An exploration of the role of a Languages Head of Department (HOD) in facilitating school-based language teachers’ professional development in a secondary school.

Abstract

The study explores the role of the Languages HOD in facilitating school-based teacher professional development in a secondary school. It focuses on activities organised by the language HOD within the language department and teacher participation on those activities, what teachers learn from them and the kind of support given to language teachers. A qualitative case study, located in an interpretive paradigm, was employed in this study. Data was collected from the Languages Department of one secondary school in Umgungundlovu District, where seven teachers participated in the study. Data was generated through the use of interviews, poetry, observation and document analysis. Data generated was analysed using thematic and poetic analysis. The study used Wong’s (2010) five dimensions of an effective Professional Learning Community (conceptual framework) as a lens to make sense of the data and to answer the research questions. The aim was to investigate to the extent to which the Language HOD facilitated professional development of teachers in his/her department. Furthermore, the study sought to understand how the language teachers took part in the organized activities and in turn became better teachers for the advancement of learner achievement. The findings suggest that teachers participated in sharing goals and visions which result in improved learner achievement. The study concluded teachers in the Language department valued a positive working environment. It became evident from the study that the Language HOD supported, coached and assigned duties to the Language teachers according to their capabilities hence the Language teachers exhibited the ability to participate in the planned activities. The implication from the findings was that Language HOD needs to be further capacitated to develop and support other language teachers. The Department of Education in general can apply the findings in the study such as networking, shared personal practice, collective focus on learner achievement and shared goals and values to advance teacher learning, collaborative functioning and professional development of teachers in a school-based Professional Learning Community.