Is what they get what they really need? Critical analysis of professional development models used with elementary science teachers in one school district in South Africa

This study investigated whether what teachers get from their professional development was what they really needed. Critical analysis of teacher professional development models (PDM) used with elementary science teachers in the Chief Liu school district in South Africa was conducted. The study was conducted in twelve circuits in the Chief Liu district. Purposeful sampling of three schools in a circuit, totaling thirty-nine schools across the circuits was done. The primary participants were elementary school teachers. A maximum of six teachers from each school were purposefully sampled. Various data instruments and sources: questionnaire, in-depth individual interviews, classroom and workshop observation field notes were used. Of 160 questionnaires distributed to teachers in sampled schools, only 88 were returned. Fourteen teachers were interviewed. Classroom observations were done with four teachers for three consecutive days while teaching science. In addition to teacher interviews, four district subject advisors were interviewed. The district Deputy Director Chief Education Specialist in the curriculum division as well as the executive member of the district teacher union, were also interviewed. Finally, two cluster workshops were attended and fields notes taken.;Data coding and analysis followed the iterative process suggested by Miles and Hurbeman (1984) and open and axial coding (Burnaford et al., 2001; Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Findings were presented using six main themes and sub-themes, which are all connected to the research questions. (a) Findings show that Chief Liu district used the training model with the elementary science teachers. This PDM did not address various challenges and complexities within the school district and therefore created a number of challenges that negatively impacted the success of the new curriculum reforms in the district. (b) Teachers believed that they were not being developed and that their needs were not being addressed. The perceptions about the district PDM played a critical role in how teachers received the new curriculum policy messages, how they interpreted these messages and formulated meaning, as well as how they eventually translated the formulated meanings into their classroom practice. (c) The district PDM assumed that teachers would comprehend the new science curriculum reforms and be able to implement them in their classrooms with ease. This assumption was based on the fact that the new curriculum was a revision of the previous curriculum. (d) The district PDM did not support the transfer of the newly acquired knowledge into classroom practice, resulting to lack of curriculum implementation in classrooms. Based on these findings, I recommend a development of a context-based PDM that will ensure that the internal and external factors that impact science teacher learning and change, as well as classroom teaching are fully addressed. Four phases to be considered when developing a context-based PDM are recommended.