Teacher as mentor: professional competencies influencing students' career guidance

Abstract

This article reveals the questions aimed at identifying the most important professional competencies that a mentor teacher should possess in order to directly positively influence the process of career guidance of schoolchildren. In the course of teacher survey the most important competences required for successful career guidance of schoolchildren in the scope of personal and professional qualities were identified. In the course of observation the most important competences for successful career guidance of schoolchildren were determined, concerning the formation of interest to professions, assistance in conscious choice and development of career guidance skills. In the course of diagnostics of pupils and parents the main professional competences of mentor teachers were determined.

The obtained results confirm the teacher's role in career guidance of school students as a mentor with students and their parents. Teachers indicate that the most important functions of mentors are forming students' interest in professions and helping them to make an informed choice. At the same time, the issues of formation of specific career guidance skills in pupils are considered less important. The most important personal qualities of a teacher are empathy, patience, listening skills and ability to inspire, while important pedagogical skills are defined as mastery of modern teaching methods. Students' and parents' assessments of the mentor teacher's role generally coincide and characterize the mentor's importance positively in general, with some differences on some issues.