TEACHER ADVOCACY FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN CONTINUOUS
PROFESSIONAL TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
N. Dasoo*
e-mail: ndasoo@uj.ac.za / https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8671-4340
L. van der Merwe Muller*
PhD Graduate
e-mail: lornavdmm@gmail.com / https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5440-8202
*Department of Education and Curriculum Studies
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
ABSTRACT
This article focuses on the key role of teachers in the decision-making process concerning the
design and implementation of Continuous Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) at a
network of independent schools in Johannesburg. The procedure of examining the role-players in
the CPTD process and the level of ownership that teachers appropriate in setting and developing
their own topics and goals for training, learning and development are discussed. Activity theory
and the theory of communities of practice informed the qualitative study undertaken at three
independent primary schools in geographically different areas of Johannesburg. The aim of the
study was to indicate that teachers as adult learners can generate useful ideas and topics for
CPTD and can inform and improve their practice by recommending effective CPTD activities.
Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were employed as data
gathering techniques to collect rich data from a purposefully selected sample of primary school
teachers. Teachers described activities and methods of learning that could improve their CPTD
practices. The findings identify important elements that can be applied in CPTD and professional
learning contexts. The proposed elements can be implemented to enhance teacher participation,
decision-making and ownership of CPTD and teacher learning.
Keywords: Continuous Professional Teacher Development, training, learning, professional
development activities, teacher empowerment, decision-making, ownership
INTRODUCTION
Continuous Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) is a complex process and ultimately a
product in itself. CPTD is the process that should improve a teacher’s knowledge of subject
content, learning and teaching methods and learning plans (Bertram 2012, 18). It can be defined
South African Journal of Higher Education http://dx.doi.org/10.20853/34-4-3485
Volume 34 | Number 4 | 2020 | pages 45‒59
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Teacher advocacy for the enhancement of professional learning and development
as a continuous process of learning and development over the teacher’s career span aimed at
improving the teacher’s knowledge and skills about how to teach learners more effectively
based on various sources either in or external to the school (Schlager and Fusco 2003, 203).
We, the authors, argue that CPTD is both the end-product and practice of learning through
explicit and implicit methods of development. Explicit methods of CPTD comprise workshops
and seminars and more implicit methods include the teacher’s reflection on problems and
solutions with a colleague down the corridor. Furthermore, we argue that due to the rapid
changes in education and schooling systems, teachers should participate in CPTD on a
consistent basis in order to avert teaching-career stagnation. Professional development that is
effectively designed and implemented may effect positive changes in practice (Harris 2008,
24). Teachers worldwide face educational changes which have a direct effect on their ideas of
what education should be (Ochirovna and Moiseyevna 2016, 73). Professional development
assists teachers to deal with these changes (King and Feeley 2014, 249). The participants in the
study described in this article concurred that CPTD is an apt tool to deal with the changes in
society, education and schooling. They felt that technological developments in particular have
brought about educational transformation and that CPTD could enable them to grasp and
implement the most recent trends in education. The teachers indicated that their CPTD needs
are in some way determined by the changing educational environment.
The process of designing CPTD may include the insights of different role-players such as
educational departments, service providers, school boards or governing bodies, school
managers and leaders, unions and teachers. The different role-players may have different ideas
and goals with regard to the most important knowledge and skills that teachers require. Most
professional development derives from a “top-down” approach, where supervisors and
managers make decisions concerning teachers’ CPTD and learning (Macias 2017, 77). Often
teachers feel that they are left out of decision-making concerning CPTD. Quaglia and Lande
(2016, 33) mention that teachers often feel that they are not making decisions for themselves;
this exclusion makes them feel disrespected. Hunzicker (2011, 177) recommends that teachers’
participation must form part of decision-making in their daily practice. King and Feeley (2014,
250) observe that CPTD is often “provided” by other stakeholders, rather than teachers. This
provision frequently excludes teachers from making decisions which affects CPTD.
