The relevance of mentored learning to teach for student teachers’ development of professional competencies and the important role schools play for the development of these competencies represents one of the central premises of institutions of teacher education. Both student teachers and expert teachers view practicum (service learning) as highly meaningful or even core components of their training (see Hascher 2006; Hascher & Moser 1999). Nevertheless, studies on service learning offer an equivocal picture, with some confirming its positive effects on students’ professional development while others show only marginal or even negative effects on student learning (Hascher & Moser, 1999). Although research shows overall positive effects of school mentors’ attitudes, competencies, and experience on student teachers’ attitudes and behaviours, these influences need to be investigated more closely in order to clarify school mentors’ functions and the competencies necessary for successfully promoting student learning (see Hascher & Moser, 1999; 2001). Hascher (2006) found a retrospective de-mystification of practica as well as a de-idealization of school mentors, showing that (former) student teachers evaluate cooperation with, support from, and competencies of their former school mentors more critically.

            Wang and Odell (2002) critically examine the expectations student teachers and school mentors bring to their collaboration. Their review shows that both mentors and students do not adopt the conceptions of learning, knowledge, and teaching underlying standards-based reform. Both students and mentors identify the mentor’s role as providing psychological or emotional support or technical assistance needed for students’ initial survival in the existing system. They do not view the mentor as directly supporting or influencing students’ learning to teach, displaying a reduced understanding of the mentor’s different roles. Moreover, in spite of their teaching experiences, mentors’ conceptions of learning, teaching, and knowledge seem to be similar to those of their students. Accordingly, mentors’ dispositions towards teaching and learning to teach as well as their commitment to current teaching practice must be considered when selecting and preparing them for mentorship.

The University of Teacher Education of Lucerne offers a single phase teacher education programme, and practica (with mentors always present) encompass about 20-25% of overall study time. Based on Hascher’s and Moser’s longitudinal study involving Swiss secondary school student teachers, the present study aims at a) examining how the practicum units successfully promote secondary student teachers’ development of professional competencies; and b) clarifying the respective influence that specific competencies of as well as interactions between teacher educators, school mentors, and student teachers have on future teachers’ attitudes and behaviours. Both the perspectives of student teachers and school mentors will be included. The following research questions are addressed in the present poster:

1. What is student teachers’ evaluation of their school mentors’ competencies?
2. What support did student teachers a) expect and b) receive from their school mentors?
3. What are school mentors’ conceptions of a teacher’s duties?
4. What is school mentors’ evaluation of their own competencies as a school mentor?
5. What are the relationships between student teachers’ and school mentors’ evaluations of school mentors’ competencies?

Hascher, T. (2006). Veränderungen im Praktikum - Veränderungen durch das Praktikum. Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Wirkung von schulpraktischen Studien in der Lehrerbildung. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 52 (51. Beiheft), 130-149. Hascher, T., & Moser, P. (1999). Lernen im Praktikum. Die Rolle der Praktikumsleitenden in der berufspraktischen Ausbildung. Bildungsforschung und Bildungspraxis, 21 (3), 312-333. Hascher, T., & Moser, P. (2001). Betreute Praktika - Anforderungen an Praktikumslehrerinnen und –lehrer. Beiträge zur Lehrerbildung, 19(2), 217-231. Moser, P., & Hascher, T. (2000). Lernen im Praktikum. Projektbericht. Universität Bern: Forschungsstelle für Schulpädagogik und Fachdidaktik, Sekundarlehramt der Universität Bern. Wang, J., & Odell, S. J. (2002). Mentored learning to teach according to standards-based reform: A critical review. Review of Educational Research, 72, 481-546.