Beyond the Classroom: The Role of Psychosocial Mentoring in the Career Development of Physical Education Student Teachers in Ghana

Abstract

Mentoring programs influence the development of student teachers and their decision-making processes on their career path in the teaching profession. The paper examined the use of psychosocial mentoring in the career development of physical education student teachers in Ghana. Using a descriptive survey cross-sectional design, 122 level 400 intern students of a Ghanaian public university were sampled with the use of structured questionnaires that measured the attributes and practices of mentoring and the career preparation standards. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that mentoring knowledge had the highest contribution to the career development (24%), then mentoring practices (17%). Although Psychosocial mentoring was mentioned by the respondents as important, its contribution to the variance of career development was only 5 percent, assuming there is not much integration in an existing model of mentorship. The results indicate that psychological directions and emotional support are underutilized in the existing models of mentoring even though they have potential benefits. The results are indicative of the necessity of less formalised ways of psychosocial assistance in the teacher education programs. The implications of the findings on the development of holistic mentoring systems can be applied in supplementing the transmission of technical knowledge with emotional and psychological support, especially in physical education instructors that experience particular professional disappointments due to restrained resources in the learning setting.