Furthermore, complications in CPTD differentiation arise because of the “one-size-fitsall” approach to CPTD for teachers (Vaughan and McLaughlin 2011, 53). This creates tension,
since CPTD usually addresses only generic needs and not individual developmental needs.
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Decision-making, ownership of CPTD and teacher learning: Assisting teachers
in creating their orientations for learning and CPTD
With regard to decision-making and ownership of CPTD, it is vital that not only customary
CPTD methods are recognised, but that newer and varied forms of CPTD are given credence
as forms of development and learning (Vaughan and McLaughlin 2011, 50). Harris (2008, 22)
identifies various models for development that include “individualised learnings models,
instructor led models, co-learning models and data-based inquiry”. In the light of the range of
models of CPTD, it is important to discern when to implement each model and how to do this
effectively. Macias (2017, 76) suggests “bottom-up” models for professional development to
be implemented effectively. The bottom-up model uses teachers’ decisions and needs as a focus
area. Teachers are then able to take ownership of not only how they learn and develop, but also
of the areas or topics for development. Moreover, effectiveness of CPTD requires that teachers
are part of the decision-making and their input is regarded as part of the process.
On the participation of the teacher in CPTD, Quaglia and Lande (2016, 33) identify the
importance of including the voice of teachers which they define as the “teachers’ ability to
speak openly about opinions, ideas, and suggestions in an environment that is driven by trust,
collaboration, and responsibility”. When teachers’ needs are addressed, development and
growth ensue (Lee 2005, 41). Teachers should be given opportunities to advocate what they
think is important for their CPTD. Teachers are thus enabled to show confidence in their own
abilities to find solutions to problems (Torres-Guzmán et al. 2006, 225). When teachers are
given a voice in CPTD design, it promises to improve ownership of their own learning.
McArdle and Coutts (2010, 209) concur that where teachers reflect communally, they improve
their learning and practice.
Informal methods and needs assessments create room for teachers to generate ideas and
topics for CPTD. Firstly, there should be an atmosphere of “trust”, mutual respect and a positive
feeling that ideas will not be dismissed, but rather these ideas ought to be discussed by roleplayers in CPTD (Quaglia and Lande 2016, 34). Secondly, the problems that arise may be topics
for development and should be addressed by a communal forum (Torres-Guzmán et al. 2006).
Thirdly, a needs assessment should be conducted to identify topics for CPTD. These will differ
from school to school (Hollingsworth 2001, 5). Lastly, opportunities for teacher reflection may
guide topics for development (Torres-Guzmán et al. 2006).
Teachers are able adults who can inform their own practices and be self-regulated. To help
teachers as adult learners, it is vital to know how adults learn (Snyder 2012, 33). Teachers often
feel that something as simple as talking to their colleagues and observing colleagues during
classroom teaching are effective ways to improve their own practice (Parise, Finkelstein and
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Alterman 2015, 2). When teachers function regularly in a collaborative learning situation, they
become more effective teachers (Vaughan and McLaughlin 2011, 54). Teachers who learn and
develop in their own educational research and learning communities also improve their
participation in CPTD (Torres-Guzmán et al. 2006). Teachers prefer learning and developing
in a collaborative format like study groups with their peers (Hollingsworth 2001, 6). Snyder
(2012, 49) observes that teachers need a culture of “collegiality” for effective CPTD.
Conditions for creating effective CPTD strategies
When discussing conditions for effective CPTD, it is key to note that ineffective CPTD practice
exists. Thus, there is need to ensure that teachers learn and develop adequately and implement
that which they have learnt during training in their classrooms. Strategies can be implemented
to create more effective CPTD. These strategies and approaches create opportunities for
learning and development, but should be implemented on a continual basis. As Brown and
Duguid (1991, 41) state, “Much conventional learning theory, including that implicit in most
training courses, tends to endorse the valuation of abstract knowledge over actual practice and
as a result to separate learning from working and, more significantly, learners from workers.”
