“I do not want to shatter their dreams of becoming teachers.” Mentors’ use of professional judgement in suitability assessments

Abstract

The practicum is a significant contributor to the qualification of teachers; however, mentors experience uncertainties due to the use of professional judgement in the process of assessing pre-service teachers’ suitability. The research question is: What dilemmas do mentors experience in the field of tension between support and recognition on the one hand and judging on the other when performing suitability assessments in teacher education?The data were collected from in-depth interviews with 16 mentors at 15 different primary and lower secondary schools in Norway. The purpose of the study was to address a gap in the existing knowledge about mentors’ use of professional judgement in the process of assessing pre-service teachers’ suitability. The following five topics emerged from content analysis of the collected data, and these are discussed in light of the research question and previous research: 1) the pre-service teacher’s self-insight, 2) the perspective of power, 3) interpretation of the criteria, 4) critical reflection and professional judgement, and 5) how to prioritise professional tasks. Implications of the findings are of importance for mentors’ and teacher educators’ suitability assessment practices.