Author's Name:	DRSYLOD CHIMHENGA
Subject Area:	Social Science and Humanities
Subject	Other
Section	Research Paper

Teaching practicum, mentoring, mentor, mentee, mentoring model

The teaching practicum process entails the direct participation of student teachers, supervisors and the participation of a mentor from the school where the teaching practicum is being carried out. This paper aims to discuss student teachers’ views on mentoring practices during their teaching practicum in Zimbabwean schools. The study included all student teachers doing Post Graduate Diploma in Education at the Faculty of Educationat Zimbabwe Open University, Bulawayo Region, who enrolled in practicumcourse in the first semester of the academic year 2016. A quantitative questionnaire was administered on 100 student- teachers in secondary schools in Bulawayo and an interview was carried out with 48 teachers. The findings of the study revealed that the participants have benefited from the practicum practices in the development of many teaching skills such as: the interaction and communication with students and classroom management skills. However, classroom student-teachers highlighted certain common challenges they encountered during their practicum experience. Implications and future recommendations were discussed.