Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2025
Abstract
Early childhood education preservice teachers encounter a variety of mentors throughout their education journey with a varying degree of success. The problem is that early childhood education (ECE) students completing preservice teaching experiences within a community college lab school are not provided with equitable mentoring experiences, resulting from using inconsistent techniques across all classrooms and mentors. The purpose of the inquiry-based research is to explore the use of Jim Knight’s (2022) Impact Cycle to support the mentoring process for early childhood education preservice teachers. Consistent, high-quality coaching and mentoring are vital to the success of preservice teachers. This belief has prompted the following inquiry questions: 1. How can Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle support the mentoring process for early childhood education students completing their pre-teaching experiences in a community college lab school, ensuring consistency and quality across all classrooms and mentors? 2. How can communication and listening skills foster high-quality mentorship relationships with early childhood education students completing pre-teaching experiences in a community college lab school? The literature review supports the need for mentors to have professional development, training, and explore coaching interventions to support preservice teachers. Analysis of the data reveals a lack of constructive feedback, insufficient detail on evaluation forms, and limited opportunities for skill development within the classroom. On this basis, it is recommended that the mentors provide consistent experience for the preservice teachers. Future research is needed to assess the application of the Impact Cycle and the effectiveness of the preservice teachers.