Mentoring PE Student Teachers in Wales: Lessons from a Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

This paper systematically reviews the contemporary research literature surrounding physical education (PE) mentors in initial teacher education (ITE). Using the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols’ (PRISMA-P) methodologies, articles were ana-lysed qualitatively using deductive thematic analysis in relation to content related to three core aspects of PE mentorship: i) terminology, ii) attributes and iii) professional learning. The findings identified variations in the ter-minology and the expectations associated with the role of the PE mentor. A significant number of research studies identified in the literature search focused on developing mentoring processes through collaboration and co-enquiry approaches. However, the literature review found a lack of explicit reference to the professional learning needs and opportunities for PE mentors. The review has led to six key recommendations, two of which are: i) PE mentors should be selected because they possess appropriate attributes to be effective in the role and, ii) professional learning opportu-nities should be made available to enable PE mentors to recognise the scope of the role and build their capacity to employ collaborative and enquiry-based approaches to supporting the development of student teachers.