Abstract
M.Ed.
From the researcher’s experience as well as in
the literature on continuing professional teacher
development (CPTD) it seems that teachers in
South Africa in general, but in particular
technology teachers experienced problems with
CPTD. With this in mind, TechnEd launched
the Catalyst Project in 2003 with the financial
support of Anglo Platinum in the Bojanala
Region of the North West province in South
Africa. The Catalyst project entails the CPTD
of technology teachers from 130 schools which
takes place at one central venue (so-called
school-focused CPTD).
A literature study was done in which a variety
of international CPTD models, as well as a
model that focuses on the process of developing
appropriate CPTD programmes for technology
teachers in a South African context were
considered, and criteria for sound CPTD were
identified. The criteria were used to develop the
TechnEd’s school-focused CPTD programme.
Although TechnEd has been offering schoolfocused
CPTD in partnership with trade and
industry, as well as with a department of
education to technology teachers, it was still
unknown how these teachers experience the
workshops.
The purpose of this research was to describe a
CPTD model where partners from trade and
industry, a department of education and a
higher education institution are involved, and to
determine the teachers’ experience of the CPTD
intervention.
The research questions addressed in this
research were:
1. What are the training needs of technology
teachers in South Africa?
2. Which criteria for CPTD can be derived
from existing CPTD models?
3. What is the teachers’ experience of the
CPTD?An evaluative case study, which drew on
qualitative research methodology, was
conducted. The participants in the research
were technology teachers who are participating
in the Catalyst project. Data were collected
through the observation of the teachers during
the various workshops, open-ended
questionnaires (questions were adapted after
each workshop to try and get the richest data
possible) and interviews. The data were
analysed through the constant comparative
method in order to derive findings.
The main finding is that the teachers
experienced the workshops as rewarding and
fruitful. This finding is supported by four
further specific findings, namely:
1. Teachers felt empowered by the
workshops through the development of their
technological knowledge (both conceptual and
procedural) as well as their pedagogy.
2. Teachers experienced the workshops as
being conducive to learning among learners.
3. Teachers experienced the accompanying
learning and teacher support material (LTSM)
as well as the materials and tools, supplied
during the workshops, as informative and
helpful, and have a need to use it in their
classrooms.
4. Organisational aspects (some over
which TechnEd had control, and some over
which the department of education had control)
regarding the workshops were part of the
teachers’ experience.
In contradiction to the earlier reference that
teachers found CPTD too generic, it seems that
teachers experience TechnEd’s CPTD with a
specific focus where they are supplied with
customised LTSM, material and tools that they
can implement in their classrooms, and where
they are orientated and trained in the underlying
(school and content) knowledge and pedagogy,
as rewarding and fruitful.