Initial Teacher Education is aimed at equipping preservice teachers with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes or values about teaching. It is expected that some critical elements of teaching are learnt when newly recruited teachers commence their professional careers, through mentoring by more experienced teachers. A study on the mentoring strategies available in Kenyan schools for novice secondary school teachers of English language revealed that there were informational, emotional and professional mentoring strategies in schools. This paper reports on the professional support strategies which involve provision of support and coaching in effective performance in classroom related activities and other critical facets of professional practice, the purpose of which is to increase knowledge and skills that are important for good teaching – what some scholars of mentoring refer to as the nuts and bolts of teaching. The findings revealed that most of the activities engaged in were ad-hoc and not based on any documented, research based best practices. Therefore, there are recommendations the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission and school principals to ensure that sufficient resources: human, physical and financial are provided to enable adequate support for Continuous Teacher Professional Development (CTPD). The findings contribute to research literature in English language teacher education in particular and teacher education in general by providing a basis for streamlining mentoring as an important component of CTPD.
Keywords: continuous teacher professional development, mentoring strategies, novice teachers
