An Investigation Into the Mentorship Programme of the Colleges of Education in Ghana: Central-western Zone In Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the teacher-trainee mentorship programme of the Colleges of Education in the Central-Western Zone of Ghana with special reference to mentor competencies, stakeholders‟ perception of the mentoring process, sources of conflict between mentors and mentees and the effects of financial cost on mentoring. A descriptive survey and phenomenology designs were adopted to answer the objectives for the study. Structured questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data for the study. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The total sample size for the study was 1451 respondents. The outcome of the study was that, stakeholders had positive perception of mentoring and perceived it to be beneficial. Mentees and the college representatives generally felt that the duration of the mentoring process was too long. The mode of selection of mentors was less formal, and the mentors had less training in mentoring though they were predominantly trained teachers. The views of stakeholders on the competencies of the mentors were mixed, but in most cases, they still felt that the mentors were able to deliver relatively well on their job. Financial cost was found to be a binding constraint on all the stakeholders but the mentees were the most affected. Conflict was not a widespread phenomenon in the mentoring process though packets of it were identified. It was recommended that the colleges had to expand and formalise mentors training, remunerate the mentors and move for the introduction of mentoring as a full course at the college for the students. Schools of attachment need to provide decent accommodation for student teachers on out segment programme.