Abstract
D.Ed.
This thesis is a report of a research project conducted in a Technikon within the
higher education sector of South Africa. Teachers in this sector are facing
major challenges due to the transformation of higher education, as well as the
introduction of an Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) paradigm. Teachers thus
need to adapt their teaching practice to include the principles and practices of
this educational paradigm and are continuously required to improve their
teaching practice to face the aforementioned challenges.
This study was aimed at investigating how teachers could be assisted to
improve their teaching practice. It primarily aimed at seeking a way to assist
lecturers of the Technikon to improve their teaching practice, while it was hoped
that I would also improve my own practice. An action research project was
conducted during which I was planned, designed and implemented a teaching
skills programme. Literature on teaching and learning, with specific emphasis on theories and
approaches that support learners' meaningful learning, was reviewed.
Furthermore, literature on staff development policies, approaches, practices
and the OBE paradigm provided the theoretical foundation for the various
phases in the action research project. After conducting a needs analysis to
determine the perceived teaching needs of lecturers, all lecturers at the
Technikon were invited to attend the teaching skills programme as a staff
development initiative. Data of what was experienced, observed and learnt
during the process were noted in my research journal. After I had analysed and
interpreted the data gained I reflected on the experiences and learning, as well
as on the value of the programme. From the research notes I learnt more about
the participants, the programme and the process, while I learnt more about
myself as a teacher and as a researcher. These reflections informed the findings, namely that insufficient focus is placed
on teaching and learning initiatives. Furthermore, it was found that staff
development policies did not seem to provide sufficient support for such initiatives. Literature indicated that these findings were not unique to the
Technikon, but also seemed to be experienced in other higher education
institutions. Based on the above findings it was concluded that teachers could be assisted
in improving their teaching practice by focusing on their learners' meaningful
learning and by continuously updating their teaching knowledge and skills. It
was therefore recommend that staff development policies be revised and that
teachers and managers in higher education refocus on the core business of
higher education institutions, namely, teaching and learning. Finally, it was
recommended that managers, teachers and staff development units accept coresponsibility
for improving teaching practice in higher education and work in
synergy to achieve this common goal.
The co-responsibilities of role-players in academic staff development have
been presented diagrammatically within a framework. The importance of all
role-players taking their responsibilities is illustrated. The resulting coresponsibility
amongst role-players is argued to emphasise the importance of
synergy amongst them towards achieving improved practice. I argued that all
three role-players needed to collaborate and support one another if they were
"to move in the same direction" towards improved teaching practice. The scholarly contribution of this study lies firstly within my living theory, which
is a culmination of the learning journey as well as the results thereof. My living
theory of teaching practice and that of academic development is culminated
into the framework.