Teaching Practice is a critical phase of teacher education that provides opportunities for student teachers to reflect on the development of their teaching philosophies and put them into action. Student teachers’ self-efficacy refers to their beliefs in their ability to effectively handle the tasks, obligations, and challenges related to their professional activity. E-portfolios as learning tools can be utilized to facilitate the development of skills for self-directed learning. Good quality mentoring in schools contributes to the development of critical professional skills of student teachers and ensures the best quality learning experiences for pupils. This paper is arranged as an ideas paper that seeks to explore how mentoring may enhance self-efficacy for e-portfolio development during teaching practice. A qualitative research design was adopted in gathering information used for this study. A literature review process was used as a data collection tool and this involved activities such as identifying, recording, understanding, meaning-making, and transmitting information pertinent to the enhancement of student teachers self-efficacy for e-portfolio development during teaching practice through mentoring. Findings revealed that good quality mentoring may enhance the student teachers’ self-efficacy for e-portfolio development and that e-portfolios are practical tools for self-directed, reflective and collaborative professional learning. Further findings show that formal mentoring programs are essential to meet student teachers professional learning needs. These findings will encourage mentor teachers to optimally assist student teachers to develop e-portfolios for their professional learning.

Authors:
Ratokelo Willie Thabane, Central University of Technology, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Dr RATOKELO WILLIE THABANE is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FREE STATE in South Africa

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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