Abstract

Teachers’ professional development has been a subject of educational research in terms of various parameters. This article aims to investigate how ten secondary teachers who have systematically mentored student-teachers (over the last eight years) perceive aspects of their professional development. The research data, collected from transcribed interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis, highlighted some important educational experiences that transformed their previous perceptions and beliefs about the profession as the primary factor of their professional development. Specifically, (a) a disorienting dilemma they faced during the practicum program, which led them to reflect deeply on their perceptions and teaching practices and (b) the dialogic collaborative interaction they developed with colleagues while supervising student-teachers. The specific findings open up new perspectives for continuing professional development that primarily aim to provide opportunities for expanded and collaborative professional learning experiences from the bottom up.