Exploring Cooperating Teachers’ and Student Teachers’ Perceptions about Mentoring Styles in Practicum

This paper examines the perceptions of Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and student teachers (STs) regarding different mentoring styles during the practicum in teacher education. Drawing on a comprehensive review of literature and primary data collected from 205 CTs and 317 STs, through survey questionnaires (CTQ and STO), the study investigates how various mentoring styles—absent, directive, supportive, and educative—affect the professional development of STs. The findings reveal that the educative mentoring style is the most adopted style by CTs, both in their current practices and as perceived by STs. This suggests its prominence in shaping STs’ professional development journey during the practicum. However, variability in mentoring practices, as well as discrepancies between CTs’ self-perceptions and STs’ experiences, highlight the need for greater awareness of mentoring styles and their significance. In addition, the study underscores the importance of professional development programs for CTs, increased collaboration between teacher education institutions and placement schools, and the implementation of feedback mechanisms to enhance the mentoring process. These recommendations aim to improve the quality of mentoring and contribute to the overall development of a skilled, reflective generation of future teachers.