Assessment of the implementation of state-led continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) in the Gert Sibande education district of Mpumalanga province of South Africa
- Mthethwa, Nokuthula Varsity, Mammen KJ
- Authors: Mthethwa, Nokuthula Varsity , Mammen KJ
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Teachers -- Training of , Mentoring in education , Action research in education
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29171 , vital:77529
- Description: 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 percent for teachers and 61.5 percent 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. , Thesis ( Ph. D.) -- Faculty of Education, 2017
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mthethwa, Nokuthula Varsity , Mammen KJ
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Teachers -- Training of , Mentoring in education , Action research in education
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29171 , vital:77529
- Description: 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 percent for teachers and 61.5 percent 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. , Thesis ( Ph. D.) -- Faculty of Education, 2017
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Implementation of classroom action research in Zimbabwean teacher education colleges: implications for teacher education curriculum
- Authors: Banda, Wilson
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Action research in education , Education -- Research , Curriculum planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10604 , vital:35632
- Description: It was the purpose of this study to interrogate the implementation of classroom action research (CAR) in identified Zimbabwean teachers’ colleges to provide the basis for future policy directions and related day-to-day CAR practice. The study leaned on the progressive educationists’ stance that teaching is an intricate profession that has more to it than mere technical skills. Teaching is viewed as a lifelong profession that requires pre-service teachers to be capacitated with CAR skills and competencies to ensure that they systematically, intentionally and critically consider a myriad of learner related psychosocial factors in their tour of duty. In that way teachers are made to appreciate why they should teach the way they teach, without necessarily turning them into some kind of public intellectuals, philosophers or theorists. The study utilised the mixed methods research approach in tune with the adopted pragmatism paradigm. The research paradigm draws on the strengths of both empirical data and the theoretical sentiments drawn from the respondents. The study used the concurrent triangulation design, rooted in the post-positivist research paradigm that integrates concurrent procedures in the collection, analysis and interpretation of research data. It was guided by three theoretical frameworks, namely, the experiential learning theory, the curriculum implementation framework and the living educational theory. The theories have a strong bearing on reflective practice and they acknowledge the subjectivity of truth. The study’s purposive sample comprised of sixty-four teacher educators and seventy-six preservice teachers. Several research instruments were utilised to solicit the requisite CAR implementation quantitative and qualitative data. These were questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions and documents. The Statistical Packages for Social Sciences were used to summarise the solicited data through graphical representations and related frequency tables depicting descriptive statistics such as range, mean and mode. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis through emerging themes, iv related to the sub-research questions. The study established that although the bulk of the teacher educators had the requisite professional qualifications, maturity and experiential background, more curricular and organisational reconstruction was required to improve on the status quo. For instance, solicited data demonstrated that the lecturers’ appetite for educational research was low. Furthermore, the teacher educators’ CAR skills and competencies were compromised by the research component’s inadequate contact time. In addition, it was instituted that the teachers’ colleges produced student teachers who lacked sound grasp of the CAR process. The mediocrity was attributed to a series of teacher educator and student teacher factors which were exacerbated by several other organisational and administrative impediments. Overall, the study concluded that teacher educators were incapacitated to effectively deliver CAR, owing partly to the nature of teacher educator preparation they got and the watered down professional induction. It further revealed that it was wrong to assume that all lecturers had operational capacity to effectively teach and supervise CAR projects. Furthermore, the study recommended that the teacher educators’ capacity in CAR needs enhancement. Identified CAR implementation strategies need further reconstruction and enforcement.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Banda, Wilson
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Action research in education , Education -- Research , Curriculum planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10604 , vital:35632
- Description: It was the purpose of this study to interrogate the implementation of classroom action research (CAR) in identified Zimbabwean teachers’ colleges to provide the basis for future policy directions and related day-to-day CAR practice. The study leaned on the progressive educationists’ stance that teaching is an intricate profession that has more to it than mere technical skills. Teaching is viewed as a lifelong profession that requires pre-service teachers to be capacitated with CAR skills and competencies to ensure that they systematically, intentionally and critically consider a myriad of learner related psychosocial factors in their tour of duty. In that way teachers are made to appreciate why they should teach the way they teach, without necessarily turning them into some kind of public intellectuals, philosophers or theorists. The study utilised the mixed methods research approach in tune with the adopted pragmatism paradigm. The research paradigm draws on the strengths of both empirical data and the theoretical sentiments drawn from the respondents. The study used the concurrent triangulation design, rooted in the post-positivist research paradigm that integrates concurrent procedures in the collection, analysis and interpretation of research data. It was guided by three theoretical frameworks, namely, the experiential learning theory, the curriculum implementation framework and the living educational theory. The theories have a strong bearing on reflective practice and they acknowledge the subjectivity of truth. The study’s purposive sample comprised of sixty-four teacher educators and seventy-six preservice teachers. Several research instruments were utilised to solicit the requisite CAR implementation quantitative and qualitative data. These were questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions and documents. The Statistical Packages for Social Sciences were used to summarise the solicited data through graphical representations and related frequency tables depicting descriptive statistics such as range, mean and mode. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis through emerging themes, iv related to the sub-research questions. The study established that although the bulk of the teacher educators had the requisite professional qualifications, maturity and experiential background, more curricular and organisational reconstruction was required to improve on the status quo. For instance, solicited data demonstrated that the lecturers’ appetite for educational research was low. Furthermore, the teacher educators’ CAR skills and competencies were compromised by the research component’s inadequate contact time. In addition, it was instituted that the teachers’ colleges produced student teachers who lacked sound grasp of the CAR process. The mediocrity was attributed to a series of teacher educator and student teacher factors which were exacerbated by several other organisational and administrative impediments. Overall, the study concluded that teacher educators were incapacitated to effectively deliver CAR, owing partly to the nature of teacher educator preparation they got and the watered down professional induction. It further revealed that it was wrong to assume that all lecturers had operational capacity to effectively teach and supervise CAR projects. Furthermore, the study recommended that the teacher educators’ capacity in CAR needs enhancement. Identified CAR implementation strategies need further reconstruction and enforcement.
- Full Text:
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