Teach Me How to Be a Kindergarten Teacher: Expectations of Kindergarten Student Teachers from Their Mentor Kindergarten Teachers

Abstract

Teaching is a complex task that involves practical and theoretical knowledge. Students gain practical knowledge through practicum that takes place in kindergartens or schools. The student teacher trains under the auspices of an experienced kindergarten teacher or teacher who becomes their mentor. The object of this research was to examine the expectations of student teachers from their mentor kindergarten teachers. Fifty-four student teachers answered a specially written questionnaire, distributed through Google docs, about their expectations from their mentor kindergarten teachers. The data analysis was qualitatively being the most suitable research method to answer the research question being a primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. The results show that the student teachers expect to gain practical knowledge of skills and tools that are important to their profession and that the mentoring relationship will be supportive, encouraging and attentive. The significance of this research is that mentor kindergarten teachers will be more aware of what their mentees expect from this relationship, especially in light of the fact that there is no agreed concept of the mentor’s role in the literature. Therefore, this research can provide important guidelines.