Abstract:
This study was aimed at finding out the importance of mentoring practices on Pre service teachers for developing effective primary science teaching. The main purpose
for this study therefore, was to identify and describe the perception of the final year
pre-service teachers of Abetifi College of Education (ABETICOE) on their mentoring
in primary science education and the extent to which they received the range of
mentoring practices that would assist them in developing their primary science
teaching based on five factors (i.e., Personal Attribute, System Requirement,
Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Modeling and Feedback). The design used to
conduct this study was a descriptive survey. The main data collection instrument for
the study was questionnaire for pre–service teachers (mentees) adapted from the
Mentoring for Effective Primary Science Teaching (MEPST) instrument. Data was
collected from 20 basic schools in the Kwahu East, Kwahu South and Birim North of
the Eastern Region of Ghana. One hundred (100) mentees were sampled for this study
comprising 65 males and 35 females. Descriptive statistics (i.e. percentages, mean
scores, and standard deviations) were derived using SPSS for each variable. It was
found out among other things that majority of mentees perceived that their mentors
did not provide mentoring practices associated with the System Requirements items
and that the mentees were mentored using the five-factor model . It was
recommended that adequate mentoring in primary science teaching should be
included in mentors’ practices. The study argues that mentors may require further
education to learn how to mentor specifically in primary science teaching and
proposed a specific mentoring intervention as a way forward for developing the
mentors’ mentoring skills in the teaching of primary science.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Science Education,
submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for award of Master of Education
(Science Education) degree.
2011