Nevertheless, measures can be implemented to eradicate deep-rooted notions of ineffective
CPTD. Macias (2017, 86) recommends, “Training must be based on teachers’ needs,
acknowledge learning as a social process, include collaborative opportunities, provide
sustainability, treat teachers as active learners, enhance teachers’ pedagogical skills and content
knowledge, offer facilitation that reflects objectivity and care, focus on learning outcomes for
students.” In a training and development context, the focus should be on the teacher as a holistic
entity, a person with past experiences and future endeavours, as this influences the training
process, and thus the outcome of training. Southworth (1996, 272) indicates that development
and learning should be a regular occurrence in “classrooms and staff rooms”. Ochirovna and
Moiseyevna (2016, 73) make the point that to render any training more successful, the teachers’
professional competence and abilities, social development and even their spiritual and
emotional well-being should be considered. Lee (2005, 40) suggests that CPTD should not be
developed separately from other school processes, but should employ different strategies for
development. CPTD should be viewed a process and a product within other processes and not
be viewed as a separate process within and external to schools.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This article draws on Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) which is used to identify
various relationships between the elements of activity theory and to understand tension points
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in terms of the activity (Bourke, Mentis and O’Neill 2013, 36). The CHAT framework can be
employed to analyse how individuals and groups of people interact, taking into account
historical and cultural aspects (Foot 2014, 330). CHAT signifies various elements within the
activity. The “subject” is identified as a person or group being analysed. The “object and
outcomes” refer to the context that transfers to an outcome. The “tools” are the conceptual and
physical elements that lead to the outcome(s) of an activity (Bourke et al. 2013, 40). The rules
and division of labour refer to the rules that oversee the activity by assigning members specific
roles in the activity within and overlapping communities against different historical backdrops
(Engeström 2001).
Tension identified within the activity of CPTD
This section discusses how CHAT explains tensions identified in CPTD. The tension identified
is that teachers are limited in decision-making in CPTD, and often feel isolated in their CPTD.
Primary school teachers (subjects) participate in CPTD through workshops and courses (tools)
to update their skills and knowledge and to grow professionally. This is also a regulative
requirement of the teaching profession (object) to update skills and knowledge (outcome). The
division of labour is between those who plan CPTD (or provide CPTD) for teachers and those
who “receive” CPTD. School managers plan CPTD (rules) of the activity. This activity occurs
in the context of a school community, overlapping educational communities and larger society.
This leads to tension where teachers feel they have limited decision-making about their CPTD
because others make the decisions on their behalf.
Furthermore, activity theory can be discussed in terms of five principles (Engeström 2001,
136), namely:
1.
The activity system is collective, artefact-mediated and object-oriented;
2.
Multi-voicedness of activity systems refers to many and differentiated viewpoints within
an activity system;
3.
Historicity refers to the problems and solutions in terms of their history;
4.
The role of contradictions as sources of changes notes that contradictions exist in the
activity and from other activities;
5.
The possibility of expansive transformations in activity systems can occur when members
start thinking of different methods to do the activity; this leads to a challenge of the status
quo.
CHAT as a systematic framework can be employed to analyse data, especially rich and full
descriptions of data (Nussbaumer 2012, 37).
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This article, furthermore, explores learning communities as an element of CHAT in CPTD
and teacher learning. A special focus on communities of practice as a supplementary framework
also guided the analysis. Individual members become part of a community of practice when
they take on the value-system of the community, participate in the community and learn from
the community (Barab and Duffy 2000, 38). Schlager and Fusco (2003, 205) describe
professional development as an activity embedded in communities of practice where
participants develop within a community context. Members in community of practice have
varied and different levels of “expertise” to contribute to the community; both newer members
and those who are established can learn from each other (Schlager and Fusco 2003, 213). This
is evident in the varying career-stages of beginner, mid-career and late-career teachers. Schools
as sites of CPTD should not only focus on themselves, but also on the communities in which
they are embedded (Southworth 1996, 272). Participation in a community is a process that
Wenger (1998, 57) describes as “a complex process that combines doing, talking, thinking,
feeling, and belonging. It involves our whole person, including our bodies, minds, emotions,
and social relations.”
