Exploring the role of the Sunshine District Teacher Development Centre in Kwazulu-Natal in supporting teachers’ professional learning.

Abstract

In KwaZulu-Natal, District Teachers’ Development Centres have been established to support teachers’ professional development. The report by the DBE (2015) indicates that inspections were conducted to determine the practicality of Teachers’ Centres. Out of 147 Centres established, only 74 were completely practical (DBE, 2015). This study provides insight into how Sunshine DTDC supports teachers’ learning. It intends to discover what is happening in the Centre. The focus is on activities and the resources that are there and how these activities and resources enhance teachers’ learning. The conceptual framework by Harland and Kinder (1997) is used to outline the lens of this study. The study was located within an interpretive paradigm. Data was collected using qualitative face-to-face interviews, observations, documents, transact walk, audio and visual materials. I interviewed ten participants including eight teachers, the Centre Manager and the ICT Specialist. The findings show that Sunshine DTDC is used as a venue for a whole range of activities including out of school youth who come for computer lessons, Department workshops, meetings, computer literacy training, cluster activities, teachers’ networking and teachers’ NGO activities. The main resources for use by teachers are the computer Centre, the hall and the classrooms. Teachers do not seem to see the Centre as a place where they can learn professionally on their own initiative, but they see it as a place where they go to workshops when the Department calls them to workshops or meetings. Though teachers do not come to the Centre on their own accord, they seemed to be very active and enthusiastic in all the activities that they engaged in at the Centre.