E-Mentoring for Professional Development of Pre-Service Teachers: a Case Study

Abstract

This study focused on supporting the professional development of information technologies pre-service teachers with e-mentoring approach. The e-mentoring program was conducted in four basic phases; preparation, matching, interaction and finalizing. In the study, the data were collected via researcher journals, semi-structured interviews held with the participants, focus-group interviews and reflection reports written at the end of the program. The collected data were analyzed with the software of Nvivo 8 and divided into themes for presentation. The duration and frequency of interactions and the communication tools preferred differed from one matching to another. In addition, the interactions revealed gains professional development in terms of such areas as sharing knowledge and experience, guidance and goal setting, knowing more about the university and adaptation, easily access to counseling, developing self-confidence, developing communication skills, social and affective support, keeping one's knowledge updated and reinforcement. It was seen that the e-mentoring program had positive influence on their professional development besides the formal education given to the participants. The e-mentoring program helped students, academicians and graduates share their knowledge and experience with each other and develop their social networks. The participants had the opportunity to view their career as a whole and received guidance regarding the career processes.