Like Mentor Like Mentee

How the Perception Correlates to Teaching Performance

Dwi Haryanti

SMA Negeri 1 Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia

dwish234@

mail.com

Keywords: Correlation, Perception, Performance, Mentor, Mentee.

Abstract: Mentor teacher holds an important role for the student teaching experience in school practicum program. The

mentoring provided by mentors contributes to both the success and failure of student teachers during their

early yet critical period of professional development. It is interesting to investigate how the perception of

those student teachers to their student teaching affects their own performance. To collect the data of

perception, the Mentee Perceptions of Student Teaching survey adapted from Hudson (2007) was given to

student teachers of Swadaya University who have concluded their school practicum program in 2016 at one

high school in West Java, Indonesia, while the scores of their student teaching performance were used to

gather the performance data. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis method were applied to describe

the correlation between variables. From the correlation analysis, it is found that there is a significant

correlation between perception and performance.

1 INTRODUCTION

Teacher Education system in Indonesia is established

and managed by the government and the universities

of education became the institutions which hold

responsibility to produce teachers (Andyani, 2015).

Every year thousands of student teachers from

different universities in Indonesia participate in the

school practicum program as their student teaching

experience. The program is a mandatory requirement

and is conducted in several state and non-state

schools which previously signed MoU

(Memorandum of Understanding) with the

universities.

Studies about the effectiveness of mentoring

during school practicum program from the

perspective of both student teachers and mentor

teachers have been conducted around the globe.

From the mentees perspective, they emphasized on

how mentoring influenced the outcome of student

teaching (Bird, 2006). In the study conducted by Bird,

the Mentee Perceptions of Student Teaching (MPST)

survey was given to student teachers upon the

conclusion of their student teaching experience.

Convergence of quantitative and qualitative data

showed that mentoring practices implemented by the

mentors supported the development of student

teachers. Furthermore, research from Hudson et al.

(2009) revealed that during the school practicum

program, the mentees were reflective, and brought

their own expertise, and could actually contribute to

the professional development of the teachers to which

they were assigned in school. Kuswandono (2014)

and Adnyani (2015) also provide similar result from

the perspective of student teacher in Indonesian

context. Bradbury and Koballa (2008) conclude from

their qualitative study that mentees view their

mentors as experts, but the differences in feedback

from mentors can be a mismatch in their expectations.

Likewise, McDonough and Brandenburg (2012)

argue that the mentor teachers need to offer supports

to pre-service teachers to examine the negative

experiences as parts of ongoing professional

development and to make them aware that negative

experiences and emotions are often inevitable in the

profession. There is a power differential between

mentors and pre-service teachers, where the mentor

has considerable power in providing feedback that

leads to evaluations towards successful (or

unsuccessful) completions of practicum experiences

(Anderson, 2007).

Interestingly, many of the previously conducted

studies were focusing only on perspectives, and

therefore this study will be based on the urgency of

identifying whether there is correlation among the

perspectives of mentees toward mentor teachers and

104

Haryanti, D.

Like Mentor Like Mentee - How the Perception Correlates to Teaching Performance.

DOI: 10.5220/0007162801040109

In Proceedings of the Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference

on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017) - Literacy, Culture, and Technology in Language Pedagogy and Use, pages 104-109

ISBN: 978-989-758-332-2

their own performances during their student teaching

experience.

When the graduates of teacher education are

asked about their training experience, they expressed

strong positive levels of satisfaction with the

preparation in content area, instructional technology,

and the creation of learner centered environment

(Bratlien&McGuire, 2002) in Nalumansi (2011).

Moreover, student teachers who experienced less or

no training report being extra unsatisfied with their

training, and encounter greater obstacle in completing

their teaching duties, especially if their assignments

involve handling learners with extraordinary learning

needs (Darling-Hammond, 2000).

The theory and practice of school practicum

program is a complex and growing field in the context

of Indonesia. Finding the correlation between the

voices of mentees and their performance is important

for it could provide a new focus for hidden potential

in school practicum programs and an understanding

toward the effect of the method used in running the

program. The result of this research is aimed to revisit

the policy in teacher education.

