No abstract

Training experience is an important part in the initial training of future teachers of Physical education (PE). The practice part of training is ensured at the same time by a university professor (UP) and a cooperative teacher from the school environment (CT). This latter ensures the teacherstudent's training, supervision and evaluation. He is usually selected according to his experience, his skills and his professional qualities. However, the recruitment of these mentors is considered as a serious challenge, since in Tunisia each teacher has the choice of being a mentor. Thus, it is important to have a better insight of the prevailing cooperative roles to which the Tunisian cooperative teachers grant the highest significance. This study has been achieved in the framework of a preparatory training to professional life for the teaching of physical education. It consists in an exploratory research. In order to discern the cooperative teachers' perceptions toward their contribution in the training of teacher-students, we have performed semi-directed interviews with 5 cooperative teachers. On that account, the interview analysis results highlight five major roles to which the cooperative teachers attribute a huge importance; 1) checking the planning quality of the courses supplied by the teacher-student; 2) observing the proceeding of the unfolding of the period; 3) urging the teacher-student to assume his responsibility; 4) assisting him to find solutions and finally; 5) exchanging ideas with the teacher-student.

According to Melki (2016), initial vocational training considers work experience in concrete situations as a constituent element in the development of professional skills and identity. For most people, initial training has an alternative function by creating "practice areas" by sending students on training courses to educational institutions. The transformation of training programmes for physical education teaching in Tunisia shows the importance given to the training of teacher-students in order to improve the quality of teaching. Indeed, the new requirements of initial training highlight the importance of long-term and better-supervised practical training in physical education teaching that draws its foundations from a genuine partnership between the university and the school environment (Bali, 2005). Particular attention has been paid to the practical aspect of training in physical education teaching. This new trend stems from the need for future teachers to be competent as soon as they graduate from university. Mentoring as a competency is an essential element in assessing the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers in the field of physical education. According to Arifin & Rasdi (2017), TVET teacher competencies are related to the skills, knowledge, attitudes, values and appraisals that are considered critical for the career development of future teachers. In this sense, Okoye & Ofonmbuk, (2015) argue in their research that TVET teachers must be competent in content, professional development and classroom management. Similarly, they must also be competent in handling instructional materials, assessing students, possessing effective teaching methodology, recognising students' learning styles, meeting students' needs in the classroom and, most importantly, being a role model for students.

Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine the degree to which the quality and frequency of mentoring by cooperating teachers during practical teaching internship influence the professional competence of future teachers. Material: To verify our proposed object, we conducted a research using a questionnaire distributed, during 2016-2017 school year, The analyses are based on a sample of more than 164 Tunisian physical education trainees and 96 cooperating teachers who participated in a pre-test and post-test study. Results : The results indicate that the quality and frequency of mentoring explain the success of starting a professional life. In terms of learning, mentoring that follows helpful rather than transmissive principles stimulates the performance, motivation and job satisfaction of future teachers and reduces emotional fatigue. Conclusions: Cooperating teachers training should include supervision practice themes to provide their trainees with real practice opportunities and to support them as needed.

This study measures the impact of an additional training in classroom management on physical and sports education trainees' self-efficacy feeling. An experimental group having received a complementary theoretical and practical formation in classroom management has been compared to a focus group which has followed the initial formation course. Two measures of this feeling have been taken at different moments by using the questionnaire Ohio State Teacher Scale (OSTES) translated in French. This device is made of three sub-scales of eight items each related to the teaching strategies adopted by the teacher in his classroom management and his capacity to involve the students in this task. The analysis allows the trainees who have received an additional training in classroom management to express a feeling of efficiency higher than those who received usual initial training.