Looking to GROW: The absence of goal setting in post-lesson mentoring conversations on work-integrated learning placements

Abstract

The post-lesson mentoring conversation on work-integrated learning placements in teacher education is an opportunity for students to critically reflect on their practice. The potential for this learning to take place is diminished however, if the mentor is unskilled in the art of leading these conversations. This skill involves creating a dialogue where the mentee can discuss their practice in relation to learning goals. This study analyzed the transcripts of 54 post-lesson mentoring conversations. The study found that goals were rarely mentioned when conversations were closer to monologues than dialogues. If this is representative of the larger sample, then the mentoring monologue constitutes a waste of the latent learning potential of the post-lesson mentoring conversation. The implications of the study center on the post-lesson mentoring conversation requiring more scaffolding in the way of protocols that promote growth through a critical dialogue of the professional learning goals of the teacher education student