The Effect of Mentorship on Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceived Competence in Addressing Diverse Learners’ Needs in Mezam Division, Cameroon

This paper explores the effect of mentorship on pre-service teachers’ perceived competence in addressing diverse learners' needs in Mezam Division. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to gather data from the sample population of 334 pre-service teachers and six teacher educators. A closed-ended questionnaire was used for pre-service teachers and an interview guide for teacher educators. The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations and the one-sample t-test and qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Findings show that mentorship and pre-service teachers' perceived competence in addressing the needs of diverse learners is 32.51, with a standard deviation of 4.821. The mean suggests that pre-service teachers generally acknowledge the positive role of mentorship in enhancing their confidence to teach diverse students. Findings also show that mentorship increased their confidence in applying culturally responsive teaching strategies and encouraged them to reflect on their teaching experiences to improve competence in addressing diversity. Furthermore, the standard deviation indicates some variability in responses, but overall, the data points to a strong perception of mentorship as an essential factor in building teaching competence. It was recommended that mentorship frameworks should be enhanced by school administrations and teacher training colleges to ensure that mentors are trained in culturally responsive pedagogy and equipped to provide inclusive resources, feedback, and modeling practices. Article visualizations: