Source: International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 111-126, 2016
(Reviewed by the Portal Team)
This article aims to report on a research project concerning a web-based (online) course for mentors of newly qualified teachers (NQTs).
Methodology
The author used a mixed-method approach, consisting of surveys, interviews and analysis of seminar recordings. The main data sources analysed for this particular paper were the interviews and surveys.
The participants were 18 mentors of newly qualified teachers.
Discussion
The author identified the mentors' concerns about the use of technical tools, although during the course these concerns changed to a mainly positive attitude towards online education. Some of the mentors perceived the technical challenges to be more problematic and comprehensive in terms of extent, time and difficulty than they really were.
Furthermore, the online course changes the teaching and learning prerequisites for the participants. During the course, the author discovered that initial technological concerns proved to be unfounded as online communication became familiar. Throughout the course the intrinsic goal orientation emerges as an important issue. The author found that goal orientation is a pedagogical strategy to get as much out of the web-based seminars as possible.
In addition, the author discovered that the possibility of re-watching recorded lectures and seminars in Adobe Connect was regarded as beneficial. The participants found that learning and meaning making occurred through the web-based format.
Finally, the findings indicate that there is a need to discuss online study skills and pedagogical strategies, such as how to prepare and follow up a web-based seminar session or how to ensure that one’s own interests are being considered.