International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue X, October 2022|ISSN 2454-6186

Mentoring in the Colleges of Education in Ghana: Challenges and The Way Forward

James Hinson¹*, Collins Oppong Arthur¹, Habib Bipembi^2
1Science Department, Holy Child College of Education, Ghana
²Mathematics & ICT Department, Holy Child College of Education, Ghana
*Corresponding Author

Abstract: This study sought to examine the experiences of mentors in enriching teacher trainees (mentees) with basic competences needed in teaching. Teacher trainees are perceived as not developing the requisite professional skills and attitudes while at college. Mentoring aims at consolidating the theoretical approaches to education with relevant practical hands-on activities that is intended to equip the teacher trainees with the needed competences and skills. Effective mentoring is deemed to impact positively at helping teacher trainees in developing their professional competences required in teaching.
The study employed the descriptive survey design using the sequential mixed method approach. A questionnaire and cluster-based discussion interviews were employed to collect data on teachers who have been involved in mentoring teacher trainees in the partner schools. Purposive sampling was used in selecting all the 295 teachers involved in mentoring drawn from three mentoring clusters namely Cape Coast, Kissi-Abrobeano and Daboasi-Takoradi in the Western and Central regions of Ghana. Fifteen (15) mentors were engaged in Cluster-Based Discussion Interviews (CBDI) and Subject Teacher Based Interview (STBI) using a prepared interview guide to obtain information that validates the data obtained with the questionnaires.
The study concluded that there were no proper selection criteria put in place by Basic School heads to select competent mentors for the mentoring programme. The training regime put in place by the Colleges of Education to train mentors before taking up mentoring responsibilities did not make the desired impact since it fails to equip mentors with skills, attitudes and competencies needed for mentoring. Mentors were not adequately motivated and rewarded and this had resulted in mentor fatigue and apathy since the job of mentoring is a daunting one.
The study recommends that head teachers put in place proper selection criteria to select teachers with adequate professional experiences to be involved in mentoring teacher trainees. Again, the selected mentors should be engaged in regular training workshops and in-service training in order to become accustomed with modern innovative approaches to mentoring.

Keywords; initial teacher training, professional teachers, teacher trainees, selection criteria, motivation for mentorship

I. INTRODUCTION

The training of good teachers is a panacea for effective national development. Teachers are the main engines on which the human resource base of every nation revolves. Teachers are the main agents of change and development. This suggests that the training of teachers must be given the needed attention if every nation is to derive maximum benefit

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