| Title: | Mentoring and Developing Practice in Primary Schools |
| Author: | Edwards, A and Collison, J |
| ISBN: | 0 335 19565 2 [pb] |
| Publisher: | Open University Press |
| Address: | Celtic Court, 22 Ballmoor, Buckingham, MK18 1XW |
| Date of Publication: | 1996 |
| Classification: | Resources to support mentors |
| Intended Audience: | Primary school ITT mentors and mentor trainers |
| Strengths: |
Draws upon 3 years of field research on mentoring; Draws upon up-to-date [at time of publication] published sources; Firmly set within theoretical frameworks; Uses a 4-stage framework for ITT development; |
| Checklist Rate - One to Five | |
| Appropriate Content |
1
|
2
|
3
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4
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| Student Use |
1
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| Tutor Resource |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
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| Visuals |
1
|
2
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| Overall Style |
1
|
2
|
3
|
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| One of Series |
No
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| Photocopiable |
N/A
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Full EMAC Review
Mentoring and Developing Practice in Primary Schools - Edwards, A and Collison, J
The content of the book / resource
The book presents models for understanding different aspects of mentoring [and teaching] practice, such as a 4-stage trainee development model; the notion of schools being ‘communities of practice’ and the place of mentoring within such a community; insights into trainee perspectives e.g. as polite guest and peripheral participation, and the response of mentors e.g. regarding over scaffolding learning in response to bidding down the demands of tasks.
It clearly presents the expectation of mentoring being at its best when underlain by active exploration of theoretical perspectives upon practice and process.Its effectiveness in catering for its target audience
The book’s central 4-stage model moves from partial understanding to application, but the book itself is pitched directly into the higher levels of analysis of mentoring, rather than taking the mentor gradually into that, step-by-step.The value to the user
For mentors actively persuaded of the need to gain theoretical insights, this is a useful book.Its capacity to support students and / or mentors
Teachers can gain some insight into aspects of pupil learning; especially from chapter 7., and, by inference, from other sections, too, though the book’s focus is upon mentoring of ITT students.Its particular strengths and any weaknesses
The authors deliberately set this out not to be a book of tips for teachers yet those sections where they do occur – as in the case studies – will prove more popular with most teacher mentors.
The book does offer strong support and guidance for mentors wanting to explore a theoretical background for their mentor work [and work with pupils, too, in places], in a readable, accessible style, punctuated by illustrative case histories in many places.
The case histories particularly focus upon paired placements, mostly in early years settings.
Its final section offers a vision for professional development schools which might be even more pertinent now, with the strong Government drive on mentoring for CPD development, than when the book was first published.Readability, presentation and cost
This is more readable than many texts exploring theoretical issues, although more case studies would have made it even more so. Its organization lacks a coherent developmental progression for the reader, except in terms of moving outward from the individual mentor to the wider community of mentoring in the final section.