RESEARCH DESIGN
The study was qualitative and employed various methods of data collection, such as open-ended
questionnaires, interviews and observations. Qualitative research places emphasis on words as
a form of data (McCusker and Gunaydin 2015, 537). Notes were recorded during the
observations using an observations grid. Participant responses to the interview questions were
digitally recorded. Interviews were transcribed and then checked for accuracy. This is an
important step given the subjective nature of qualitative research (Hara 1995, 352).
Participants and the sites for data collection
The research sites comprised three independent primary schools which serve a specific
geographical area in urban Johannesburg. Fifteen (15) primary school teachers from the three
schools were purposefully selected as participants to produce rich and descriptive data about
their perceptions and experiences of CPTD. The sample included beginner, mid-career and latecareer teachers teaching in the Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Senior Phase.
Foundation Phase teachers specialise in teaching young learners from Grade 1 to 3;
Intermediate Phase teachers teach learners from Grade 4 to 6; and Senior Phase teachers teach
learners in Grade 7. Selection criteria required that participants were full-time teachers who had
taught for at least one full academic year’s experience at the respective school. Participants’
experience and teaching qualifications were varied. Qualifications included teaching diplomas,
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education degrees and post-graduate degrees (Honours and Masters degrees). Two participants
were completing B Ed Honours degrees part-time at the time of data collection. The responses
from participants from all three primary schools presented similar results and are discussed in
the findings section.
Instruments
The instruments for collecting data included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews,
observations and document analysis. The questionnaires consisted of open-ended questions to
elicit participants’ initial ideas, beliefs and opinions about the CPTD in which they had
participated and their professional learning. The questionnaires also examined the processes of
CPTD as this was an area of interest for the study. Participants completed the questionnaire in
their own time and pace. The analysis of responses to questionnaires assisted in the
development of interview questions, since this was an opportunity to obtain in-depth
information about CPTD. McMillan and Schumacher (2001, 42) describes in-depth interviews
as a combination of general and more flexible questions. Furthermore, interviews allowed for
checking understanding of issues in the questionnaires that required deeper discussion and
clarity. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and then checked again against the audio
recordings.
Observations were done over several months. Observations included a variety of CPTD
sessions, team meetings or training sessions and learning sessions. workshops, group training
sessions and small scale training sessions that occurred as once-off sessions and longer-duration
sessions. Field notes were kept as record of the observations. Kawulich (2005) states that field
notes are an important part of conducting observations. Reflections were competed after each
observation and comments made concerning the field notes. School policy documents (from
one primary schools in the study) were also a data source. The policy document dealt with
teacher training and teacher professional development.
Data analysis
Qualitative data analysis must start with a strong foundation constructed in collection of data
(Bowen 2009, 29). Discourse analysis was employed as method of analysis to develop an
understanding of participants’ roles and level of participation in the CPTD processes of
planning and implementation. Discourse analysis focuses on written, verbal or oral language.
Boag-Munroe (2004, 167) describes the intersections of activity theory and discourse analysis
as follows: “Language is not only at the heart of the activity, as the medium through which the
participants communicate, but [it] is also in itself and [in] activity. It has its own rules, which
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allow particular structures [...] to be formed and have meaning; it has a subject who works on
the object of expressing concepts, and who is positioned by the other elements of the activity;
it uses tools of words, sounds, letters, which in turn afford or constrain ways of working on the
object; and language is contextualized in time, place and communities.” The language as data
sets from the data collection reflected and communicated the experiences of the primary school
teachers. It indicated whether they were involved in decision-making of CPTD, and the level at
which they were involved. Activity theory as a tool of analysis also focuses attention on various
role-players in the process of CPTD and related perspectives of CPTD (Foot 2014, 331).
Tensions within the activity of CPTD as a process were illuminated during the analysis phase
(Bourke et al. 2013, 35). One tension identified in the activity of CPTD showed that teachers
were limited in decision-making in CPTD; for this reason, they often felt isolated in their CPTD.
