Professional development of teachers: Perceptions and challenges of foundation phase teachers

South African Journal of Childhood Education

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Professional development of teachers: Perceptions and challenges of foundation phase teachers
 
Creator Dyosini, Thokozane P.
 
Subject — continuous professional development; mentorship; induction; coaching; foundation phase
Description Background: South Africa’s teacher retention crisis calls for policy makers, school leaders and teachers to explore ways for professional growth. This study examined six novice teachers’ experiences and views on continuous professional development (CPD) and how it benefits teachers as they transition from mentees to mentors.Aim: The study aimed to explore novice teachers’ engagement with CPD within the context of foundation phase (FP) teaching. It specifically investigated their understanding of CPD in communities of practice and how they preferred to be inducted, mentored and coached.Setting: This qualitative case study was conducted in six inner-city public primary schools in urban Johannesburg, South Africa.Methods: The research followed a case study design, using semi-structured interviews with six novice teachers to gather data.Results: The findings revealed the significance of informal mentorship, offering support despite the absence of formal structures in FP settings. This highlights the need for educational institutions to establish formal mentorship opportunities to promote professional development and well-being of teachers.Conclusion: CPD goes beyond fulfilling professional requirements – it empowers teachers. By upskilling and reskilling, CPD prepares teachers to meet modern teaching challenges.Contributions: This research adds to the limited literature on novice teachers’ experiences with CPD in FP. It highlights CPD’s crucial role in enhancing pedagogical strategies, supporting diverse learners, improving teacher wellness, and informing educational policy and leadership decisions.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor National Research Foundation (NRF) Dr Geeta Motilal, University of the Witwatersrand
Date 2024-11-15
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1572
 
Source South African Journal of Childhood Education; Vol 14, No 1 (2024); 13 pages 2223-7682 2223-7674
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1572/3208 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1572/3209 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1572/3210 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1572/3211
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Thokozane P. Dyosini https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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