What Is Discussed in Mentoring Dialogues - An Analysis of How Relations of Control Influence the Content in Mentoring - Article 5

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Franzy

Both international actors such as the OECD and Norwegian teacher-education policies seek to strengthen students’ academic competence and enhance collaboration between universities and practice. Mentoring dialogues between students and mentors in practice sit at the intersection of these arenas, shaping how policy intentions are recontextualized. The study examines which intentions are realized through criteria and content selection. Results show mentors exercise strong autonomy, with discussions emphasizing practical issues over academic-subject considerations, informing perspectives on close university–practice collaboration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Mentoring dialogues within reform intentions

Integrated teacher education and mentoring responsibilities

Practice turn and mentoring as a learning context

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 47 Issue 8 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | 2022
What Is Discussed in Mentoring Dialogues? An Analysis of How Relations of Control Influence the Content in Mentoring
Monika Merket
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons | | Recommended Citation Merket, M. (2022) . What Is Discussed in Mentoring Dialogues? An Analysis of How Relations of Control Influence the Content in Mentoring. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(8) . [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n8.5](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n8.5) [This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[ ](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss8/5](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss8/5) What Is Discussed in Mentoring Dialogues? An Analysis of How Relations of Control Influence the Content in Mentoring Monika Merket Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Abstract: Both international actors, like the OECD, and Norwegian policies for teacher education aim to increase students’ academic competence and the collaboration between university and practice. Mentoring dialogues between students and mentors in practice are in the intersection between university and the profession. Thus, this gives the mentors the responsibility to realize these policy intentions. This actualizes what is discussed in mentoring and how the negotiation of control between mentors and students has impact on what policy intentions are recontextualized in mentoring. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate which intentions are realized in mentoring through the use of criteria and the selection of the content to be discussed. The findings indicate that the mentor has strong autonomy, and where what is discussed is focused more on practical issues than considerations about the academic subject. Given these findings, this paper discusses different perspectives on a close collaboration between university and practice. Introduction Both international policy documents (cf. OECD, 2019) and Norwegian strategy documents for teacher education (cf. Ministry of Education and Research [MER], 2017) have the express aim of strengthening teachers’ academic competence and bolstering the collaboration between university and practice. These intentions can be seen as part of the recent reforms in teacher education, where more attention is being given to creating a research-based teacher education close to practice (cf. Haugen, 2013; MER, 2014) . At the same time, also a research-based form of knowledge has been emphasized to improve the quality and effectiveness of the education system (Hammersley, 2002, 2007) . However, these intentions have not just recently emerged. Already in 2003 Norway complied with the Bologna Declaration and implemented the Quality Reform in higher education, where the aim was to give students integrated studies to increase their completion rates (White Paper 16 (2001-2002); NOU 2003:25) . It has been argued that with this reform more attention has been given to academic skills and subject knowledge 1 in teacher education (Garm-Karlsen, 2004), and more belief has been placed in strengthening the teachers’ academic knowledge (Karlsen, 2005). Bearing this in mind, in 2013 Norway introduced an integrated teacher education [ITE] program to support the political intentions of increasing students’ academic competence and creating a closer relationship between university and practice. The ITE program offers the students Master’s degree competence in one subject and builds a close relationship between the subjects at the university and in practice (Regulations 1 [1] The concept ‘subject knowledge’ refers to the ac

FAQs

What does the paper investigate about mentoring dialogues?

It investigates which policy intentions are realized through the criteria used and the content selected for mentoring discussions.

How do relations of control affect what is discussed?

The negotiation of control between mentors and students influences how policy intentions are recontextualized in mentoring.

What do the findings suggest about mentors’ role and the discussion focus?

Mentors show strong autonomy, and discussions tend to focus more on practical issues than on considerations about the academic subject.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Franzy