Teachers Mentoring Teachers - An Exploration into Effective Peer Support Models & Their Impact

Since 2022, VVOB has supported the Kasese District Local Government and Kasese Municipal Council in implementing UCatchUp, the school-based, government-led Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach in Uganda. TaRL is an accelerated remedial approach that teaches learners according to their level rather than by age or grade. The approach uses playful pedagogies and locally sourced materials, keeping it relevant and engaging for learners. But this approach is often new for teachers who need support not only to teach it but also to sustain it over time.

Under UCatchUp, teachers receive continuous professional development through in-person training, mentoring and SMS coaching. Mentoring by school-based and district-based (external) mentors is one of the core pillars that facilitates effective implementation of UCatchUp as mentors provide strong academic and motivational support to teachers when faced with challenges in the classrooms. Additionally, research shows that mentoring promotes changes in instructional practices and reduces turnover (Vangrieken, Dochy, Raes, & Kyndt, 2015; Pitsoe & Machaisa, 2012).

However, our monitoring and evaluation data shows that mentoring by external and school-based mentors, as foreseen in UCatchUp, does not occur as frequently as planned. Alternatively, in some schools, teachers have established peer networks to aid their implementation of UCatchUp. Additionally, research on the Catch Up programme in Zambia has shown collaboration among teachers in positive social norms and enabling quality implementation (Busara, 2023).

Through the uBoraBora grant, VVOB's research will identify and document peer mentoring modalities in government-aided primary schools implementing the programme, how they are set up and how effective they are in influencing important teacher outcomes. This knowledge will test different peer mentoring modalities co-designed with teachers and government stakeholders to optimise these peer mentoring systems within the UCatchUp framework. Using participatory research methods, the project seeks to understand the conditions that enable these groups to thrive, including the impact of enhanced support for school leadership teams and the use of social norms to build positive group identities.