Participants indicated emphatically that they were not involved in decision-making during
CPTD. This was a recurring theme in the questionnaires and interviews in the study. Data
analysis focused on individual themes and communal themes in terms of communities of
practice. CPTD within communities of practice as an effective form of CPTD was identified as
a recurring and deep-rooted theme. According to Habhab-Rave (2008), communal learning
involving other members are often robust methods of learning and development
Ethical research
Ethical research is a widely used term that requires that participants are informed about and
protected during the study. Participation in this study was voluntary. Participants signed an
informed consent form only after the discussion about the purpose and methods of the research
had taken place. The principles of confidentiality and anonymity were adhered to throughout
the study. Participants’ names were not used and they are not identifiable in the study. McMillan
and Schumacher (2001, 421) mentions that participants and physical settings must not be in any
way “identifiable in print”.
Validity
Validity in research refers to accurate measurement of that which was intended to be measured.
In other words, research that is sound (Golafshani 2003). Golafshani (2003, 597) mentions that
validity and reliability must be understood in the context of qualitative research. Validity in the
study was increased by asking participants to clarify and explain any unclear issues regarding
their reflections of learning and CPTD that emerged during the data collection and analysis
phase.
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FINDINGS
The article argues that teachers can advocate, inform and effectively contribute to their own
CPTD. Avalos (2011, 10) mentions that the history and traditions of an educational context
should be taken into account when evaluating the learning, developmental activities and future
training endeavours of teachers. The findings are presented as recommendations that
participants devised based on their previous participation in the CPTD.
The value of learning and developing in a community through collaborative sharing of
ideas, problems, solutions and life experiences
Teachers in this study wanted to learn and develop in a collaborative manner and
environment. Teachers reflected that lecture and seminar type CPTD is a passive type of
developmental activity which requires very little from them. They prefer to develop with their
peers and share experiences regarding schooling and education in general. In this way, they
create a shared meaning. Teachers who reflect together in different communities are able to
share views and are also exposed to multiple ideas, rather than a single idea (McArdle and
Coutts 2010, 210). A teacher commented on CPTD:
“I think, as for the subject matter and the knowledge, if it is there, then you can learn from
everybody and you do learn from everybody every day, which is good.”
The above excerpt points to a shared learning that is an effective form of development for
teachers. This finding of the value of shared learning and development or collaborative CPTD
indicates that communities of learning are an effective forum for teachers to voice questions
and share ideas in search of solutions. Teachers found CPTD opportunities to learn from
colleagues a helpful and useful practice for development. According to the CHAT model,
teachers formed the main subject in the activity (Waters and Wall 2008, 256). Thus, teachers
(the subject) indicated that traditional lecture-style CPTD is less preferred as a tool for learning
and development.
The need for practical orientation to CPTD
Participants understood that theoretical knowledge of schooling and education is crucial but
requested that CPTD should be more practical and classroom-based in its orientation.
Michelsen and Nielsen (2008, 321) note that practical knowledge and skills are an important
aspect of planning for practice. Macias (2017, 82) maintains that teachers have “an appreciation
for practical topics”. Teachers requested hands-on information and skills that they could apply
in the everyday learning context of the classroom. A participant commented:
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“And I think having topics that are relevant to today’s classroom and give teachers actual real
tools to use. Not just the theory behind it, but the actual implementation of how they can do it,
how they can use it with practical examples. Having a speaker come in and drone on the value of
an IT classroom, wonderful if we have working WiFi, not a practical implication in our school.
So it has to be relevant, it has to be current. So that’s where I would look at it.”
This finding supports the idea that teachers wanted CPTD to focus on practical and useable
aspects of teaching and learning, instead of a predominant focus on theory. It was important for
teachers to discover new ideas, skills or knowledge which they could take back to the
classroom, with the emphasis on using it every day in lessons. This finding indicates that
discussions with CPTD facilitators and trainers should encourage a practical component or a
usable aspect in all training and development activities.
