E-mentoring: The effects on pedagogical training of rural teachers with complex geographical accesses

Considering multi difficulties that determine the labor of rural teachers who perform their teaching practices in semi-isolated contexts, it is necessary to provide them a supportive system which favors their pedagogical performances to benefit rural students’ education. The aim of this phenomenological study is to describe and analyze how e-mentoring can strengthen pedagogical performances of primary rural teachers with complex geographical accesses in Chile, exploring the subjective experiences of four couples of teachers and mentors that take place in this process by e-mail relationship. Results show the necessity of considering the accompaniment as a horizontal pedagogical assistance which can be influenced by the technological resources availability, identifying an adequate profile of e-mentor to influence teacher adherence to the process, such as his communicative style, empathy, pedagogical and cognitive skills. Finally, this investigation allows projecting a viable model to be applied as support for rural education with access to Internet resource.

• We examine rural teachers perform in semi-isolated contexts.
• We study the impact of pedagogical accompaniment by experts, trough e-mentoring.
• ICT availability and teacher skills are the main barriers to the processes.
• E-mentor’ figure is key to achieve the participation and adherence of teachers.
• Reflexive processes are needed to recognize specific needs of a pedagogical nature.