Mentorship: A Critical Innovative Strategy to Improve Teaching in a Changing Mentorship Didactic Environment

Abstract: To say that pre-service teacher training can never prepare teachers to teach for life is not an understatement. The contemporary education environment is characterized by new type of students, new political environment, different learning needs, changes in policy and the curriculum and knowledge explosion. These realities require innovative or new approaches to teaching that can enhance learning for the achievement of anticipated learning outcomes. This paper discusses mentorship as a critical issue, an effective and innovative strategy to improve knowledge and skills of novice teachers. It is believed this can ensure quality teaching in the ever changing didactic milieu. In a democratic society, stakeholders in education such as the government, communities, parents, donors and even students exert much pressure on the teacher’s performance. These stakeholders may sometimes blame children’s poor learning output on teachers. To stand up to the challenge it is crucial for every school to establish a mentorship programme to improve the teacher’s knowledge and skills in teaching. The necessity of mentorship in schools, its establishment and nurturing is the substance of this paper.

Authors: Kofi Poku Quan