These research questions are proposed to guide

the study:

(1) What are student teachers’ perceptions of the

mentoring factors that contributed to success in

their student teaching experience?

(2) How are student teachers’ performances during

their school practicum program?

(3) To what extend are the two elements correlated?

2 METHODOLOGY

This is mixed-methods study which determined the

correlation of mentoring perception towards the

growth and development of student teachers from

Swadaya University. The study measured the

perception of the five mentoring factors in student

teaching experiences and correlated the overall

measurement to the mentees’ performance during

their student teaching experience.

2.1 Subject

In order to get the valid and reliable data, subjects of

the study were 10 mentees from Swadaya University

who were assigned to the same school for their school

practicum program. They underwent the program

early September 2016 to mid December 2016. The 10

mentees were responsible to teach four different

subjects, namely English language (3), Mathematics

(3), Bahasa Indonesia (2), and Economics (2).

The

school practicum program followed the university

calendar, meaning student teachers missed out on

early entry into the classroom at the beginning of the

school year. Student teachers were assigned to a

classroom on the basis of what the cooperating

teacher teaches. Placement decisions were made by

school officials, in this case the principal, often as an

open invitation to staff members to volunteer for the

assignment.

2.2 Instrumentation

The Mentee Perception of Student Teaching survey

(MPST) (Hudson et al., 2005) developed by Dr. Peter

Hudson, an educational researcher at Queensland

University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, was

used to obtain perception data. The perceptions of

student teachers are divided into five factors; personal

attributes, system requirements, pedagogical

knowledge, modelling, and feedback. All ten of

student teachers responded to 34 statements, using a

five-point Likert scale, consisting of “Strongly

Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly

Agree.” In addition, student teachers answered six,

open-ended questions about their mentoring

experience during their student teaching.

Data for student teaching performance were taken

from the journal and scoring sheet given by the

mentor teachers and were divided by four categories;

lesson planning, teaching performance, personality

traits, school-related tasks. Each category was scored

by using scale 1 to 4.

2.3 Data Analysis

Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from

the student teachers at the same setting. The student

teachers completed the paper survey in the first

section included grade level placement, content area

taught, number of lessons taught, and school

placement information. In the second section of the

survey, the student teachers circled their response to

34 Likert scale statements. Lastly, student teachers

wrote answers to six open-ended questions in section

three of the survey which then modified into

unstructured interview. Surveys were collected after

the student teachers finished their school practicum

program.

In this study, qualitative data were collected in

separate sections of the MPST survey, but the

analysis and interpretation phase of the study

combined both the quantitative and qualitative

elements for convergence among the results

(Creswell, 2003). SPSS 24 was used to calculate the

Like Mentor Like Mentee - How the Perception Correlates to Teaching Performance

105

correlation between two variables. The results were

reported descriptively according to the five mentoring

factors and four performance categories. The

qualitative component of this study provided

additional clarification of issues surrounding the

student teachers’ mentoring experience. The

researcher’s goal was to fully understand their

experience by collecting and analyzing the personal

descriptions the student teachers provided in the

open-ended questions.

3 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to determine if

mentoring perception had a positive correlation

toward the student teachers overall performance. By

understanding the mentees’ actual experiences with

mentoring, this study may offer guidance to

educational organizations for shaping mentoring

programs

3.1 Perception

Student teachers perceived the mentoring factor,

modeling, as the most used practice by mentors.

Personal attributes and pedagogical knowledge were

also perceived by student teachers to be employed by

the mentors. Although still within close limits to the

other factors, student teachers pointed out that their

mentors’ intention of giving feedback and informing

system requirements were not as important.

