Abstract
Post-apartheid curriculum reform research has revealed that educators encounter challenges when implementing curriculum reform due to inadequate or insufficient training received prior to implementation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trainers in the training of educators for the implementation of Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in primary schools. For successful implementation of the curriculum, educators should be professionally developed
through training. Hence, this study investigated trainers’ conceptualisation of the training process and whether the training that the educators receive from the trainers did allow them to implement the curriculum successfully. This study is theoretically framed by the theory of curriculum policy change which implies that curriculum policy change, changes nothing of significance unless it changes educators’ beliefs and aspirations. This denotes that an educator’s beliefs should change after undergoing training sessions with the trainers. Training sessions should not only focus on the passing of skills, instead it should psychologically prepare educators to deal with the changes concerning the curriculum. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate how the trainers conduct their training sessions to prepare educators for the implementation.
An interpretive paradigm was used, where the trainers’ conceptualisation of the change of the CAPS was interpreted. A qualitative case study approach informed this study. Purposive sampling was used to sample the participants, where six trainers and six educators (three from a private school and three from a public school) were selected within the Johannesburg North district. Qualitative data was gathered from the participants using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations.
The researcher discovered the common model that was highlighted by the trainers was the training transfer model, which implies that a teacher who has undergone a training activity should be able to transfer the skills and knowledge they gained in training in their practice. The trainers indicated that usually they train the HODs then the HODs cascade the training to the educators. This means the educators had to rely on the training they received from their HODs. Data analysis revealed that all six trainers held a belief that training is about the passing of circulars and policies to educators that should be implemented in schools, more especially if there are changes in the curriculum. The researcher also discovered that the trainers are subject specialists, which meant that they conducted training for the subject they specialise in.
Nevertheless, it was noted that the trainers relied more on a superficial kind of training. Educators were not prepared cognitively or psychologically to understand and ‘buy-in’ to the changes concerning the curriculum. Instead, during the training sessions, most of the time was utilised in reading policy documents and amendments of the curriculum.
The educator participants in this study revealed that the training they received from the trainers was insufficient, since they were only trained once at the beginning of each term. However, they did indicate that a transition to online training during the Covid-19 pandemic has assisted them to reach out to the trainers since they were also able to join in and receive the training directly from the trainers. Data collected from educators revealed that due to the lack of provision of supporting material, educators have relied on the use of a teacher-centered approach. Thus, the educator participants in this study suggested that after the training sessions there should be follow-up visits by the trainers which will benefit both parties; the trainers to evaluate whether the training they conducted for educators was effective, and for educators to also improve their strategies. Nevertheless, the implications of the findings of this study have been raised. Avenues for further research have been outlined together with the recommendations on how the trainers can improve their training sessions to ensure successful implementation of the CAPS.
KEYWORDS: Post-apartheid reform, training, implementation, training transfer model, cascade model, and subject specialists.