ETD Collection

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/104


Please note: Digitised content is made available at the best possible quality range, taking into consideration file size and the condition of the original item. These restrictions may sometimes affect the quality of the final published item. For queries regarding content of ETD collection please contact IR specialists by email : IR specialists or Tel : 011 717 4652 / 1954

Follow the link below for important information about Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Library Guide about ETD

Browse

Filters

2016 - 201912020 - 20221

Settings

Author: search.filters.author.Dyosini, Thokozane Princess

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Mentorship and induction practices with novice foundation phase teachers: an exploratory case study with six primary schools novice teachers and leadership in Johannesburg, South Africa.
    (2022) Dyosini, Thokozane Princess
    The purpose of this study was to explore and develop an understanding of mentorship and induction as evolving forms of job-embedded continuous professional development for novice teachers in the foundation phase. To develop this understanding, this research posed the question: How can having access to induction and mentorship serve as professional support for novice teachers in the FP? Mentorship entails the provision of professional and personal guidance by a mentor to an assigned mentee. Induction involves providing focused career assistance in a particular community of practice, inducting the novice into the ethos and culture of the institution. This research study used a qualitative research approach and data was generated using semi-structured interviews with ten research participants. The objective of this research was to explore whether novice teachers are currently being inducted and mentored from the perspective of ten participants – mainly, six novice teachers, two heads of department and two primary school principals. the participants shared their perspectives, experiences, perceived expectations and challenges of either having received mentorship or the lack thereof during their first three years of teaching. All ten participants are in-service teachers working in the foundation phase at different inner-city schools in Johannesburg, South Africa. Novice teachers in the foundation phase face an array of issues and challenges in their early years of teaching as professionals. The participants were purposively selected. In addition, thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data attained. The positioning theory by Harré & Van Langenhove (1999) was used as the theoretical framework, as it foregrounded the theory of the participants having various positions and interpretations of their contexts through the use of social episodes. School leadership is expected to either facilitate or create opportunities for novice teachers to gain access to continuous professional development. Communities of practice by Wenger (2011) was used as the conceptual framework as a means to identify and explain the participants contexts. A case study of each participant group revealed their perspectives and communicated the nuances of providing professional development and the implications it would have on novice teachers. The findings revealed a strong sense of novice teachers needing continuous professional support on different levels. The participants shared that their mental health and professionalism challenges amongst other aspects that were greatly affected by the lack of professional development support. This research recommends the need for providing a consistent and structured policy for the implementation of induction, mentorship and coaching as components of professional development. In addition, it is advised that the mentors and mentees are paired, guided and evaluated during the entire process. This support-based approach needs to be holistic in order for it to be effective, including guidance in areas of professional (career, academia, skills and expertise) and personal (work/life balance, self-confidence, self-perception, wellness, mental health, and personal influences) development.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Exploring beginner foundation phase teachers' negotiations of professional identity in Johannesburg
    (2016) Dyosini, Thokozane Princess
    This research study examines the negotiations of two Foundation Phase (FP) beginner teachers’ professional identities within their communities of practice in relation to their initial teacher training. The study was conducted with two FP beginner teacher candidates during their early years of professional teaching. The theoretical framework consists of a triangulation of the following theoretical aspects: initial teacher training and Wenger’s (2009) theory on communities of practice, which is related to the participants’ context of employment and professional identity. The study focused on the negotiations of the professional identities that take place in the two participants’ communities of practice based on the fact that they both received their teacher training at The Wits School of Education, and that they are both currently teaching in Johannesburg inner city schools. A qualitative research method was undertaken in attaining data, through three semi-structured interviews with the two FP beginner teacher participants. The tool of analysis employed was thematic content analysis which served to identify patterns that emerged from the data sets and which related to the research questions. An analysis of the data obtained revealed a total of eight themes, which can be intrinsically linked to the participants’ actual beginner teaching experiences, connections with their learners and parents, and their teaching methods. The analysis of these themes highlighted the multiple aspects that contributed to the participants’ negotiations of their professional identities, such as their emotions, personal identities and their ability to connect the theory and practice of the content learned during their teacher training. The results strongly suggest that it is essential to explore FP beginner teachers’ negotiations of their professional identities, as they will reveal the shortcomings in teacher training, the challenges in transitioning from student teacher to professional teacher roles, and the factors that hinder the teaching and learning process. These include the disjuncture between theory and practice, communicative language barriers, and the lack of support and guidance from leadership.