Modes of delivery

Citing Lieberman, Day and Sachs (2004:13) propose an expanded view of professional learning, locating CPD in three settings, namely:

• Direct learning (e.g. conferences, workshops, consultations).

• Learning in school (e.g. peer coaching, mentoring, critical friendships, active research, team planning).

• Learning out of school (e.g. school-led renewal or reform networks, school-university partnerships, subject or phone-specific networks, professional development centres).

Day and Sachs (2004:13) further state that in the foreseeable future, educators will need to engage with all of these if they are to keep pace with and respond to the challenges in society, the demands of the results-driven standards, agendas of government and at the same time retain their energy, enthusiasm and commitment to high-quality teaching. Professional development Change in educators’ classroom practices Change in learning outcomes Change in educators’ beliefs and attitudes

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Similarly, Bubb and Earley (2009:92) maintain that the range of CPD activities is wide and includes off-site, on-site and close-to-the-site opportunities. These can be categorised into four overlapping groups: individual, within school, cross-school networks, and external. Examples of these groups are the following:

• Individual – thinking, reading books, research and enquiry, self-study, keeping a reflective diary.

• Within school – working with others, development days, being observed, discussing a lesson, collaborative planning, action research groups, training others, leading working groups.

• Cross-school networks – formal and informal networks, training, visiting other schools, networks of local schools or ones set up for a specific project, developing people from other schools.

• External expertise – one-day events, longer courses, conferences, working with community groups, universities, subject associations.

According to Bubb and Earley (2009:92), the most successful learning is likely to involve activities from several or all of the above groups, but many adults in schools have confirmed that they learn best through on-the-job training and applying skills in real-life situations – from the workplace more than from the workshop.

Another mode of delivery for CPD programmes is that of mentorship. Van Louw and Waghid (2008:211) have elaborated on this aspect of CPD. With regard to the fundamental nature of mentorship, it is evident that the strategy is mostly described as one where a more experienced person supports a less experienced person in a profession or career development process. The relationship between mentor and mentee is regarded as intense and focuses on the psycho-social development of the protégé, in addition to professional development. The role of the mentor seems to be a complex one, encompassing various sub-roles that include inter alia, that of coach, role model, guide, a wise and patient counselor, and a gifted and experienced roleplayer.

Citing Hopkins-Thompson (2000), Van Louw and Waghid (2008:211) state that mentors transfer wisdom with regard to norms, values and morals of organisations

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and support mentees through mediation, counseling and support, while providing information that mentees would otherwise not have been able to access. Van Louw and Waghid (2008:211) further refer to the statements of Wasden and Daresh (1995) regarding the mentor as a master who provides opportunities for growth by identifying situations and events that will contribute to enhancing the knowledge and experience of mentees and help them recognise and deal with dangerous situations. This topic will be addressed in section 3.3.3.

Although there are various other modes of delivery of CPD available to educators, this study elected to concentrate on only a few of them. One other mode of delivery of CPD is educator learning communities, which will be broadly discussed in section 3.2.4. Maistry (2008:134) argues that collaborative initiatives that manifest themselves in educator learning communities, allow educators to participate more in decisions that affect them. They also allow educators to share pressures and burdens that result from policy changes. While collaboration may at first glance suggest an increase in the quantity of educators‟ tasks, it is likely to make educators feel less overloaded if their tasks are viewed as being more meaningful and the educators have high collective control and ownership of them. This author cites Hargreaves as maintaining that CPD based on the principles of social practice theory minimises the uncertainties faced by educators and is likely to create situated certainties and collective professional confidence among particular communities of educators.

The questions this study are faced with, are: If educators are exposed to all or most of these modes of delivery of CPD activities, why are some educators lacking professional confidence? Why do the results of the Grade 12 examinations not reflect a well-developed and suitably equipped teaching force? It is evident that the answers to these questions will only be known after an in-depth investigation through data collection, an analysis of the data collected, and a summary of the findings provided by the data analysis. All of this will be addressed in Chapter Four, which covers the methodology of this study.

However, from the literature studied, one may conclude that it is imperative for educators to be directly involved in their own professional development. In order for

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CPD programmes to be successful, it needs to be personally meaningful to the participating educators. The challenge for school leadership therefore is to find ways and means of understanding what the educators want and what they regard as meaningful, and to design CPD programmes that address the educators‟ needs. This in effect means that educators need to be not only involved in the planning of CPD programmes, but that such programmes must be in line with educators‟ personal circumstances and serve as motivation for these educators to develop professionally. Educators will only change if they deem it necessary to change and if they see some benefit in the changes confronting them.

2.9 CONCLUSION

Based on the views expressed in the body of literature studied for the purpose of this chapter, it may be deducted that the individual educator is key in his/her own CPD.

This chapter discussed in broad detail the various aspects of the CPD of educators, in order to ascertain how these aspects influence the professional and personal growth of any educator. These aspects included, amongst others: the importance of CPD, the historical background against which South African educators have to develop, clarification of CPD, the theoretical framework that underpins CPD, the purpose of CPD, factors influencing CPD, key features of CPD, as well as the different models and modes of delivery of CPD available to educators.

The vast array of CPD activities available to educators are all aimed at enhancing the education of learners, whilst at the same time leading to the professional and personal growth of the educators. CPD activities should make provision for the developmental opportunities of educators, thereby ensuring their continuous growth.

In reviewing the literature on the various aspects of CPD, this chapter served to orientate the reader on what the CPD of educators entails.

The next chapter will focus on the importance of policies, as well as the role of school management and individual educators in supporting educators in the CPD process.

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