Beginning Teachers’and Mentors Perceptions About Mentorship in Basic Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

The study examined the perceptions of beginning teacher’s mentor’s perception about mentorship in basic schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana. The study employed a mixed method research approach and descriptive survey as the study design. The study used census sampling technique to accommodate all 50 teachers (25 beginning teachers and 25 mentors). Data collection was done using questionnaire for quantitative response, which was analysed using SPSS 26.0 and interview guide for qualitative response analysed using thematic analyses. The results of the study shows that the nature of mentorship programme requires mentors to support beginning teachers with teaching resource during teaching. The result also shows that mentors mostly assess beginning teachers in the building of relation with students and ability to use time judiciously. The information from beginning teacher’s assessment was used mostly for recommendation purposes. The majority challenge confronting mentors was their inability to assess beginning teacher’s background knowledge and skills. While beginning teachers reported that mentors make fun of them in ways they do not like. In resolving the identified challenges, it was revealed that mentors need to be motived. The study concluded that mentorship for beginning teachers was helpful but mentors need to be motivated to be effective. The study recommended that the management of Basic Schools must encourage mentors to develop trusting relationship with their mentees.