Supporting professional development of in-service educators teaching English in a multi-language environment

Abstract

Language is a contentious issue in South African history and although changes have been made regarding the language policies in education, more needs to be done to ensure that the language needs of learners and educators are being met. This study explores the developmental needs of educators working in multilingual environments where the language of instruction is English. Language teaching methodologies are explored – pertaining to the methods and strategies educators use when teaching. The six participants were purposively selected from educators working at a multilingual school based on their experience and the subjects they teach. The qualitative study took the form of a single case study where the participants were involved in a focus group interview, an individual interview and then two educators were selected to have an observation lesson to determine their developmental needs as based on their experiences in a multilingual environment. Following the data collection process, the data was analysed using inductive analysis where no pre-determined themes were used but rather were drawn from the data sets collected. It became clear that the participants were willing to engage in developmental opportunities that could develop their English proficiency, provided the focus of such programmes would enable them to function more optimally in the classroom and enable them to teach their respective subjects in a way that would benefit their learners. The participants felt that they needed to be consulted in the planning phase of such in-service development programmes and believed that their teaching context should be considered when preparing materials for such courses. There was a preference shown for face-to-face, in-service training opportunities. The sampled participants felt that their needs could best be met by online learning platforms which personalise learning more, as they viewed this as being able to cater best to meet their developmental needs. These afford them the opportunity to engage with the content, receive feedback and add meaningfully to their portfolio. The format in which educators receive their training would be a mediating factor to determine their willingness to participate. It is clear that educators are willing to develop their proficiency in English, but that multiple factors impact this and need to be investigated further. This should be on a much-larger scale to be able to make impact where they are needed.