Mentoring as a support strategy for beginning ESL teachers

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the current mentoring programs implemented in selected secondary schools in Klang Valley. It sought to understand the participants’ viewpoints of the current practices, the challenges they faced and how they overcame those challenges. Guided by Vygotsky’s social development theory, the research utilized the comparative multi-case study design to explore the present practices from the perspectives of beginning teachers, school mentors, school authorities and university supervisors who were directly involved in mentoring system in school. Using purposeful sampling procedure, a total of 20 participants were selected to participate in the study. They were 8 beginning teachers; 4 mentor teachers; 4 school authorities; and 4 university supervisors. The instruments used to gather data were semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and document reviews. Two co-raters were sought to identify the inter-rater reliability of the coding derived from the discourse units in each interview. The results of this study confirmed Vygotsky’s theory of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding. Beginning teachers needed to have a more knowledgeable other (MKO) like a mentor teacher to support them to achieve their upper limits of ZPD. Mentoring was seen as a good schoolbased support strategy for beginning teachers. It generally benefited the trainees, the school and the university. Since the program was only designed for trainees at present, the certified novice teachers felt the need to undergo a similar program in future to enhance their performance. Nevertheless, there were weaknesses in terms of its implementation. Both the veteran and beginning educators encountered various challenges in executing their tasks during the mentoring period. The challenges heavily centered on beginning teacher factor and job-related factor besides four other factors. In response to the challenges, they employed several coping strategies such as devising their own tactical plans, seeking social support, confronting the source of problem, as well as self-managing and improving to survive. These were amongst the most preferred strategies adopted by both beginning teachers and veteran educators to rise against the challenges. The findings provided an invaluable resource for designing a more structured alternative model for Malaysian beginning teachers. This model is seen as a step forward in ensuring that beginning teachers are guided with the right knowledge, skills, attitude and personality of Murabbis for the future of the teaching profession in the country.