Teachers’ views of continuing professional development related to social cohesion in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Since the democratic transition in 1994, the South African government has committed itself to fundamental political and educational reforms toward inclusion, equity, and social justice. Teachers are central to achieving this reform, and teacher professional development is regarded as a core strategy of the government, as evident in the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa (DBE & DHET, 2011), the Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2019-2024 (DMPE, 2020) and Action Plan to 2024 (DBE, 2020). While attempts are being made to move South Africa into a new era, many teachers experienced the effects of apartheid education, and therefore have carried its imprint and legacy. These experiences influence how and what teachers currently do in their classrooms. This highlights the crucial role which Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can play in supporting teachers to overcome these traumas, and to equip them with a range of methodologies to foster social cohesion in classrooms. Despite the governments’ efforts to support teachers as agents of social cohesion, the current scholarship on social cohesion-related CPD in South Africa is limited. Therefore, this thesis explores the experiences and self-reported effects of teachers who participated in social cohesion-related CPD programmes in South Africa. The overarching research question posed in this study is: “What are teachers’ views about the quality of the CPD programmes they have received and the effects on their practices?”. A multiple case study approach was used, drawn from the responses of purposively sampled high school teachers. These teachers work in diverse school contexts and participated in one of three selected social cohesion-related CPD programmes in Cape Town, South Africa. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and was analysed using discourse analysis. The study found that the quality of social cohesion-related CPD, as experienced by teachers, was influenced by the knowledge and experiences of facilitators, and the appropriateness of CPD programme materials and activities used in the CPD programme. The self-reported effects of teachers’ CPD on their practices was found to be impacted by their renewed insights about themselves and their learners, their increased understanding of the syllabus, and their intrinsic motivations to build relationships of trust and care with their learners. The study found that self-reported CPD effects of social cohesion that go beyond classroom practices are significantly dependent on the support and school environment in which teachers work. The study contributes to the body of knowledge in various ways. It contributes to complementing the existing bodies of literature by combining conceptual understandings about: i) the quality of CPD; ii) social cohesion-related CPD programmes; and iii) the effects of CPD on teachers, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how teachers experience social cohesion-related CPD. The study contributes to the provision on social cohesion-related CPD programmes, such as those focusing on CPD facilitators and CPD materials; and it deepens the understanding of how CPD facilitators’ knowledge and experiences influence the uptake and experiences of teachers who participate in CPD related to social cohesion. It also adds to the understanding on how the appropriateness of CPD materials can shift teachers’ motivations and confidence to utilise newly acquired CPD learnings in classrooms and schools. The study further complements the existing body of knowledge by providing insights into teachers’ self-reported effects of social cohesion-related CPD on their practices; more specifically it contributes by creating understanding how content knowledge of social cohesion can influence teachers’ awareness of themselves and their enactment within their classrooms. Furthermore, the study contributes to methodological and localised understandings of how teachers in South Africa experience CPD related to social cohesion. The study provides suggestions for further research that can conceptually and methodologically contribute to the provision on social cohesion-related CPD, and how teachers experience such programmes. The suggestions include considering different stakeholders, drawing upon different research methods such as observations or evaluations, drawing upon a different definition of social cohesion, or considering longitudinal and comparative components to research teachers and social cohesion-related CPD. Furthermore, the thesis can enable policymakers to reflect upon current policy and consider the suggestions provided to further enhance building social cohesion through CPD programmes for teachers in South Africa.