teachers for their work in schools. This issue is topical for all educational systems as it is in the Bulgarian educational system. The University of Limerick, Ireland, has released a program for training the instructors of the teacher candidates from those schools, who are supposed to become instructors for young teachers. The instructor is a Science teacher who has been teaching in the university partner schools for a long time. This article illustrates a new perspective from the opposite to this old-fashioned university teachers preparation which means so as to complete their bachelor degree of study university students are to have a 16 week teaching practice in secondary schools. 2 university teachers who are supposed to be responsible for his/her preparation, supervision and evaluation during their teaching process supports every one of student. It has been found out that this kind of education is not appropriate and effective. The project released a different method for preparing the undergraduate students for the factual cases in a school class. The introduction of the importance of the instructor science teacher was at the center of the project. The instructor teachers were selected by selected schools which ,in advance, interacted the University of Limerick and kept a record of excellences in terms of the teaching of the science. The project lasted for five years and during that time, the participants were 23 schools and 33 teachers as instructors. The instructors had a golden role in the teaching of the candidate teachers with the help of guiding, training and planning. Each instructor took part in special training in order that they would be able to show guidance to science teachers in a good way.

Date: 2013.11.25

Posted by Funda BALCI (Turkey)

Message: This paper refers to the crux of the teacher education, the practical preparation of young and inexperienced teachers for their work in schools in the future. At the University of Limerick in Ireland, a program was introduced which trains mentors for young teachers among secondary schools.
The University has over 20 partner secondary schools in the area which have shown high results in science education. The mentioned mentor in this case is a teacher with long teaching experience from the university partner schools. The apprenticeship of the mentors occurs in two successive summer schools at the University. It is possible to say that the mentors play a pivotal role in this program. After the education they provide valuable information and help for the university students during their teaching practice. On these grounds, it is possible to say that mentors are helpful in planning, guiding and training the ‘’young’’ teachers.
In conclusion, this research suggests the education of mentors for newbie teachers and also the use of different approaches and methods for teaching and learning chemistry. Participating teachers will acquire new skills and develop their teaching abilities.

Date: 2013.07.12

Posted by Zdenek Hrdlicka (Czech Republic)

Message: This publication is very desirable and relevant to the project. It describes the Lucent Science Teacher Mentoring Initiative (LSTI). The project was developed at the University of Limerick and aims at improving teaching practice of students of pedagogy. Of course, theoretical background both in respective subject (science) and pedagogical items is necessary for them but it cannot give them experience how to teach. Thus, teaching practice (TP) is an important part of study of every prospective teacher. It usually takes place at primary and secondary schools, respective to the field of study. However in many countries this mandatory event is conducted in such way that a trainee, even though (s)he is supervised by a university teacher and/or an advanced teacher, (s)he is supported insufficiently. LSTI was developed to improve this state of the art in Ireland. The trainees spent 16 weeks of full-time teaching at second level schools where they have two tutors from the University who are responsible for the student\'s preparation for TP, for supervising the student during TP, and for the assessment and grading of the student. In my opinion, this is very desirable because the students are much more supported and can get know about their strengths and weaknesses. It would be great if this system could be transferred to other countries, however difficulties may come with funding of tutors whose number may be insufficient.

Date: 2013.06.05

Posted by Eva Smrekova (Slovakia)