CPTD policies should be developed and evaluated with teachers as roleplayers
Most participants were unaware if a CPTD policy existed at their schools; those who thought it
probably did exist were unsure about its contents. However, the teachers were keen to be part
of the process of developing and evaluating a CPTD policy. In this regard, a participant
commented:
“Ok, to be honest I’ve never used one [a CPTD policy] and I’ve never seen one, but the only thing
that I know about it is, at the beginning of the year, [name of school head] told us that we have to
do professional development and it will be held [date and time].”
This finding indicates that CPTD should be informed by a well-devised and designed CPTD
policy in which teachers are actively involved as role-players and decision- makers. This
teacher commented that teachers are “told” when and where CPTD will be held by the school
head. Teachers reflected that regular and continual evaluation of CPTD policies should involve
them as role-players in CPTD.
Only one school had a written CPTD policy document at the time of data collection and
participants from that school were uniformed of its contents. Ball (1993, 11) mentions that
policy as text is a blend of past actions of social actors, making meaning, knowledge collection
within a specific milieu that all come together in creating present policy. CHAT further
highlights that an activity system may have many different views and traditions that all
contribute to the activity (Engeström 2001, 136). Therefore, policy development should be done
in context of other related systems and processes in an organisation such as a school. Ball (1993,
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14) describes policy as not merely a written document but discourse wherein power is
constituted in relation to those who can or cannot give input and the content of that input. The
finding of this study indicated that teachers did not have authority or power to share in policy
discourse or help construct CPTD policy content in their schools.
Furthermore, this finding regarding CPTD policies (and the lack thereof) at the primary
schools had additional implications in terms of the annual teacher-appraisal system. Teachers
at the schools are evaluated or appraised every year on key criteria such as teaching, learning
strategies, extra-curricular activities and professionalism. Under the key performance area of
professionalism is teacher professional development whereby teachers are appraised on aspects
of their professional development throughout the year, for example, keeping record of all
professional development and evidence of professional development. The teacher-appraisal
document used by the schools does not refer back to the CPTD policy or practice of the school
in any way. This creates a tension in the link between the appraisal system and its criteria and
a policy that specifically discusses CPTD. This is evidence of incoherence between the teacherappraisal system (of which CPTD is a key criterion) and the CPTD policy of each school.
The role of team member support
Teachers reflected that they want to work and learn in dedicated teams or groups of teachers
who share similar subjects or grades. Teachers who share mutual rapport are able to create
support for each other (Snyder 2012, 49). In the words of a participant:
“I learn best in preparation meetings where things are explained explicitly and simply by subject
or grade heads ... It’s also like you interact, you go and study, you interact with other teachers,
you learn from other teachers, you learn from what they do, which like even though the three
schools [names withheld] under the same umbrella, it is so different from our way of how we see
the school.”
The finding suggests that teachers want to learn in mutual relationships with their peers who
teach the same grade or similar subjects. Teachers reflected that their team members, who teach
similar subjects and are also committed to a common team ethos, are best able to support each
other; each team member has something unique and valuable to share with other team members.
Consultation with teachers regarding CPTD
Consulting with teachers regarding CPTD is a positive step in creating CPTD that will not only
inspire teachers about their learning and development, but also promote their interest in
schooling and educational issues. Hunzicker (2011, 177) suggests that teachers should be
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consulted in their development; they should have a “... voice in the direction and pace of their
learning”. A participant commented:
“Well, what I think it could be useful if perhaps giving us a few options and please say listen we
can do A, B or C: What do you think? Can you benefit from or asking us teachers where are the
loopholes? Like I think personally I would like to benefit from maybe doing something along
counselling the children when they get bullied. Like social work or something like that. To sit with
the social worker to say: right, should situation A arrive, do B. Feel like we could need a little bit
more help, so perhaps asking us what do we think and maybe as a staff what do you think.”
The need for consultation was a striking finding of the study. Teachers want to express their
own ideas and dilemmas about learning and development and they wish to be heard in their
educational communities and larger society.
