Departmental Heads' mentorship experiences of novice teachers' professional development in low socio-economic schools

Abstract

Despite ongoing professional development efforts in South Africa, novice teachers in low socioeconomic areas are still struggling with low morale and high turnover rates. Challenges like inadequate infrastructure, crime, violence, and health risks are particularly pronounced in these settings. Global research indicates that adequate professional development and mentoring can help novice teachers overcome these challenges and succeed. Despite mentoring, novice teachers continue to face pedagogical and managerial difficulties. This qualitative study investigated the professional development of novice teachers at two low socioeconomic primary schools in the Cape Town Metropolitan district, Western Cape Province. Twelve individuals, including six departmental heads and six novice teachers, were purposively selected. The study utilised a conceptual framework examining the interplay between socioeconomic status, professional development, and mentoring, which guided the research. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and document analysis, gathering rich data related to the participants' experiences. These results were cross-referenced to validate the findings. The study revealed a gap between what novice teachers expect from the teaching profession and their actual experiences, signalling insufficient preparatory training from universities to tackle professional challenges. This study found that the professional development in low socioeconomic status schools does not meet the specific needs of these environments, resulting in misalignment with teachers’ and learners' needs. Burdened by limited time and resources, departmental heads face difficulties in providing effective mentoring. Based on the findings, this study recommends that professional development programmes be made relevant to teaching large classes and guided by novice teachers' challenges in low socioeconomic status schools.