Abstract:
Recent reviews into teacher education have highlighted the role of the mentor teacher during professional experience. While university programs teach theoretical concepts, the role of the mentor teacher during professional experience assists preservice teachers to enact theories and knowledge learned at university. The impact of the mentor is highlighted as important in the literature in the development of the preservice teacher. Of significance is mentoring as a catalyst for success which has implications for preservice teachers' and their acquisition of knowledge, skills and processes for competence in teaching. This study proposes to explore and describe the perceptions of preservice teachers about their mentoring experiences, specifically in relation to the teaching of literacy during their professional experience. The definition of literacy is broad, therefore for the purposes of this study the English General Capabilities Literacy [EGCL] as outlined by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA, 2008] will be the classification engaged in this project. The EGCL, as defined by ACARA are categorised into five domains - Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking and Viewing and therefore, this study will explore and describe the mentoring experiences of preservice teachers in relation to these domains. A social ontological position provides the platform through which this study is conducted. The construction and transmission of knowledge between mentor and preservice teacher relies on social interaction and as such, Vygotsky's (1978) Social Development Theory offers a theoretical framework for this study. To form a robust picture of preservice teachers' mentoring of literacy across both primary and secondary settings, an exploratory, sequential mixed methods approach will be utilised. Surveys will be used in the first instance and this data will inform subsequent interviews to highlight the perceptions of the preservice teacher and expose the extent to which the EGCL are addressed during professional experience and shared by the mentor