Assessment of the implementation of state-led continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) in the Gert Sibande education district of Mpumalanga province of South Africa
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Date
2017
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Publisher
University of Fort Hare
Abstract
The study sought to assess the implementation of state-led Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) in Gert Sibande District in Mpumalanga Province. The factors that triggered the interest in this study were the absence of reported research on the assessment of state-led CPTD in Gert Sibande as well as personal observations of teachers' inadequacies in quality teaching competences despite having attended a series of CPTD activities. The pragmatism paradigm, a mixed method research approach, and concurrent triangulation design were adopted. Senge's Learning Organisation and Wenger's Social Learning theories informed the study. For quantitative data collection, the two samples were: 200 teachers from 100 randomly selected schools with grade 6 (one Maths and one English teacher per school) and 200 relevant SMT members ( one Principal and one Head of Department per school). The return rates of questionnaires were 59.5% for teachers and 61.5% for SMT representatives. For qualitative data collection, the sample consisted of one principal and one teacher of Mathematics or English from one randomly· selected school out of the selected 100 schools; four Curriculum Managers and four subject advisors from the
district office. Different interview schedules were used for samples from each of the interviewee cohorts. The. quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively and thematically, respectively. The study found that teachers were not consulted at the design stage of CPTD programmes and consequently, it did not address teachers' needs and never earned their 'buy-in '. The study also: found that the traditional in-service training using transmission mode was. predominant as opposed to the contemporary job-embedded approach. This resulted in teachers failing to gain job-embedded knowledge and confidence despite attendance of several CPTD sessions. Teachers expressed unhappiness with the short duration and bad timing of CPTD activities such as the 2-hour quarterly workshops and the use of weekends and holidays for CPTD. The majority of teachers recommended the use of in-school CPTD to facilitate job-embedded activities. As a way forward, the thesis presents a framework for the productive use of CPTD which focuses on the use of job-embedded professional
development.
Description
PhD Thesis
Keywords
Teachers, Action research in education, Career development
Citation
Mthethwa,N.V.Assessment of the implementation of state-led continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) in the Gert Sibande education district of Mpumalanga province of South Africa.Alice.University of Fort Hare.