3.1.1 Modelling

The modelling factor received 90% agreement

response on all quantifiable items. Student teachers

indicated that a majority of mentors modelled

teaching practices. Modelling effective teaching and

rapport with students were perceived to be the most

representative practices of the mentors. Mentors’

modelling of classroom management and well-

designed lesson plans were lower on the student

teachers’ responses, as was the student teachers’

perceptions of their mentor’s display of enthusiasm

(80%.). The lowest score within the modelling factor

pertains to the mentors’ use of curricular standard.

Student teachers perceived that this occurred 70% of

the time. One of the interviewed mentee, Annisa,

elaborated that a mentor teacher helped her to develop

and apply reflective teaching techniques early on in

her study teaching. Thus, the skills enabled mentee to

communicate meaning and purpose during internship

as well as helping mentor clarify meaning and

purpose to himself. In turn, the student teachers used

reflective teaching strategies to explain their plans

and actions to mentor teachers, and to find ways to

perform better in their job.

3.1.2 Feedback

The second factor, feedback, showed the lowest

scores of implementation on the MPST instrument, as

compared to the other four factors. The student

teachers perceived that only 70% of the mentors

reviewed the student teachers’ lesson plans. Also

significant, is that although 90% of the student

teachers reported their mentors observed their

teaching, only 70% of the student teachers indicated

they received written feedback on their teaching. In

relation to the type of feedback given by mentor

teachers, oral feedback is as helpful, but as the

quantity of comments increases it becomes more

likely that student teachers will not able internalize

the feedback to a certain degree.

3.1.3 Personal Attributes

Personal attributes include the kind of characteristics

that possessed by the mentors namely being

supportive, encouraging, flexible, and having a

positive attitude. In addition, the mentors also

identified to be those who are trustworthy and having

interpersonal skills. Student teachers indicated that

90% of their mentors were supportive of them in

student teaching and almost as many student teachers

felt comfortable talking with their mentor. The lowest

percentage of student teacher perceptions in this

factor related to the mentor teachers assisting the

student teachers in reflecting (70%). Lack of

encouragement and very controlling mentor are sign

rather negative personal attributes where one of the

mentees commented, “It is like I work without

guidance but then blamed for doing something

wrong.”

3.1.4 Pedagogical Knowledge

Most of the student teachers claimed their mentors

assisted with classroom management (90%). The

mentor teachers provided their perspectives that

mentors assisted them with planning, and teaching

strategies. 80% of the student teachers either agreeing

or strongly agreeing that pedagogical knowledge

practice were implemented, pertained to the mentors’

discussions of four items including discussion about

assessment and implementation, guided lesson

preparation, discussions about problem solving, and

discussions about content knowledge with the student

CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017 - Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology

Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education

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teacher and assisting student teachers with

scheduling.

3.1.5 System Requirements

In system requirements factor, student teachers

indicated 80% of the mentors discussed school

policies and the goals for teaching, while 70% of the

mentees reported their mentors outlined the

curriculum. This result had something to do with the

result of preliminary studies that mentor teachers

were lack of trainings related to curriculum

development. The school where the study conducted

was the model school for the implementation of 2013

Curriculum. The fact had brought both blessing and

curse for the mentees since they have a lot to learn to

adapt with the system which clearly is not part of their

university subject.

“I found that what is taught in the university is so not

up to date compared to what is really happening in

school. The system, the curriculum, and assessment is

mostly new to us and we need to learn about them fast.

I hope that university can have more connection with

the school.”- said Bramanta, one of the interviewed

student teachers.

3.2 Performance

Mentors assessed their mentees performance based

on the journal of assessment given by the Swadaya

University. The overall score were varied from 3.53

to 3.86 of the scale 1 to 4.

3.2.1 Lesson Planning

“Lesson planning is hard and takes days” was one line

mentioned by Bramanta, one of the student teachers

on why the average score (3.25) of lesson planning

came out to be the lowest among four categories. This

fact was also supported by the perception of mentees

that the mentors themselves were unable to create a

well-designed lesson plan. The result reflects glaring

evidence that both mentor and mentees are in the need

of good lesson planning modelling. The frequent

changes within the form of lesson planning impose by

the Curriculum is no help and creates a problematic

exposure on which standard need to be followed.

