Problematising Mentoring in Open Distance Learning Teacher Education: An Action Research

Abstract

Open distance learning has helped produce quality teachers and has functioned as an alternative to qualifying underqualified and unqualified educators. This article problematises the effectiveness of mentoring and its strategies in the context of open distance learning using the case study of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education offered by the Zimbabwe Open University. The action research method was used to attain data and evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring strategies on professional development. The study reveals the importance of co-learning in mentoring processes. The findings also show a lack of dialogue between teacher-training universities and the practicing schools. It finally recommends that education policymakers review key areas such as mentor selection processes and mentor in-service training.

Keywords:

• mentoring
• mentor
• mentee
• professional development
• teacher education and development
• open distance learning
• Zimbabwe Open University