Exploring the role of the Sunshine District Teacher Development Centre in Kwazulu-Natal in supporting teachers’ professional learning.
Date
2018
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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.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.