In September 1990, historic legislation enacted by the South African Government made it
possible for schools that had been previously racially exclusive to admit students of other races.
As a follow-up to the Penny et al. study (1992) which explored the changes brought about by the
legislation in secondary schools in Pietermaritzburg through interviews with principals, this study
acknowledges teachers as crucial actors in the transformation process. By focusing on the
perceptions, concerns and challenges facing teachers at the "chalk face", the researcher was able
to obtain a view from the inside on how the processes of desegregation were unfolding in
schools.
By means of in-depth interviews with ten English First Language (E I L) teachers, the researcher
embarked on an exploratory study based on discovery, describing and understanding, rather than
explaining. The interview schedule was designed to allow the teacher's voice to emerge clearly
and to allow teachers to reasonably portray as many significant dimensions of their situation as
possible. Despite the fact that teachers came from a diverse range of secondary school settings,
the research design saw all teachers interviewed as educational mediators confronting the
consequences of fundamental educational change in the classroom.
The research argues that schools and teachers were not equipped to meet the challenges of
desegregation. This was due largely to a lack of educational leadership and support, and because
schools were entrapped in assimilationist modes of operation. Although all teachers interviewed
were committed to desegregation, and while at least two schools showed evidence of the
beginnings of a change orientation, the research argues further that deeper patterns of everyday
change in schools were still to emerge.
The study reveals that both the new arrivals in recently desegregated schools and their teachers
faced a context of formidable challenges. Firstly, the findings highlighted the isolation of the
teacher in the classroom.. Navigating the unfamiliar territory of English Second Language (ESL)
teaching, and changing their methodology to teach ESL students in ElL classes, emerged as their
greatest challenge. Secondly, the data was permeated with evidence of teacher concern over the
fact that the new student intake in schools was marginalised academically, linguistically,
culturally and socially.
The research findings highlighted the need for further research to be devoted to teachers, as it is
clear from the literature that they tend to be neglected by educational administrators in the
planning of policy and reform. The findings in this study suggest strongly that teachers are
crucial as mediators of change. Further, teachers need school and departmental support if they
are to contribute to educational change. The study demonstrates that an awareness of teacher
experiences in the classroom is vital if educational and curricular reform is to succeed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/5983 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Chundra, Shameme. |
| Contributors | Harley, Ken L. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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