Mentorship’s role in shaping professional identity: insights from Cambodian teaching practicums

Extensive literature discusses mentoring in teacher education as a means to advance its professionalization. This study explored mentoring from the perspectives of student teachers, teacher educators, and school mentors. It analyzed four case studies conducted in two teacher-education colleges in Cambodia through observation and listening to stakeholders’ voices. Data collection involved pre- and post-classroom observations, mentoring sessions, interviews, and portfolio analysis. Inductive and deductive content analyses were used to analyze the data thematically. The findings revealed that mentoring was highly appreciated by the participants. However, critical issues were identified, including a lack of mentoring structure and limited mentorship skills, need to be addressed. Moreover, the data indicated a broad spectrum of mentoring support, encompassing instruction and emotion. The influence of mentoring on student teachers’ professional and personal development was evident, with participants reporting enhanced instructional skills, increased confidence, and improved reflective practices. Furthermore, this study highlights the challenges and limitations encountered in mentoring relationships and suggests strategies for optimizing the effectiveness of mentoring in teacher education in Cambodia. Ultimately, this study contributes to the existing literature on mentoring and provides insights for policymakers and practitioners emphasizing that more structured and skill-based mentoring programs can strengthen teacher preparation and support systems in Cambodia and similar contexts.