Historically, teacher preparation has been challenging, providing adequate opportunities for self-efficacy development. There is a causal correlation between teacher self-efficacy, teacher preparation programs, and closing the achievement gap (Hanushek, 2019). Urban students receive higher academic grades, test scores, and improved attendance when their teachers are efficacious and confident (Yeh, 2019). However,  support for self-efficacy development for teacher candidates enrolled in a teacher preparation program is often inadequate (Berg & Smith, 2018; Ma & Cavanagh, 2018). Teacher preparation programs focus on the technical domain and shorten student teaching time, which is -limited to one semester (Taneri, 2017; Wiens et al., 2021). Zeichner et al. (2015) posited that these traditional programs need to connect coursework to practical field experiences, undermining the development of self-efficacy. Teachers are likely to perform best when they are confident in their ability to deliver instruction to students. Therefore, there is a need to understand how to improve teacher preparation, specifically in urban schools. The benefit of urban teacher preparation programs is that they provide early and prolonged support under expert urban mentor teachers (Hamilton & Margot, 2019).

This presentation explores the role of mentor teachers in supporting urban teacher preparation programs. Urban contexts pose unique challenges for aspiring educators, necessitating tailored teacher training and support approaches. Drawing on a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study examines the multifaceted responsibilities of mentor teachers within urban settings, including their roles as instructional guides, cultural brokers, and community liaisons. The presentation also showcases mentor teachers' various strategies to effectively support and develop pre-service teachers during field experiences in urban classrooms. Additionally, this research highlights the importance of collaboration between universities, school districts, and community stakeholders in enhancing mentor-teacher support structures. The analysis underscores the significance of ongoing professional development and reflective practices for mentor teachers to navigate the diverse needs of urban learners and foster equitable learning environments. 

Mentor teachers support self-efficacy development to improve teacher instruction, closing the achievement gap (Burns et al., 2019; Whitford et al., 2018). This qualitative single case study explored expert urban mentor teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy development during field experiences of teacher candidates enrolled in an urban teacher preparation program. We used qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with teacher mentor teachers and triangulated with literature and written reflections collected from the teacher candidates. The data analysis used current research on urban teacher preparation programs to provide context for the problem. Interviews were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was completed and reported. The research question explores the role of mentor teachers in supporting urban teacher preparation programs and describes their perception of the development of teacher candidate self-efficacy. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the pivotal role mentor teachers play in nurturing the next generation of educators for urban schools, thereby advancing educational equity and excellence.