Message: The article presented a topical educational issue - practical preparation of tyoung teachers for their work in schools at the University of Limerick, Ireland, - a programme for training mentors of young teachers among secondary school teachers has been introduced. Therefore this programme is designed for teachers from those schools, who are expected to become mentors for young teachers. The mentor is a Science teacher with long teaching experience from the university partner schools. This article present a new approach from the opposite to this classical teachers preparation that means in order to complete their bachelor degree of study university students must have a 16-week teaching practice in secondary schools. Each student is supported by 2 university teachers who are responsible for his/her preparation, supervision and assessment during the teaching practice. This traditional model has turned out to be ineffective. This project proposed a different way of preparing the undergraduate students for the actual conditions in a school class. The introduction of the role of the mentor science teacher was the cornerstone of this project. The mentor teachers were appointed by selected schools which were already in interaction with the University of Limerick and had a record of excellence in the teaching of science. During the 5 years that this project lasted, 23 schools participated and 33 teachers were involved as mentors.Mentors play a key role in the teaching of the future teachers by means of guiding, training and planning. Each mentor received special training in order to be able to guide the science students in an efficient way. The mentor-science teachers attended a 3 day seminar in professional mentoring.After the termination of this project, quantitative and qualitative results were published, concerning the outcome for the mentees. The undergraduate students who participated in this research were both mentored and had a teaching placement under the traditional supervisory methods. This approach is very interesting but in Slovakia it is very diffucult to practice this in teachers preparing we have to this time no activity go to interaction between new science teachers and skilled trained mentors in the classroom.

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Date: 2013.05.30

Posted by Maria Nikolova (Bulgaria)

Message: The paper considers a very topical educational issue - practical preparation of young teachers for their work in schools. This matter is topical for all educational systems, including the Bulgarian one. At the University of Limerick, Ireland, a programme for training mentors of young teachers among secondary school teachers has been introduced. The University has over 20 partner secondary schools in the region. They have shown high results in teaching Science. Therefore this programme is designed for teachers from those schools, who are expected to become mentors for young teachers. The mentor is a Science teacher with long teaching experience from the university partner schools. The teachers are trained at the University in two successive summer schools, where after completing their education as Lucent Mentor Teachers, they can consult and mentor the university students during their teaching practice. Mentors play a key role in the teaching of the future teachers by means of guiding, training and planning. The concept of the \"mentor\" is relative new in Ireland. In the past the informal mentoring relationship between the university students and the experienced school teachers was volunteer. The necessity for more structured partnership between Irish schools and educational institutions is highlighted by focusing on the school experience and the recognition of school teachers as a valuable resource for the development of the future teachers, which has never been used in Ireland.
This publication is significant since it presents the methodology for preparing mentors, as well as the expectations related to them. It is important to mention the role of the mentor when introducing young teachers to the profession of teaching: to provide technical support by familiarizing the university students with the school building, administration structure, discipline requirements, school students\' profiles, scientific labs and related safety rules; to assist university students in elaborating work schedules and lesson plans, in preparing for the respective lessons (uncluding lab practice); to observe the conduction of classes and to provide respective assessment. It is very useful to provide some feedback to the university students and their university teachers in relation to how the university students have coped with the respective lessons. The functions of the Lucent Mentor Teachers complements their regular duties and do not impede the educational process. To recognize their work, the mentors are paid for each student they have mentored. The Irish model is practice-oriented and could be applied to the Bulgarian education system.

Date: 2013.05.30

Posted by Petar Rachev (Bulgaria)

Message: The paper views an initiative for mentoring Natural Science teachers in their initial training in the University of Limerick, Ireland. In order to complete their bachelor degree of study university students must have a 16-week teaching practice in secondary schools. Each student is supported by 2 university teachers who are responsible for his/her preparation, supervision and assessment during the teaching practice. This traditional model has turned out to be ineffective. The time for direct contact and control during the teaching practice is limited, the assessment is done on the basis of few classess observed by the university teachers, and the university students often don\'t succeed to communicate with the school teachers and staff. The new mentoring initiative involves a teacher in the respective subject (the so called mentor), who is supposed to support the university student and to help him/her in given situations. In this way the university student feels more relaxed and confident. For most students this type of a teaching practice appears a useful and positive experience.
When I was following a degree course in Chemistry, the mandatory teaching practice was 6 weeks. The supervision and assessment was done by a university teacher working in the area of methodology of teaching. Although there were school teachers that were supposed to help us, there was not any direct supervision since the school teachers worked full time and had a lot of classes. Nevertheless the teaching practice was useful. When I started working in a school after my graduation, everything was known to me. I think that the Irish model should be applied in Bulgaria in terms of both duration and availability of mentors.

