An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Mentoring And Supervision Toward Improving Teaching Profession Of The Prospective Science And Mathematics Teachers During Teaching Practice In Schools

This paper investigated the efficacy of mentoring and supervision toward improving teaching profession of the prospective science and mathematics teachers during teaching practice sessions where Lupanga and Morogoro secondary schools were selected. Many challenges have been reported by different scholars on mentoring and supervision during teaching practice exercise in schools hence the researcher doubt whether mentoring and supervision provided to prospective science and mathematics teachers attain its efficacy toward improving their teaching profession. The study employed qualitative approach with a case study design. Observation, key informant interview and focus group discussions were the main methods of data collection where 38 respondents were purposively involved in data collection. Content analysis was used to analyze data thematically. The study revealed that the mentoring and supervision to prospective science and mathematics teachers during teaching practice session in schools did not attain its efficacy that was to improve their teaching profession as the mentoring provided to prospective science and mathematics teachers were minimal and poor in the practicing schools. Also the assessment conducted by supervisors were not proper toward improving teaching profession for example table assessment, short time in assessing student teachers in classrooms, differences by themselves in stating specific objectives which made student teachers to be confused and lack of the provision of constructive feedback to the student teachers after assessment. Key words: Mentoring, Supervision, Efficacy, Teaching Practice, Science and Mathematics, Prospective Science and Mathematics Teachers, Student Teachers. Policy