Rethinking university-based mentoring: Supporting pre-service teachers holistically beyond assessment

Abstract

During their first assessed teaching practicum, final-year pre-service teachers reported a strong need for holistic university-based mentoring. However, current support remains predominantly assessment-focused, neglecting their emotional, relational, and developmental needs. This first-phase study, of the Peer Enhanced Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (PE SoTL) project, explored these mentoring needs using Hudson’s five-factor mentoring model. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm and a descriptive case study design, data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire administered to 170 students. Inductive thematic analysis revealed three key mentoring needs: emotional support and guidance, mentor accessibility and approachability, and meaningful feedback and constructive criticism. The findings call for redefining university-based mentoring to include professional, personal, and emotional support. Theoretically, this study extends Hudson’s model by incorporating emotional support. Practically, it advocates moving beyond assessment-driven supervision to relational, developmental mentoring approaches that foster holistic growth and support.