Abstract
Since 1994, many educational reforms in South Africa focused on equity and the provision of quality education. However, school education has been on the decline and this is evident in the National Senior Certificate Examination (Grade 12) and the Annual National Assessment. One of the reasons cited for poor learner achievement is teachers’ lack of subject knowledge and skills. This study proposes that an important mechanism for improving learner performance is ensuring that teachers are provided with effective professional development programmes. Teachers broaden their subject knowledge and skills and are brought up-to-date with curricula changes. Teacher knowledge and skills complement the changes taking place in education. The implementation of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) is facilitated by school management teams (SMTs) which consist of principals, deputy principals, and departmental heads. SMTs are meant to provide teachers with continuous support while guiding them, supervising their performance, and encouraging them to participate in school activities that improve teaching and learning. In this study, the aim was to investigate the experiences of primary school teachers in the implementation of CPTD. Using qualitative research within an interpretivist paradigm, twelve teachers from different phases of four primary schools were interviewed. The findings showed that the participants were a twelve teachers from different phases from four primary schools ware of the importance of CPTD for better teaching and learning experiences. It was also revealed that the successful implementation of CPTD was impeded by various factors such as the absence of reputable mentors, financial constraints to fund professional development programmes, the negative attitude of teachers and SMTs towards CPTD, and time limits. Most of the teachers indicacted their willingness to participate in CPTD activities if necessary resources like financial assistance are available. This resolve shows that they understand and appreciated the value of CPTD in their teaching profession. It is recommended that teachers are actively involved in the planning and organising CPTD vi programmes. It was further recommended that there should be collaboration between teachers and SMTs with the purpose of enhancing teachers’ pedagogical skills and subject knowledge. Keywords: Continuing Professional Teacher Development; Integrated Quality Management System; School Management Team; teachers; School Development Team.
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)