Date: 2013.05.19

Posted by Tsechpenakis Anastasios (Greece)

Message: This publication refers to a 5-year project organized by the University of Limerick of Ireland. This University produces science teachers in Ireland the last 30 years.
The first thing that impressed me the most, was that a prerequisite for getting a degree, was a 16 weeks fulltime teaching practice for the undergraduate students. This teaching practice course was based on the interaction between the student and two tutors from the University Faculty. The main drawbacks of this “traditional” supervision model seem to be the limited contact between the tutor and the student, the small number of the observed teaching lessons and the formal way of communication between the student and the tutors.
This project proposed a different way of preparing the undergraduate students for the actual conditions in a school class. The introduction of the role of the mentor science teacher was the cornerstone of this project. The mentor teachers were appointed by selected schools which were already in interaction with the University of Limerick and had a record of excellence in the teaching of science. During the 5 years that this project lasted, 23 schools participated and 33 teachers were involved as mentors.
Each mentor received special training in order to be able to guide the science students in an efficient way. The mentor-science teachers attended a 3 day seminar in professional mentoring.
After the termination of this project, quantitative and qualitative results were published, concerning the outcome for the mentees. The undergraduate students who participated in this research were both mentored and had a teaching placement under the traditional supervisory methods.
The outcome for the mentees accessed critical matters such as: a) teaching methodology, b) experimental work, c) pupil background and d) the ability of the student in question. The results for this alternative method for preparing future science teachers were very promising. Mentoring by skilled school teachers, provided a source of on-going feedback on the students’ progress. The relationship between the students and the mentors were more relaxed and beneficial. Furthermore the students felt more accepted.
Comparing the case study of Ireland, with the corresponding educational situation in Greece, one feels sadness. The role of the mentor in public secondary schools, was firstly introduced as an idea from the Greek Ministry of Education 5 years ago, and remained in paper ever since. In Greece, no action has been taken towards the actual establishment of interaction between new science teachers and skilled trained mentors in the classroom.

Date: 2013.05.16

Posted by Fytrou Margarita (Greece)

Message: In this paper, a case study on the role of “mentoring in Initial Teacher Training of Science Teachers in Ireland” is examined. The mentor is an experienced science school teacher. The teachers are trained in the University of Limerick (UL) where they graduate as Lucent Mentor Teachers (LMTs). The mentor is assigned a student teacher during the mentees’ teaching practice placement. Continuous evaluation of the mentoring programme indicates that the mentors play a key role in the training of the student teachers by guiding, coaching, challenging, planning and reflecting with their mentee during their placement.

The parts of this paper that underline relevant issues for chemistry teachers are the following: The LMT is given a specific list of tasks associated with pre and during practice.
In Pre Practice the tasks involve introduction of the student to: a) Science laboratories b) Rules and safety in laboratories, etc. In During Practice, the mentor’s tasks are related to the provision of help and advise of the student in the planning and preparation of lessons, including experimental work. The responsibility for planning and preparation is the student’s. The role of the LMT is advisory, etc.

This paper suggests experiencing different approaches and methods for teaching and learning chemistry. This method is more suitable for our National context and especially for chemistry teachers. Participating teachers will acquire useful experience that will help them improve their teaching in the classroom. Additionally, they need to find a university that connects to the school and the trained teacher. Furthermore, there is immediate contact between the trained teacher and the mentor.

Date: 2013.05.16

Posted by Kryštof Zrček (Czech Republic)

Message: The described Lucent Science Teacher Mentoring Initiative system seems to be an effective solution, or at least a partial one, to problems very well known in our own educational system - mainly the insufficient amount of contact between the student and the tutor, also the current system seems to be lacking a well managed feedback leading to improvements on both sides. The question is, in the current economical situation, how a system, where each student woul
d be assigned two tutors from the University, might be funded. This study is relevant to this project.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.