Preservice Teachers' Lived Experience on the Mentoring Relationship with Their University Supervisor

Historically, teacher education faculty were the field supervisors. As teacher education evolved, adjunct supervisors emerged to supervise preservice teachers where they were assigned (Slick, 1995a). By examining the preservice teachers' lived experiences of their mentoring relationship with their university supervisor, teacher education programs will be able to gain meaningful insights into the extent in which faculty supervisors as opposed to adjunct supervisors play a role in the development of this relationship. This phenomenological study attempted to add to the research on the topic of mentoring relationships between preservice teachers and their supervisors. This study used the mentoring theory, positioning theory, supervision, and Kolb's model of experiential learning as its theoretical frameworks. Five preservice teachers from Northeast Pennsylvania colleges/universities within 30 miles of each other were interviewed using a semi-structured format consisting of open-ended questions. Prior to the interview, a brief tutorial on learning styles and demographic information was collected. Online journals were collected at the end of the student teaching experience. Four themes emerged from the data: roles/responsibilities of supervisors, characteristics of effective supervisors, frequent communication, and preservice teachers' insights/personal growth. All participants had an adjunct faculty as their supervisor. Further research is recommended to examine the relationship between the preservice teacher and faculty supervisors. A study that examines the relationship between a preservice teacher with two university supervisors may add to the discussion. Practical implications include training and policies concerning communication technology such as email or texting and clarifying the roles/responsibilities of supervisors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]