Perceived Support and Theory Use in Mentoring—A Case Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ and School-Based Mentors’ Perception of the Content of Mentoring in Practicum

While teacher education policy increasingly demands research-informed practice, little is known about how school-based mentoring balances relational support with theoretical grounding during practicum. This study investigates how school-based mentors support pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) professional development during teaching practice in Norway. Drawing on survey data from 120 PSTs and 55 school-based mentors collected in spring 2023, this study maps emotional, practical, and cognitive dimensions of support across both cohorts. Results reveal broadly similar descriptive patterns at the group level between PSTs’ and mentors’ assessments: both PSTs and mentors consistently report high levels of emotional, practical, and reflection-oriented support, whereas the systematic integration of educational theory and research literature in mentoring conversations remains limited and uneven. This highlights a persistent discrepancy between national policy ambitions for research-integrated initial teacher education and reported mentoring practices in school placements. To bridge this divide, the study recommends that teacher education institutions provide collaborative, research-based tools and structures to enhance mentors’ research literacy.