The effect of the e-mentoring-based education program on professional development of preschool teachers

Abstract

The qualification of a preschool teacher is one of the important factors that determine the quality of preschool education. To increase the quality in education, teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge starting from pre-service training, and in-service training should support the upgrading of their knowledge. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop an e-Mentoring-Based Education Program (e-MENTE:PT) for preschool teachers and to test its effectiveness on their professional development during the in-service support period. The study used a design-based research approach. First, focus group interviews were conducted with one-hundred-and-five preschool teachers to find out their needs. Then, an e-MENTE:PT Program was developed based on these needs and devised to be used on the Canvas learning management system (LMS), which involves all opportunities of e-learning and allows one-to-one e-mentoring. The e-MENTE:PT Program involved twelve modules related to the pedagogical content knowledge of the preschool education program. Each module included contents, goals, module materials, e-books, videos, pre- and post-module evaluation questions, discussion questions, live lessons and e-portfolios, all of which were integrated in the LMS. Next, eighteen full-time and nine substitute voluntary teachers from five different provinces were selected as mentees by means of criterion sampling. Nine academicians working in these provinces acted as mentors and implemented the application, each working with two mentees for two months. Qualitative data were analysed by means of descriptive analysis and quantitative data were analysed by means of the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The research concluded that the e-MENTE:PT program supported preschool teachers’ professional knowledge, learning environments and classroom applications, and an e-mentoring based teaching management system was effective on professional development.

Leaving No One Behind- Teacher Peer Mentoring Before and After the Pandemics: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Spanish and English Literature

“…Stimulation of personal development stood out in supporting individual growth for teachers. "Programa e-MENTE" Erdoğan et al (2022) In terms of content knowledge, it is observed that the e-MENTE: PT Program has had a significant impact on preschool teachers. Modules related to the recognition and evaluation of the child, learning centers, and the teacher's role, as well as planning, implementation, evaluation, and family participation, have experienced notable improvements.…”

Analisis Tantangan dan Strategi Pengembangan Profesionalisme Guru Prasekolah

“…Selanjutnya, program e-Mentoring-Based Education Program (e-MENTE:PT) dilaporkan efektif untuk pengembangan profesionalisme guru (Erdoğan et al, 2022). E-MENTE:PT diinstal dalam sebuah sistem aplikasi dimana guru sebagai mentee dapat bekerja dengan mentor satu per satu.…”

Supporting novice mathematics teachers: The impact of an e-mentoring and video-based professional development program on teachers’ noticing skills

“…Studies on e-mentoring practices in general report positive outcomes for participating teachers of different subjects (Erdogan et al, 2022;McAleer & Bangert, 2011;Simonsen et al, 2009). For instance, a study conducted by Erdogan et al (2022) examined the impact of an e-mentoring-based education program on in-service preschool teachers' PD in terms of pedagogical content knowledge.…”

“…Studies on e-mentoring practices in general report positive outcomes for participating teachers of different subjects (Erdogan et al, 2022;McAleer & Bangert, 2011;Simonsen et al, 2009). For instance, a study conducted by Erdogan et al (2022) examined the impact of an e-mentoring-based education program on in-service preschool teachers' PD in terms of pedagogical content knowledge. Using various materials (e.g., e-books, videos, and live lessons) and with the participation of 28 pre-school teachers and nine academics, the content supported the professional knowledge, learning environments and classroom applications of the preschool teachers.…”

“…Thus, this study uses e-mentoring (Alemdag & Erdem, 2017;Mihram, 2004) approach to overcome these limitations. Various studies in the literature reported that mentoring in general and e-mentoring in particular are effective in terms of providing professional development (PD) (e.g., Erdogan et al, 2022;Spanorriga et al, 2018). PD literature on e-mentoring consists primarily of research in fields other than educational sciences, and little is known about the effectiveness of this method in education.…”