Reaction of mentors and mentees in the native speaker programme of a rural primary school in Malaysia: A phenomenological study

Abstract

This phenomenological study investigated the reaction of the mentors and mentees in the Native Speaker Programme implemented in a rural primary school in Malaysia from 2011 to 2013 in terms of 1) programme objectives, 2) time frame, 3) motivation of the mentors and mentees and, 4) cooperation given throughout the programme. Three mentors and two mentees were interviewed to obtain their responses; and they were observed during classroom teachings and workshops. The results from the interviews and observations were triangulated to provide a comprehensive picture of the findings. It was found in the results that a strong mentoring relationship and effective communication are crucial to convey the essential information at the top-down level and to ensure that objectives are achieved. The mentoring relationship would subsequently have the bearing on their levels of motivation and to work collaboratively.