Abstract
Very rarely does education reform address the training that teachers receive. This thesis investigated the potential gaps in teacher training, specifically in the post graduate certificate in education (PGCE). The focus on the PGCE allowed for the focus on the experiences of second career teachers, those who have studied and worked in a field other than education and have now chosen to become teachers. These narratives of the PGCE qualification, and its offering to these teachers in their careers, provided valuable professional insights into teacher training. This thesis addressed three research questions (one primary, and two secondary): • How do the central themes that emerge from South African PGCE students’ narratives indicate pedagogical gaps around identity and emotional intelligence in teacher training? • How can the training and induction narratives of second career teachers be used to develop a conceptual framework for teacher professional identity? • What recommendations can be made to include an awareness of identity formation and emotional intelligence in traditional teacher education programmes in South Africa? The introduction to the study situated it in the unique South African educational landscape and clarified the role of second career teachers. The literature set the conceptual and theoretical framework by focusing on teacher professional identity as conceptualised by Tateo (2012) and Akkerman and Meijer (2010). The data was collected through snowball sampling which resulted in ten individual interviews with second career teachers, eight written submissions on Google Forms and a focus group interview with five experienced teachers. The data provided a thick description of the different facets of the PGCE, developing teacher professional identity and recommendations for the improvement of teacher training. The findings demonstrated the importance of modelling effective teaching practice in the school practical, the need for more collaboration between universities and schools in teacher training and the importance of regulated mentorship. A synthesis of Tateo (2012) and Akkerman and Meijer’s (2010) models of teacher professional identity is presented and the importance of emotional intelligence as an underpinning factor in all facets of teacher professional identity. Key words: PGCE, second career teachers, teacher professional identity, emotional intelligence, mentorship.
Ph.D. (Educational Psychology)