This study comprises six chapters. Chapter 1 provided background information on the setting: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ITE in Saudi Arabia is analysed highlighting its challenges and issues related to conducting research on Saudi ITE. It then explored ITE programmes that are reported in the ITE literature as successful, so
as to inform practice in other settings. Subsequently, common policies shared by well-performing ITE systems were identified and discussed in relation to the Saudi ITE system. The purpose and significance of the study plus the research problem was presented, followed by the aim of the study and the research questions. Chapter 2 reviews international literature related to learning and teaching as well as mentoring in ITE. It focuses on the concept of mentoring, the role and strategies of effective mentoring from empirical perspectives, compares mentors’ roles to CTs’ roles in the ITE literature, and explores mentoring models and approaches utilised in ITE. The chapter concludes by discussing issues associated with mentoring from the ITE literature.
Chapter 3 describes the research methodology proposed for this study. It is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on philosophical assumptions and justifies the adoption of the interpretive paradigm. The second part introduces the qualitative approach as a strategy of inquiry. The final part discusses the research methods used in the collection and analysis of data. It concludes by explaining the ethical issues considered during the process of collection, analysis and presentation of the data.
Chapter 4 presents the study’s data findings. It is divided into three parts. Each part presents the data findings as it relates to a research question. Within each part, the findings are organised into categories, and the themes that emerged from the previous stage of analysis.
Chapter 5 discusses the study findings in relation to the ITE literature reviewed in Chapter 2. It connects the data findings with mentoring models and theoretical approaches reported in the reviewed international ITE literature, to address the research questions generated for the study and to offer recommendations for practice at the Saudi MOE. This chapter serves as a platform for the next and final chapter.
National Mentoring Scheme, and its implications are explained by the MOE, CTs, universities, and schools/school HTs, along with the study’s limitations and suggestions for further research.
2.1 Introduction
As a former lecturer with the responsibility of supervising student teachers’ practicum, it was noted that they were struggling with meeting their practicum requirements due to the lack of support from school teachers (cooperating teachers) for their professional learning. To improve student teachers’ practicum experience, international literature on models of ITE in other countries was analysed. After studying the many ways in which ITE programmes’ practicum was developed, it was noted that Saudi ITE practicum was taught and assessed based on a behaviourist model. However, looking at other models of ITE helped me realise that other theories of learning: constructivist theories, were useful. Firstly, the chapter will take a brief look at other models of ITE (section 2.2) and the policies and practices associated with them (section 2.3). Then, in section 2.4, it will move to a synthesis of learning theories and their implications for Saudi ITE programmes. Then it will concentrate on mentoring as a feature of constructivist theories (Appendix 5, pp. 252). It will argue that in order to embed a helpful model of the practicum in ITE in SA, the shift from behaviourism to constructivism is a necessary theoretical shift.
This part of the review provides a context for answering research question 1: 1. What is the role of CTs in the professional learning of STs during their
practicum in Saudi primary schools?
Since the focus of this study concerns the development of the current CT role in Saudi ITE practicum, into a mentoring role to support professional learning for STs, a synthesise of effective mentoring skills reported in international ITE literature will be provided (section 2.6) followed by a comparison between the
Section 2.7 discusses the main issues associated with the mentor’s role in the ITE context, which is significant for addressing RQ2 that concerns the challenges faced by CTs in their role in the professional learning of STs during their practicum in Saudi ITE:
2. What are the challenges facing the CTs’ role in the professional learning of STs during their practicum in Saudi primary schools?
The literature provided insights regarding the challenges to mentoring in the international context, compared with those in certain developing countries that share similar socio-cultural elements in their education system with that of Saudi Arabia.
Section 2.7 also discusses the factors reported in the ITE literature that contribute to overcoming these challenges, and to developing the mentoring role. This assists in addressing RQ3 concerning the possible factors that might develop the CT role, particularly in the Saudi ITE context:
3. What factors could contribute to overcoming those challenges and help develop the CT’s role?
It also provided a basis for evaluating the data gathered from the Saudi ITE stakeholders in this present study, regarding the factors that could develop the CT role to align with that described in the literature, and with the current practice of some of the leading ITE systems.