The influence of teachers’ career-stage on their CPTD needs
The teachers in the study commented on their specific CPTD needs aligned to their particular
career-stage. A novice teacher commented on CPTD: “At this point I am absorbing everything
... at this point”. This type of feedback is consistent with Masuda, Ebersole and Barrett (2013,
10) who describe beginner teachers and pre-service teachers as doing “everything and
anything” in terms of learning and development.
When asked about professional development as a criterion for teacher appraisal, a novice
teacher commented:
“Ok, so I think I’d warm up to the feeling [of being evaluated]. I have never had it before and I
think I will have a much better understanding once it’s all done in a cycle. I am quite anxious
about it. I am not sure how it goes down [how the evaluation process works].”
The teacher described feelings of anxiety regarding the process of teacher appraisal and the role
of professional development as one of the main criteria in the teacher appraisal. Masuda et al.
(2013, 10) make the point that novice teachers often feel “overwhelmed” at the beginning stages
of their teaching careers. Effective CPTD can go far in allaying their fears and addressing areas
of concern.
Whereas beginner teachers will do almost anything in terms of CPTD due to their
awareness of their need to develop as teachers, mid-career teachers are more discriminating in
terms of CPTD topics. Mid-career teachers require CPTD based on curriculum content and
teaching techniques (Masuda et al. 2013, 10). A mid-career teacher reflected:
“I think it is important to be specific in who you are catering for because we again can miss the
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boat [get professional development wrong]. So if we are having something, for example in the
Senior phase, and we include the Junior phase, it is not appropriate for them [professional
development appropriate to Senior phase teachers]. So they would have to make sure they [service
providers and school managers] are catering either for everybody or then make it specific or even
break it up into different groups.”
This finding demonstrates that the career stage that teachers find themselves in often has an
impact on their development and the kind of professional skilling that they would choose for
themselves. Although teachers are in different career-stages, they form part of the community
of practice and they are the subjects within the CPTD activity system. As community members
they may affect the workings of the CPTD activity (Cameron and Woods 2016, 181). The
comment from the mid-career teacher reflects that Senior Phase CPTD is not necessarily
appropriate for Junior Phase teachers and that CPTD should implement differentiated learning
opportunities. The teacher suggested that the teaching staff should be divided into groups per
school phase and curriculum content during CPTD. Mid-career and late-career teachers prefer
working with their peers and are more selective and discerning in the professional development
they participate in (Masuda et al. 2013, 10).
DISCUSSION
The subjects in the activity system were the teachers who voiced their perceptions and ideas on
improving the CPTD that they had participated in during the past at their respective schools.
CHAT focuses on individual elements like the subjects (primary school teachers) and their
development and learning objectives as well as the holistic picture of the CPTD activity
(Cameron and Woods 2016, 180). Thus, it is vital that teachers should firstly voice their needs,
and secondly, they should participate in CPTD that has been designed to meet their needs and
to deal with the issues that teachers want addressed with a view becoming better practitioners.
A critical component emerging from this study is that teachers are indeed major role-players
and decision-makers in their CPTD. The situations they face daily in the classroom, the
problems they encounter and the solutions they devise are significant factors that formulate
their development. This may differ from school to school and teacher to teacher, but the
recommendations may be adapted to local contexts.
When CPTD is developed as a process of teacher inclusion which incorporates ongoing
teacher consultation, there is a higher chance of useful learning and development occurring.
Teachers who identify their orientations to learning and development can aptly adjust the
planning of learning based on the areas they have identified for development.
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CONCLUSION
The findings from the study are important to consider for current and future research,
particularly as related to CPTD policy discussions and formation in schools. Although there is
a variety of literature on effective CPTD practices, it is crucial that there is also the continual
inclusion of ideas proposed by primary school teachers for CPTD. When teachers are decisionmakers, and their experiences and ideas about CPTD are prized, CPTD learning and
development orientations will be fully informed by the principal role-player in CPTD activity
‒ the teachers.
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