Initial teacher training: proposal of a competence reference framework for cooperating teachers / mentor teachers

Cooperating teachers (or mentor teachers) are key stakeholders in initial teacher education. They contribute to the training of teachers with professional skills and a strong professional identity by carrying out specific tasks. In French-speaking Belgium, although their training has been mentioned by experts for more than 30 years, there are few guidelines for the training of cooperating teachers. The aim of this document is therefore to present a competence reference framework for the training of cooperating teachers in compulsory education. This document has been drawn up on the basis of a literature review in both French and English and of several competence reference frameworks for the training of cooperating teachers. This reflection is all the more significant in that, at the time of writing, a reform of initial teacher training is under way in Frenchspeaking Belgium, which includes plans to strengthen the training of cooperating teachers through the introduction of a certificate in internship supervision.