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Tool-based mentoring conversations in teacher education: new structures, opportunities and the role of adaptive expertise

Tove Seiness Hunskaar (Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway)
Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir (Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway)

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

ISSN: 2046-6854

Article publication date: 24 August 2023

Issue publication date: 12 October 2023

508

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how school-based mentors and preservice teachers (PTs) perceive mentoring conversations when applying a set of newly developed digital tools accompanied by discursive tools in mentoring in practicum.

Design/methodology/approach

This study performed a thematic analysis of 12 interviews (5 with mentors and 7 with PTs) to explore how the participants perceived mentoring conversations when applying a combination of digital and discursive tools in school-based mentoring conversations. This study uses a model of adaptive expertise to discuss the findings.

Findings

This analysis revealed that the tools could alter the typical order of mentoring conversations. Mentors reported a change in their mentoring routines in which mentees took a more active role in conversations. The use of tools also allowed for richer conversations. From the perspective of PTs, the tools provided a structure for mentoring sessions, provided an alternative opening for mentoring conversations and enhanced their awareness of certain aspects of their own teaching.

Originality/value

This study's results suggest that the application of tools in mentoring enhances mentoring by facilitating reflection among PTs and mentors and fostering the development of adaptive expertise.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The development of the digital mentoring tools in the “Tools for mentoring project” at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research were funded by a grant (283536) from Forskningsrådet (The Norwegian Research Council).

Citation

Hunskaar, T.S. and Gudmundsdottir, G.B. (2023), "Tool-based mentoring conversations in teacher education: new structures, opportunities and the role of adaptive expertise", International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 424-439. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-12-2022-0103

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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