Exploring the role of mentoring in the quality of teacher training in Ghana

Abstract

This study adopts a qualitative case-study method to examine the mentoring of teacher trainees in Ghana. Interviews with the trainee teachers and head teachers provide data on the process, the participants' experiences and perceived benefits and challenges of the program. Recommendations for improvement are provided. Introduction Today, all over the world, governments want teachers to become more effective, particularly in the light of increased global competitiveness, and the necessity of economic and educational reforms. Teacher Education is the most important aspect of a nation's education system. It is this segment of the educational system that provides the greatest human resource, because every school needs a teacher. It has been argued that one specific condition for development is education and 'the teacher is the ultimate defender of its reality' (Adegoke, 2003). According to Furlong (2000), one significant way of influencing the skills, knowledge and values of teachers is to change the form and content of their initial training. Research into the cost of educational programs for teacher-training in selected developing countries indicates that teacher education program arrangements are unpredictable and irregular, which create an unstable learning environment for teacher training (Lewin & Stuart, 2003). In view of this, the exploration of new models to improve the quality of teachers training has taken place in many developing countries.