The value of school-initiated professional development in South African schools: a case study of two schools in two Gauteng districts

Abstract

The purpose of this research report is to record and analyse the school initiation and implementation of Professional Development for teachers in South African schools. The literature review highlights a number of key terms, namely: professionalism, the status of teachers, teacher appraisal and accountability and instructional improvement. Two significant findings are 1) that teachers find that the new curriculum intensifies their work, leading to some form of de-professionalization, and 2) that teachers prefer professional development related to discipline and classroom management rather than instructional improvement.