This personal history self-study focuses on supporting Foundation Phase teacher learning
through professional development in an Independent school context in South Africa. In engaging
in this study I am the main research participant who takes the reader through the passages of my
early childhood experiences, my schooling, and my training as a student teacher and my practice
of being a teacher and a Head of Department at an Independent Muslim School. I investigate how
I can use a deeper understanding of my personal history to enhance my understanding of my
professional practice and thus to better support Foundation Phase teacher learning through
professional development strategies and initiatives in my particular Independent school context.
Through this process of deliberate remembering, I uncover many hidden experiences of my early
learning, and of becoming a professional, which have impacted on my present practices as
teacher and Foundation Phase Head of Department. Key themes that emerge are: a) guidance and
inspiration from family; b) evolving from teacher centredness to learner centredness; c) deep-rooted
intrinsic motivation; d) teacher mentoring and collaboration; and e) developing greater
self esteem and freedom of expression. From these themes I develop questions to spur me on in
supporting teacher learning through professional development initiatives in my school context,
allowing me to revisit my existing practice. This study illustrates how our lived experiences have
helped to shape and continue to reshape our practices as teachers and school managers. The study
also shows how we can learn from our personal histories in order to enable us to develop our
pedagogical and managerial capacities. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/9485 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Khan, Rashida Bebe. |
| Contributors | Pithouse-Morgan, Kathleen Jane. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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