Understanding mentoring conversations in initial teacher education: a systematic review of the literature

In the context of an increased attention on mentoring in Initial Teacher Education, this systematic literature review aims to identify empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals that explore dialogue between pre-service teachers and their mentors, and the tools and strategies used to enrich these conversations. Following PRISMA guidelines, 37 research studies were selected. Results from the review are categorised into six themes and highlight that the pedagogic skills and knowledge of mentors are additional to those of teachers, and need to be learned, and that mentoring tools and strategies to support pre-service teachers’ professional development are built on high-quality dialogue supported by specialist mentors. The article concludes with a call for further practitioner research that explores how mentors develop their pedagogic skills and knowledge, to progress teacher education scholarship and practice.