Reimagining Teacher Preparation in Kenya: Embedding Mentorship and Community Service Learning in TP1 Reform

Teaching Practice 1 , currently implemented in Year 2 of Kenya’s Bachelor of Education program, is intended to introduce student-teachers to school environments. However, its potential remains underutilized due to unstructured mentorship, limited community engagement, and fragmented supervision. Kenya’s teacher education system faces a critical need to reimagine its early practicum phase (TP1) to better prepare pre-service teachers for the complex realities of classroom practice and community engagement. This policy paper proposes a transformative framework that positions mentorship and community service learning as central pillars of TP1, beginning in Year 2 of teacher preparation. Drawing on global best practices—including models from Singapore, New Zealand, and Tanzania—and grounded in Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), the paper outlines a context-sensitive approach that blends educative mentoring, reflective practice, and experiential learning. Stakeholder analysis identifies key actors—mentor teachers, principals, university faculty, and community partners—and proposes capacity-building strategies to support their roles. The paper presents three policy options and recommends a full redesign of TP1 as a non-evaluative, developmental phase supported by trained mentors, community-based projects, and digital reflective tools. A monitoring and evaluation framework is included to guide implementation and assess impact. The proposed reform aims to institutionalize a mentorship culture that fosters professional identity, pedagogical competence, and civic responsibility among future educators. By embedding mentorship and community service learning into TP1, Kenya can cultivate a new generation of teachers who are not only skilled practitioners but also transformative agents within their communities.