Abstract
In an effort to understand how the school management team is involved in the mentoring of beginner teachers, this study sought to evaluate the use of mentorship programmes and the needs of beginner teachers. Although the expectation in education is that beginner teachers should be prepared for the reality in the classroom, the contrary proved that they were underequipped to teach. Beginner teachers enter the classroom with inadequacies such as time management, how to accomplish administrative tasks and basic day-to-day activities. This study tried to identify important needs beginner teachers experience, and how the school management team can use mentorship programmes to empower beginner teachers. Within the qualitative methodology, interviews were conducted with 12 participants. Beginner teachers in their first three years of teaching in the Gauteng West district participated in the research. Furthermore, six school management team (SMT) members, with the knowledge and experience of mentoring beginner teachers, were interviewed. The findings revealed, amongst others, that although beginner teachers received adequate content training, they lacked understanding of administrative and time management tasks. This study therefore suggested amongst other matters - referring to the abovementioned findings - the need for the teaching education programmes to revisit the curriculum of pre-service teachers and involve partner schools. During teaching practice, implementation of more practical learning experiences especially regarding time management and administrative tasks are required by beginner teachers. The need for proper, policy-based mentorship programmes with clear requirements of what is needed to get beginner teachers on track emerged.
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)