Mentoring and Supervision Challenges in B.Ed Internships: A Stakeholder Analysis in Patna, Bihar, India

. Rashmi; Raj Aditya

. Rashmi IIT PATNA
Raj Aditya IIT Patna https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4581-3518

Keywords: mentoring, supervision, internship, B.Ed, Patna

Abstract

This study explores the challenges of mentoring and supervision in Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) internship programs in Patna, Bihar, India, using Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding as a guiding theoretical framework. The research investigates the perspectives of key stakeholders, including interns, their supervisors, Teacher Education Institution (TEI) principals, host school principals, and host school teachers. Employing a qualitative methodology, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with participants selected via multi-stage sampling. Thematic analysis of the data reveals that interns frequently lack sufficient mentoring and supervisory support, primarily due to the heavy workload faced by both supervisors and mentors. Additionally, the study finds a prevalent culture of mutual blame among stakeholders, with each group attributing shortcomings in the mentoring process to others. These findings highlight the need for a more integrated and cooperative approach to supervision in teacher training programs, addressing the specific contextual challenges to enhance the quality of support for pre-service teachers. The study suggests that policy changes and structural adjustments are essential to foster more effective mentorship and scaffolded learning experiences within B.Ed programs.

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Author Biography

Raj Aditya, IIT Patna

Dr. Aditya raj is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Indian Institute of Technology, Patna. He was the recipient of the M N Srinivas Memorial Award (conferred to the best young sociologist by the Indian Sociological Society) in 2013. He has taken degrees in History (BA-Delhi University), Sociology (MA-Jamia Milia Islamia), and Sociology of Education (Mphil-Jawaharlal Nehru University) from New Delhi, before completing his Ph.D as a Commonwealth Fellow (2002-2006) from the McGill University. He was at the Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, before joining IIT Patna in 2010. His interests include society and education, migration, inclusive development, and youth.

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