Teacher Education and Special Education, Ahead of Print.
Internship is a culminating student teaching experience traditionally involving sustained mentorship in the classroom of an experienced mentor teacher with some university supervision, and as such, it is a critical component in teacher preparation. When provisionally licensed teachers complete a non-traditional internship in their own classroom, however, they must rely primarily on university supervision for mentorship. We describe a study of an eCoaching model for university supervisors who were able to successfully provide sustained mentorship to these teachers through eCoaching. After completing online training modules, the participants implemented the eCoaching model that included focused goal setting and multiple feedback loops. In this study, we examined multiple data sources to describe university supervisors’ practices when enacting eCoaching and to gain a better understanding of their perspective about the use of the eCoaching model with provisionally licensed interns.

Teacher Education and Special Education, Ahead of Print.
Student teaching is a powerful formative experience for special education teacher candidates. Crucial to candidate success in student teaching is the effectiveness of their mentor teacher. However, the role of mentor teacher does not occur in a vacuum and context factors into the quality of the experience. A growing body of research indicates that a placement school’s working conditions may also contribute to candidate outcomes. Yet, prior research provides little insight into how these elements may interact and relate to candidates’ development. This study investigates this potential relationship and the ways in which they may shape candidate development. Results suggest mentor teachers’ available planning time and collaborative relationships with general education colleagues are important working conditions in supporting relationships between mentors and candidates, candidate development, and candidates’ future career plans. Implications and future directions for mentorship research are discussed.