Abstract
M.Ed.
Educators in South Africa are faced with critical yet challenging problems such as Curriculum 2005 and Curriculum 21, coping with instability (during retrenchments and redeployment), working towards professional advancement and at the same time teaching new approaches to assessments and reporting. This has brought into question the role and authority of educators in the administrative actions they have performed. These problems 1 have highlighted the significance of the educator development in the school context. In order for educators to reach the stage of professional maturity, they ought to continuously develop themselves. The Educator Appraisal System that was introduced in April 1999 also aims to develop new and in-service educators throughout execution of their jobs. Educator development will never have its intended impact as
long as it is grafted into schools in the form of indiscreet, unconnected projects. More powerful strategies are needed in order to bring about more powerful changes. Having mentioned some of the challenges facing the education system, according to Firestone
(1996:209) efforts to enhance educator professionalism must persist. A need to develop educators cognitively and professionally remains a priority. Reform initiatives, which endeavour to empower those closest to learners in the classroom, create new roles and responsibilities for role players in education. Transforming the learning-teaching process that unfolds in the classrooms and decentralisation of management and governance of the school must be developed, monitored and implemented (Hallinger, Murphy and Hausman, 1992:330). In order for schools to function effectively principals need to have an essential role in the implementation of innovations by providing vision, direction, encouragement, support and resources for developmental activities. Sybouts and Wendel (1994:150) are of the opinion that training must be relevant to the educators work. With shared decision-making and using educators as an integral part of the educator development programme, principals can build instructional relevance into the programme.