School Heads of Department’s Role in Ensuring Teacher Professional Development in Mathematics: The South African Context

BCES Conference Books

卷:16

Tebogo Jillian Mampane¹ 

[1] University of South Africa, South Africa;

关键词: Teacher Professional Development;    Heads of Department;    teacher support;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The 1994 democratic government of South Africa brought greater responsibility and growth of school-based management in schools which impacted on the role and workload of school leaders (Rosenfeld, Ehrich & Cranston, 2009). Principals of public secondary schools delegated greater responsibility to Heads of Departments who had to ensure that Mathematics teachers are professionally developed. Although Mathematics serves as a foundation subject for many other disciplines (Roesken, 2011; Lerman, 2000), the new Mathematics curriculum and teaching standards do not match the qualified and competent Mathematics teachers, nor do they address problems in township schools, where high-quality Mathematics teaching is needed (Darling-Hammond, 2000). The term township refers to the underdeveloped urban living areas previously reserved, and still is, the residential areas for Blacks, Coloureds and Indians. Township and rural schools in South Africa have considerably fewer opportunities to excel in Mathematics, because teachers in these schools lack knowledge and skills in Mathematics and the schools are also under-resourced. The assumptions is that good teachers should be supported and developed professionally to do their best work with learners, and, to be retained. Teachers need relevant subject knowledge and professional development to handle and support the teaching-learning tasks expected of them in Mathematics teaching. Currently what is available as teacher professional development is inadequate, especially in the South African (SA) context (Borko, 2004). Despite the belief that school-based Teacher Professional Development may have a positive impact on the teaching of Mathematics, little is known about how HoDs support the professional development of Mathematics teachers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown