A framework for effective mentor teacher written feedback to pre-service teachers

Abstract

High-quality professional experience, guided by expert mentor teachers, is critical to the successful transition and long-term retention of pre-service teachers in the profession. Effective mentor teacher written feedback is central to this process, supporting pre-service teachers to meet course requirements and become profession ready. However, in the post-pandemic context, marked by teacher shortages, many final-year pre-service teachers have not received quality written feedback that meaningfully supports their professional growth. This study aimed to understand the significance of written feedback in supporting high-quality professional experience placements, with a focus on the written feedback provided by the mentor teachers in the final professional experience written report template. A research-informed framework was conceptualised to evaluate and critique the feedback opportunities presented by these written report templates. The analysis revealed a need for redesigning the written report templates to encourage mentor teachers to provide targeted, meaningful, research-informed feedback.