Video-stimulated recall for mentoring in Omani schools

Purpose: This article explores the school-based learning mentoring of a senior teacher of English in Oman, who was conducting action research into her mentoring practices while engaged in part-time in-service language teacher education. The senior teacher realized teachers in her school found post-lesson discussions in English with inspectors challenging and, using video-stimulated recall, tried to help them become more reflective. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative case study research methodology: Semi-structured interviews provide insights into the senior teacher’s perceptions of her own development and professional knowledge of reflective practice and mentoring. They also provide oral accounts of her action research, written accounts of which are provided by reflective writing. Audio-recordings and transcripts of post-lesson discussions, triangulated with classroom observation, provide evidence of mentoring practices. Findings: The senior teacher developed creative and flexible solutions to the challenges she faced, in the process gaining confidence and assuming mentor identity. Various factors helped, including a supportive environment, the in-service teacher education course and engagement with video-stimulated recall. Research limitations/implications: Despite methodological limitations, including limited observational data and use of self-report, there are implications for socio-cultural contexts where English has a semi-official role in mentoring discussions and where there are moves towards reflective models of teacher development. Practical implications: Video-stimulated recall may be a particularly effective tool for supporting learning mentoring in contexts where loyalty to the ‘in-group’ encourages sharing. To facilitate learning mentoring, the creation and maintenance of supportive environments appears crucial. Originality/value: Learning mentors seeking fresh ideas, teacher educators and school managers will find this useful.