Abstract:
This study reports on an investigation into the perceptions and experiences of Cohort 3
teachers regarding the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system that is
managed and implemented by the South African Council for Educators. The primary
research question that guided this study was to find out what the experiences of Cohort 3
South African teachers are regarding the Continuing Professional Teacher Development
system. The researcher used sub-questions that focused on Cohort 3 teachers’ perceptions
and experiences of the implementation of the Continuing Professional Teacher Development
system by the South African Council for Educators.
The researcher used an exploratory case study approach to gather the data and embedded
this qualitative study in the socio-cultural theory of Vygotsky. Personal interviews were
employed as data collection methods. Participants consisted of Cohort 3 teachers from a
primary school in Pretoria.
The study examined a range of experiences and perceptions regarding the Continuing
Professional Teacher Development system and found that most of the Cohort 3 teachers
were showing some frustration with the system so far. The convenience-sampled
participants indicated their need for greater variety in the choice of activities in the system
and for them to have more of a say over what they should choose to complete as activities to
earn them points upon completion. The study found a lack of the individual Cohort 3
teacher’s voice in the Continuing Professional Teacher Development system with regard to
how the activities are chosen and which acivities are available to Cohort 3 teachers. The
literature highlights the context within South African schools that keeps teachers from
engaging with professional development. These teachers failed to plan for their own
professional development by mapping out their activity choices, based on their preferred
areas of growth, due to the aformentioned context they have to deal with. The study found
that teachers were not focused on their own professional development since they must face
and handle multiple social and economic issues inside and outside their classrooms.
