Good mentors help South Africa's new teachers ask harder questions
A study of 24 student teachers found most focused on getting through the lesson. The few who looked deeper usually had a mentor who asked them to.
Johannesburg — South Africa's schools reflect a deeply unequal society. Some learners have modern technology and strong parental support, while others learn with severe shortages. A new study asks whether teacher training prepares people to challenge that, or only to work within it.
Nhlanhla Mpofu, an education researcher at the University of Notre Dame Australia, studied 24 final-year student teachers during 10 weeks in schools in 2024, through group interviews and reflective journals.
Three levels of thinking
- Technical: Did I finish the lesson? Was the class under control? Of the 24, 19 stayed at this level, worrying about discipline, large classes and limited resources.
- Practical: Why does one method work better than another?
- Critical: Who benefits from the system, and are all learners treated fairly? Only five reached this level.
One of the five realised that learners without electricity at home could be at a disadvantage in an online assignment, and that she had to make sure they had a fair chance.
The mentor makes the difference
The most important factor was not the school but the mentor teacher. Most checked lesson plans, pacing and syllabus coverage. The few who encouraged deeper thinking asked simple questions, such as what surprised you today, and how does the community affect learning?
Those conversations made student teachers more aware of poverty, privilege and inequality in education. The study suggests that if future teachers only deliver the curriculum, schools risk reproducing inequality, while reflective teachers can help reduce it.
Source: The Conversation, 20 October 2026.
