Online Teaching Practice Assessments at an ODeL College: ‘Learning in Practice’ Perspectives

Learning in Practice (LiP) as a dimension of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) encourages student-teachers to transform their teaching approaches by implementing innovative and evidence-based strategies that respond to the ever-changing (in this context) South African educational landscape. This research is grounded in the theory of transformative learning and the practice of mentoring. Additionally, it uses the social constructivist-interpretive lens to explore student teachers' lived learning in practice experiences during teaching practice placements. This exploratory study, conducted within an open and distance learning (OdeL) context, employed a qualitative approach, utilising a single-case study design and an online virtual videoconferencing platform for data collection. To generate themes, a manual thematic analysis process was employed, guided by the established thematic analysis framework. The findings revealed that participants echoed sentiments that mentoring in practice helped them grow and become professionals. Mentors also demonstrated effective teaching skills and encouraged them to present lessons that were well-received. Furthermore, mentors were accessible and approachable, providing guidance and constructive feedback on lesson presentations. Participants were exposed to authentic learning in practice contexts. Further research could explore school mentors' views of online assessments for learning in practice.