Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers is increasingly becoming a priority in most countries throughout the world. It is widely viewed as the most effective approach to prepare teachers adequately, and to improve their instructional and intervention practices, for when they enter the workforce (Fraser et al 2007). Despite the general acceptance of CPD programmes as essential to the improvement of education, reviews of professional development research constantly point out the ineffectiveness of most of these programmes (see Cohen and Hill, 1998 and 2000). Furthermore, many teachers express dissatisfaction with the professional development opportunities made available to them in schools and insist that the most effective development programmes they have experienced have been self-initiated (National Research Council, 2007). There is a consensus that many CPD programmes have yet to understand professional development from a teacher‘s perspective. This perspective acknowledges what drives teachers to enlist in these programmes and how such programmes can make a difference to them and their classrooms. Therefore, this study seeks to return the emphasis of professional development to the teachers. The study explores the teachers‘ perspectives of CPD in general, the personal meaning of CPD, and its meaning in the context of their work. By interviewing the teachers who were part of the Mpumalanga Secondary Science Initiative (MSSI) project (a seven year science and mathematics professional development intervention), I explore: the teachers‘ opinions of the intervention; its meaning to them and their work; and its impact on their classroom practices and students for the duration of the intervention and beyond. In this study, I explore data from an extensive and longitudinal study of teachers who were part of the CPD programme in greater detail. In discussing my data, I propose that CPD, however well intentioned and executed, is received differently by each teacher as a result of their personal circumstances and investment in the programme. I argue that the greater the unity between the personal circumstances and motivations of the teachers and those of the CPD intervention, the more likely the outcome will be meaningful for the participating teachers. In turn, the ability to sustain the benefits of the intervention will be enhanced. / Further Teacher Education / D.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been adopted in various countries in the world. This is especially true in an EFL context in Ethiopia where it has received considerable attention both at policy and classroom levels. This study aimed to investigate English as Foreign Language (EFL) instructors' conceptions and applications of CLT in teaching grammar lessons in private universities in Ethiopia. Due to the nature of the issues addressed in the study, the mixed-methods approach was employed. The data for the study were collected from 25 EFL instructors teaching in four private universities through semi-structured interviews, quantitative questionnaire, and classroom observation. The qualitative data collected from the semi-structured interviews and classroom observation were analysed thematically, using deductive thematic analysis. The quantitative data garnered through the questionnaire were analysed using the latest version of SPPS (Version 20) available at the time of data analysis. While the study highlighted four major EFL instructors' misconceptions stemming from the discrepancies in understanding the term communicative, it revealed that the majority of the EFL instructors' conceptions of CLT were consistent with the CLT literature. To that effect, the study illuminated the EFL instructors' conceptions of grammar and CLT concerning the teacher’s role, the learners’ role, the types of teaching materials, the place for grammar in CLT as well as the methods of teaching grammar lessons and assessing the learners’ performance in grammar lessons. Nevertheless, the classroom practices of the majority of the EFL instructors were inconsistent with their conceptions of CLT because they predominantly employed the lecture method to teach grammar lessons. The study also found various socio-cultural and economic variables practically affecting the application of CLT in teaching grammar lessons in private universities in Ethiopia. Consequently, the study identified teacher-related factors, student-related factors, institutional factors, curriculum-related factors, and system-related factors as the main difficulties of implementing CLT in teaching grammar lessons. The study recommends that measures that align policy with practice should be taken to ensure that the instructors' conceptions are realised in classroom situations, thereby minimising the discrepancies between their conceptions and their classroom practices. / English Studies / Ph. D. (Languages, Linguistics and Literature)

The study explored the classroom practices of Natural Sciences teachers when teaching the Matter and Material strand in senior phase schools in the Siyabuswa circuit. The following research questions were explored: What is the nature of the teacher’s teacher knowledge when teaching Matter and Material strand in the senior phase schools? What is the nature of the teacher’s instructional strategies when teaching the Matter and Material strand in the senior phase schools? How does the teacher’s teacher knowledge and instructional strategies shape the classroom interactions and discourse? The qualitative case study approach was employed, wherein three teachers participated. Interviews and observation were used for data collection. The findings revealed that Natural Science teachers lack content knowledge and inadequate Subject Matter Knowledge which influences their instructional strategies, hence their classroom interactions and discourses. Recommendations were made to the Department of Education and government to look into the factors that influence the teaching of Natural Sciences as far as teacher’s knowledge and contextual factors are concerned. / Irhubhululo leli liphathelene nomfundisi nakafundisa ngekumbeni isifundo se Natural Sciences khulu khulu sitjheje amakghono kunye nobukgwari I Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase) isiyingi sange Siyabuswa. Imibuzo erhujululiweko netsengiweko ngelandelako: inzindzolwazi lomfundisi lingangani lokha nakafundisa isifundo se Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase)? Anjani amakgono womfundisi nakafundisa / nokwethula isifundo se Matter and Material strand emabangeni aphakathi (Senior Phase)? Ingabe ilwazi neendlela zokufundisa zomfundisi ziletha njani ukuzwisisa nokuragela phambili kwesifundo ngekumbeni? Irhubhululo elingeneleleko mayelana nokufuna ilwazi ngesihloko esingehla lisetjenzisiswe. Kusetjenziswe abafundisi abathathu kulelirhubhulo. Ukuhlolwa kwelwazi babuzwe imibuzo begodu baphoswa ilihlo elibukhali ukubuthelela inzinzolwazi. Imiphumela iveze pepeneneni bona abafundisi be Natural Sciences bayatlhayela ngelwazi kunye nelwazi elingeneleleko mayelana nesifundo, lokho kunomthelela omumbi ngendlela abathula ngayo ilwazi kunye nendlela yokuzwisisa kwabafundi. UMnyango wezeFundo kunye norhulumende bayelelisiwe bona batjheje amaphuzu anemithelela emimbi lokha nakufundiswa isifundo se Natural Sciences khulu khulu inzinzo lwazi lomfundisi kunye neenqabo zokufunda. / Die studie is die ondersoek na klaskamer praktyke van Natuurwetenskaponderwysers wanneer onderrig gegee word in Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole, in die Siyabuswa omgewing. Die volgende navorsingsvrae was ondersoek: Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderrigkennis wanneer Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole onderrig word? Wat is die aard van die onderwyser se onderrigstrategie wanneer Materie-en Materiale vesel in senior fase skole onderrig word? Hoe vorm die onderwyser se kennis-en onderrigstrategieë die klas se interaksies en diskoers? Die kwalititatiewe gevallestudie benadering was toegepas waartydens drie onderwysers deelgeneem het en die versamelde data gebruik was. Die bevindinge het die Natuurwetenskaponderwysers se gebrek aan inhoudskennis en onvoldoende Vakkennis, wat hul onderrigstrategieë nadelig beïnvloed uitgewys, vandaar hul klaskamer en interaksie diskoerse. Aanbevelings is gemaak aan die Departement van Opvoeding en die Regering om ondersoek in te stel na wat die onderrig van Natuurwetenskappe benadeel in so verre dit die kennis van die onderwysers betref. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Natural Science Education)