Australian Journal of Teacher Education - Mentors’ Views about Developing Effective English Teaching Practices - Article 1

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

Effective mentoring in English is central to preservice teacher development, focusing on mentors’ views about building effective English teaching practices for mentees. Quantitative survey and qualitative questionnaire data from 24 mentors examine attributes and practices across five mentoring factors: Personal Attributes, System Requirements, Pedagogical Knowledge, Modelling, and Feedback. Results show high endorsement for advocated practices, with system requirements scoring lowest and feedback highest. Qualitative findings highlight rapport as a communication channel for learning, while further research comparing mentors’ and mentees’ perspectives can strengthen effective mentoring approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study aim and data sources

Quantitative findings by mentoring factors

Qualitative insights on rapport

Implications and need for further comparison

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 33 | Issue 5 | Article 1 | | --- | --- | | 2008
Mentors’ Views about Developing Effective English Teaching Practices
Peter Hudson
Queensland University of Technology
Jan Millwater
Queensland University of Technology | | Recommended Citation Hudson, P., & Millwater, J. (2008). Mentors’ Views about Developing Effective English Teaching Practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 33 (5). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2008v33n5.1](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2008v33n5.1) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol33/iss5/1](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol33/iss5/1) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Mentors’Views about Developing Effective English Teaching Practices Peter Hudson Jan Millwater Queensland University of Technology Abstract: Effective mentoring in English is considered paramount to a preservice teacher’s development. What are mentors’views about developing effective English teaching practices in their mentees? This study used quantitative data (survey) and qualitative data (questionnaire) on 24 mentors’perceptions of mentoring second-year preservice teachers for teaching English and, in particular, the teaching of writing. Quantitative data measured mentors’perceptions of their attributes and practices across five factors for mentoring (i.e., Personal Attributes, System Requirements, Pedagogical Knowledge, Modelling, and Feedback) with 67% or more of these mentors (n=24) agreeing or strongly agreeing they provided all of the advocated attributes and practices to their mentees. The System Requirements factor had the lowest percentage range (67-71%) while Feedback had the highest range. Qualitative data indicated that developing a good rapport in a mentor-mentee relationship keeps lines of communication open in order to assist the mentee’s learning. Mentors advocated methods for enhancing mentoring practices, however, mentees may not agree with their mentors’perspectives; hence further research comparing the two perspectives may lead towards understanding effective approaches for mentoring. The response to the demands for more effective teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics has increased in Australia (Adkins, Grant, Summerville, Barnett, & Buys, 2003). The advocacy for enhancing literacy and numeracy has motivated schools and states to script standards and associated testing towards these ends (Reid, 2005) . Preservice teacher education appears to be a starting point for feeding reform measures into education systems, and tertiary education has a fundamental role for which it needs to draw upon practical and professional experiences in the field of teaching to connect current theories. Hence, the quality of input from current teachers in their roles as mentors is paramount to the development of preservice teachers’practical skills for advancing their pedagogical practices. A return to teaching the basics and an attempt to relieve the percentage of students who exit school without acquiring functional literacy (Lievesley & Motivans, 2000), does not mean returning to traditional ways of inspections and reports on teachers. Research into professional development has wrought more strategies for upskilling teachers for which mentoring has been very effective in accomplishing change in teachers and their work (e.g., Hargreaves & Fullan, 2000; Kochan & Pascarelli, 2003) . In the mid 1990s, the American Association of Teacher Education analysed data from a survey of teacher educators, school teachers and university and school administrators that identified mentoring as the most critical strategy for professional developing teachers (Anderson, 1992) . International educators in the USA and the UK at the time (Bey & Homes, 1990, 1992; McIntyre, Hagger, & Wilkin, 1993) reported that mentoring should be the most common response to the school-based learning needs o

FAQs

What is the central purpose of the study?

The study investigates what mentors think about developing effective English teaching practices for their mentees, with particular attention to teaching writing.

How was the mentoring perspective data collected?

It used quantitative survey data and qualitative questionnaire data from 24 mentors about their perceptions of mentoring second-year preservice teachers.

Which mentoring factor received the lowest and highest agreement ranges?

The System Requirements factor had the lowest percentage range (about 67–71%), while Feedback had the highest percentage range among the reported factors.

Why is rapport emphasized in mentoring according to the qualitative findings?

Developing a good rapport keeps communication lines open to support the mentee’s learning and encourages effective mentoring interactions.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine