This study sought to investigate the impact of pre-service primary school English language teachers’ training on their post-training practice. A constructive research paradigm and qualitative method were used in the study. The participants were selected purposively, and final year pre-service primary school English trainee teachers were used to collect the research data. The data were collected in the year 2016. To collect the data, an interview schedule, an observation guide and document analyses were used. The interviews and the observations were recorded and later transcribed. The transcribed data were coded, categorized according to their similarity, and then these categories were further collapsed into themes. The findings showed that the primary school ELT trainee teachers did not have sufficient understanding of the ELT methods offered during their training which led to poor practice, as revealed in their independent teaching. Some of the reasons for the trainees’ poor understanding and practice mentioned were that the training system was not supported by the reflective teaching method, and the support of ICT. In addition, there was a significant waste of time budgeted for the course time for the completion of the training program. In relation to time, the practicum time the students stayed in the primary school during independent teaching was not sufficient to give them hands-on practice. Moreover, they did not get the required support from the school mentors and the training college supervisors. Due to these constraints, almost all the participant trainee teachers demonstrated poor performances during the lesson delivery, which indicated that they did not understand the principles of the ELT methods / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

Despite the DoE having made progress in providing training to teachers in the necessary skills, the inclusive education teachers were experiencing challenges to implementing inclusive practises in their schools and that some schools had not even commenced with implementation. They were raising a concern over their professional development, particularly its effectiveness. This study investigates the nature of professional development support offered to teachers in implementing inclusive education, in order to suggest effective strategies. The qualitative approach and multiple case study design were employed .The data collecting instruments used were: individual interviews, observation and documentation. The current professional development model used for inclusive education was not effective therefore strategies are needed to improve the current professional development. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Induction for teacher development is important for quality teaching and learning to take place in schools. The process of induction should be well-structured so that it is not mistaken as just an orientation to school procedures; it should be well-planned and implemented for the purposes of professional development and support (Rolley, 2001). The main aim of this study was to investigate beginner educators’ experiences of the induction process for professional development in the Bochum East Circuit of Limpopo Province. The assumption was that if schools are held accountable for learner performance, then support measures in terms of induction should be provided to newly appointed educators. Poor performance or educator turnover can sometimes be ascribed to inadequate interventions or the design of educator induction programmes. Although educators may have received the best training at university or training college, they still need to adjust to the realities of classrooms. To achieve the aim of the study, a qualitative research approach was followed to collect data through semi-structured interviews. The study is ensconced in the Educator Development Theory which acknowledges that educator preparation is rarely sufficient to provide all the knowledge and skills necessary for successful teaching. A great deal of knowledge and many skills are, mostly, acquired while on the job and principals should, therefore, adequately induct newly appointed educators. Four beginner educators and two principals from average performing primary schools were purposively sampled in the Bochum East Circuit of the Limpopo Province. A thematic analysis was carried out to generate themes that addressed the problem of the study. The findings from participant responses revealed differences in an understanding of the induction process. Support from the principal, HoDs and fellow colleagues were considered to be part of induction. Recommendations include that educators should be given continuous professional development through standardised induction programmes which could be adjusted to the needs of the school. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa the transformation process in education has placed tremendous pressure on teachers, redefining roles, functions and imposing new levels of accountability on education professionals. This thesis is based on research examining teachers' experiences of and responses to the recent policy changes and their implications for teachers' work at primary school level. The research captures a small selection of the diverse views and reflections of teachers in case studies of in-service teacher education processes set against the backdrop of major educational changes driven by structural and policy changes in a changing socio-political context. The participants in the research project consisted of a selection serving (working) teachers who attended in-service teacher education programmes voluntarily. The interpretations of events reflect my own perspectives and are informed by both the participants in the research and the specific period in which the research took place. Data produced suggests that while the initial legislative changes took place fairly quickly, the implementation of more systemic, structural, curricular and administrative changes posed a greater challenge. Hastily introduced changes related to practice about which teachers were not consulted resulted in professional uncertainty being induced and teachers experiencing confusion, anxiety and doubts about their competence. Large numbers in classes, poor resources, micropolitical issues at schools, were mentioned as contextual constraints affecting implementation of changes as prescribed in policies. Small pockets of compliance with and support for change initiatives were however also evident in the responses. I contend that the overwhelmingly resistant responses of teachers in the case studies conducted are related to contextual constraints and the decontextualised, externally developed policies and externally imposed changes that ignore teachers' experience (as teacher and personal), beliefs, values and local contexts and broader social contexts. Further I posit that planning of change processes needs to involve teachers at all levels including policy development and in-service activities so that teachers are not only informed of changes but are part of the change process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die transformasieproses van die onderwys in Suid-Afrika het geweldige druk op onderwysers geplaas omdat hulle rolle en funksies hergedefinieer is en nuwe vlakke van verantwoordelikheid op onderwyskundiges geplaas is. Die navorsing waaroor in hierdie tesis gerapporteer word, is gebaseer op onderwysers se ervarings van en reaksies op die onlangse veranderinge in beleidsdokumente. Die imp likasies vir die werk van onderwysers in die primêre skool word ook betrek. Die navorsing hanteer gevallestudies waarin 'n klein gedeelte aangespreek word van die diverse sienings en refleksies van onderwysers wat deelgeneem het aan indiensopleiding met die oog op die implementering van Kurrikulum 2005. Dit word gestel teen die agtergrond van die grootskaalse onderwysveranderinge as uitvloeisel van die strukturele en politieke veranderinge in 'n veranderende sosio-politieke konteks. Die deelnemers aan die navorsingsprojek was 'n seleksie diensdoende onderwysers wat die programme op 'n vrywillige basis bygewoon het. Alhoewel hulle reaksies as uitgangspunt vir die interpreasie van die resultate gebruik is, reflekteer die interpretasie my eie perspektiewe, gegrond op sowel die ervarings van die deelnemers aan die navorsingsproses as die tydperk waartydens die navorsing plaasgevind het. Die data wat geproduseer is, sugureer dat, in teenstelling met die relatief vinnige veranderinge van die aanvanklike wetgewing, die implementering van die meer sistematiese, strukturele, kurrikurêle en administratiewe veranderings 'n groter uitdaging gebied het. Veranderinge in verband met die onderwyspraktyk, wat baie vinnig ingebring is sonder om die onderwysers daaroor te raadpleeg, het tot professionele onsekerheid gelei, aangevul met verwardheid, vrees en twyfeloor hulle bekwaamheid. Groot klasse, gebrekkige hulpbronne, mikro-politiese sake by die skole, is genoem as kontekstuele beperkings wat die implementering van die voorgeskrewe beleidsveranderinge beïnvloed het. Slegs'n klein groepie onderwysers het die beleidsveranderinge aanvaar of ondersteun. Ek voer aan dat die oorweldigende aantal negatiewe response van onderwysers verband hou met kontekstuele beperkings en die gedekontekstualiseerde, eksternontwikkelde beleidsdokumente. Die veranderinge wat ekstern afgedwing is en wat onderwysers se waardes en plaaslike kontekste geïgnoreer het, speel volgens my ook 'n belangrike rol. Verder stel ek dit dat onderwysers op alle vlakke by die beplanning van veranderingsprosesse betrek moet word. Daarby word beleidsontwikkeling en aktiwiteite rondom indiensopleiding ingesluit sodat onderwysers nie slegs ingelig word nie, maar ook deel vorm van die proses.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study was designed to determine (a) the most important knowledge and skills for functional literacy teachers; (b) the most important competencies to be covered in in-service training; (c) whether there were any differences between the perceptions of functional literacy teachers, supervisors, and administrators in terms of needed competencies or areas of training; and (d) whether there were any differences in the perceptions of teachers, supervisors and administrators regarding the need for competencies and for training of functional literacy teachers based upon these variables: age, years of experience in formal and nonformal education, and training in the functional literacy program. It was found that teachers, supervisors, and administrators agreed that most competencies listed in the instrument were important. No significant difference was found in their perceptions of the importance of the competencies. A significant difference was found in the perceptions of the needs for training among these three groups.

The purpose of this study is to identify and compare the perceptions of practicing teachers and college instructors toward four components of inservice education programs: content, organization, format of presentation, and participant involvement in the teachers colleges in Thailand. The comparison is based on the demographic variables of sex, age, educational background, and teaching experience in the institution. The "In-Service Education Attitude Survey" by Yesuratnam, Basimalla at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois in 1982 was used to gather data for this study. It was distributed to a sample of 380 practicing teachers and college instructors in 19 randomly selected teachers colleges in Thailand; 368 usable instruments were returned (97.15%). The data were treated to produce numbers and percentages. The t tests for two independent samples were computed to determine any statistically significant differences between the respondent groups of practicing teachers and college instructors, and between the practicing elementary and secondary school teachers. The F tests were also utilized to determine any statistically significant differences among the variables of practicing teachers and college instructors.

M.Ed. / Eleven official languages are distinguished in South Africa. Although multilingualism is characteristic of the South African society, it is still a relatively new phenomenon in South African public schools. For the teacher it offers a multilingual classroom - a great challenge on account of the unfamiliar phenomenon. Many demands are made on the teacher's skills in order to accompany pupils whose home language may differ from the medium of education. Most teachers do not, however, possess the necessary skills and they apply a "hit-and-miss" method in order to accompany these pupils adequately. This presents a special challenge, particularly to the grade one teacher, since grade one pupils are expected to express their needs in words. The grade one teacher is therefore self-reliant in accompanying these pupils without receiving any educational accompaniment herself. Hence the teacher finds herself in an educational situation which is dangerously unfamiliar. From the perspective of educational psychology, this educational situation is regarded as hampering to both the child and the teacher. The educational psychologist consequently faces a special challenge to intervene in an effort to ensure that the accompanying process between teacher and pupils goes smoothly. This study aims to explore and describe how the grade one teacher experiences multilingualism and to establish guidelines for the educational psychologist for the accompaniment of grade one teachers in multilingual classrooms. An explorative, descriptive, contextual and qualitative study was carried out with a view p obtain insight and understanding in respect of the grade one teacher and how she experiences multilingualism. The phenomenological interviewing method was used to collect data. The interviews were audiotaped and then transcribed. The sample population consisted of four grade one teachers who were specifically selected for the purpose of the study. The data were processed according to Tesch's method and the services of an independent coder were obtained. The results of the interviews are organised in main categories. These categories are: : i) multilingualism as straneous for the teacher; ii) multilingualism hinders the effective flow of activities in the classroom; and iii) a creative problem solving attitude. Guidelines for the accompaniment of teachers in a multilingual grade one class by the educational psychology are discussed according to the above three categories. This classification was interdependent because, when one aspects is dealt with, another is essentially affected. For this reason, the educational psychologist's accompaniment of the grade one teacher should follow a holistic approach which addresses all three aspects. Finally, it is clear that multilingualism in the grade one class has many facets. In general, it appears that the grade one teacher experiences many constraints and that the educational psychologist can provide meaningful accompaniment.