3.2.2 Teaching Performance

In contrast to planning the lesson, teaching

performance was the highest score most student

teachers achieved during the school practicum

program (3.90). This finding was coherence to the

perception that most mentors modelled teaching

practice and display enthusiasm in the classroom. It

was also suggested from the interview that the

practical teaching experience was the most stressful

part and that student teachers were in need of practical

and emotional support during the practicum, and the

mentor was found to be the most highly valued

support and resource for the student teachers

(Smith

and Lev-Ari, 2005).

3.2.3 Personality Traits

The average score of mentees’ personality traits was

3.74, indicating that they have good personality and

are able to adapt themselves as pre-service to the

formal school environment which in fact different

from their college-student life. The mentor’s help is

critical as pre-service teachers often have to cope with

their emotional tensions in schools (Patrick, 2013).

Such tensions most likely to occur since pre-service

teachers are moving into a new situation and a new

identity as a novice teacher in schools. The level of

support offered to the mentees by their mentors worth

the most. According to Reiman et.al (2010) in Bird

(2012), support is a noticeable factor in workplace

correlated to beginning teachers’ perceptions of

success.

3.2.4 School-Related Task

In school-related tasks, the mentees were required to

be involved in some activities other than teaching

including becoming librarian, front officer, school

counsellor, and extracurricular supervisor. From the

journal it was found that most of the pre-service

teachers were ready for the classroom but not for the

staffroom. They had difficulties to adjust to the task

in the beginning but were finally able to manage their

position with the average overall score 3.63.

3.3 Correlation

From previously discussed findings of two variables

and their categories, it is clear that there is a positive

and significant correlation between student teachers

perception on the school practicum program and their

performance. The significant correlation was also

proven statistically (see Table 1).

Like Mentor Like Mentee - How the Perception Correlates to Teaching Performance

107

Table 1: Correlation between variables.

Perce

tion Performance

Perception Pearson Correlation 1 .748

(

2-tailed

)

.009

N 10 10

Performance Pearson Correlation .748 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .009

N 10 10

The r

value of 0.748 indicates that five categories

of perceptions are correlated positively to four

performance categories. Modelling, the highest

perceived factor of mentoring correlates to those of

student teachers teaching performances indicates that

modelling provides student teachers with visual and

aural demonstrations of how to teach (Hudson et.al,

2009). These student teachers also value mentors who

share experiences, give constructive feedback, both

praise and criticism, and listen to the students.

Findings also revealed that both mentors and mentees

are in the need of lesson planning models. Moreover,

mentors personal attributes correlated to the mentees

personality traits in which a good mentor resulted in

good mentees. Supportive mentor is another

significant factor that contributes to the good

performance of student teachers in their school-

related tasks. The student teachers in this study are

convinced that their mentors have knowledge and

skills to share with teacher trainees. The results of this

study show that mentees enjoy working with well

qualified mentors in their schools, and are learning a

great deal from each other. According to the mentees’

perception, both mentees and mentor teachers have

similar opportunities to interact and learn from each

other.

4 CONCLUSIONS

How we experience the world and turn thoughts into

actions are significantly correlated. It is proven that to

some large extent the mentees’ perceptions correlates

to their study teaching performance. The five factors;

personal attributes, system requirements, pedagogical

knowledge, modelling, and feedback of mentoring

perceptions and four categories of study teaching

performance; lesson planning, teaching performance,

personality traits, school-related tasks are correlated

to each other. The relationship is importance and

critical as the mentoring provided by mentors

contributes to both the success and failure of student

teachers during their early yet critical period of

professional development. School practicum

programs that obtain the support of experienced

classroom teachers as mentors to student teachers are

suggested to enlist a set of goals for the student

teachers positive perception which then resulted in

excellent performance. Increasing the opportunities

for interaction and communication before, during,

and after the school practicum program between

school teachers and university faculty will greatly

improve teacher quality both at the school and the

university.

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