Professional development needs of Foundation Phase teachers in the identification of learners with learning barriers

Abstract

The research study focused on teachers’ professional development needs in identifying LWLB in the Foundation Phase. Teachers’ training and professional development needs for South African Foundation Phase teachers have never been inevitable. The Department reported the failure of Higher Education to produce competent, skilled Foundation Phase teachers to meet the needs of the learners in the diverse classrooms. For decades, the status and image of teaching had been viewed from the position of racial discrimination. The democratic dispensation ended unfair discrimination in the education system by adopting the Inclusive Education and Training System Policy in 2001 to improve access to quality education for vulnerable learners and those who experience learning barriers. Policies and guidelines were reformed, and teachers received training. However, the research shows that many professional development programmes have failed to improve teachers’ training. Despite reforming policies and exposing teachers to training, the training and professional development did not equip teachers with the relevant skills and knowledge of appropriate strategies to identify LWLB. It is a fact that if the teachers’ needs are fulfilled, learners’ achievement will improve.

This study aimed to explore how teachers’ training and professional development can be improved in identifying LWLB in Foundation Phase schools in Motheo District, Free State. The study sought to answer the main research question: What are the training and professional development needs of Foundation Phase teachers in identifying LWLB and the implications for teacher education? An interpretivist paradigm and qualitative model were chosen to determine the views of the participants in terms of their training. Data were derived from semi-structured face-to-face and focus group interviews with Foundation Phase teachers, support teachers, and Subject Advisors in South African primary schools. Participants were purposively selected. The theoretical frameworks used constructivist and socio-constructivist learning theories. The analysis of qualitative data was conducted using thematic analysis. The research revealed that professional development does not address teachers’ needs; numerous challenges were experienced by teachers in identifying LWLB, although they had received training. The study implies that Subject Advisors ought to pay attention to the various learning theories to engage in networking activities to learn from one another. The Department of Education needs to find ways to adjust training to policy; make the training practically applicable; increase the time available for practice teaching that would allow teachers to interact with one another; and share ideas and experiences to handle challenges in identifying LWLB. Adequate and relevant resources (i.e ICT equipment), teachers' engagement during training, and learning that involves social-constructivism and constructivist theories, were suggested. The researcher proposed the use of Social Constructivism and Constructivist learning theories as strategies to develop teachers to enable them to identify LWLB in the Foundation Phase and improve the performance of such learners.

Isifundo socwaningo sigxile ezidingweni zokuthuthukiswa kothisha ekuhlonzeni i-LWLB Esigabeni Esiyisisekelo. Ukuqeqeshwa kothisha kanye nezidingo zokuthuthukiswa kobugcweti bothisha baseNingizimu Afrikha beSigaba Esiyisisekelo azikaze zibe yinto engagwenywa. UMnyango ubike ngokwehluleka kweMfundo ePhakeme ukukhiqiza othisha beSigaba Esiyisisekelo abawaziyo umsebenzi, abanamakhono ukuze bahlangabezane nezidingo zabafundi emakilasini ahlukene. Emashumini eminyaka, isimo nesithombe sokufundisa bekubhekwa esikhundleni sokucwasa ngokwebala. Umbuso wentando yeningi waqeda ukucwasa okungenabulungiswa ohlelweni lwezemfundo ngokwamukela ezemfundo ezibandakanye wonke umuntu kanye nohlelo lokuqeqesha ngowezi-2001 ukuze kwenziwe ngcono ukufinyeleleka kwemfundo esezingeni eliphezulu kubafundi abasengozini kanye nalabo abanezingqinamba zokufunda. Izinqubomgomo nemihlahlandlela kwashintshwa, nothisha bathola ukuqeqeshwa. Nokho, ucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi izinhlelo eziningi zokuthuthukisa ubugcweti zehlulekile ukwenza ngcono ukuqeqeshwa kothisha. Ngaphandle kokuguqulwa kwezinqubomgomo kanye nokuchaya othisha ekuqeqeshweni, ukuqeqeshwa nokuthuthukiswa kobugcweti akuzange kuhlomise othisha ngamakhono afanele nolwazi lwamasu afanele okuhlonza i-LWLB. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi uma izidingo zothisha zifezwa, impumelelo yabafundi iba ngcono. Lolu cwaningo beluhlose ukuhlola ukuthi ukuqeqeshwa nokuthuthukiswa kothisha kungathuthukiswa kanjani ekuhlonzeni i-LWLB ezikoleni zeSigaba Esiyisisekelo esiFundeni saseMotheo, eFree State. Ucwaningo belufuna ukuphendula umbuzongqangi wocwaningo: Yiziphi izidingo zokuqeqeshwa nokuthuthukiswa kobugcweti kothisha beSigaba Esiyisisekelo ekuhlonzeni i-LWLB nemithelela yemfundo yothisha? Kukhethwe ipharadaymu eqondayo kanye nendlela yekhwalithethivu ukuze kunqunywe imibono yababambiqhaza mayelana nokuqeqeshwa kwabo. Ulwazi luthathwe ezingxoxweni ezihleliwe zobuso nobuso namaqoqo acwaningwayo nothisha beSigaba Esiyisisekelo, othisha abalekelelayo, kanye Nabeluleki Bezifundo ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi eNingizimu Afrikha. Ababambiqhaza bakhethwe ngenhloso. Kusetshenziswe izinhlaka zenjululwazi zokufunda iconstructivism kanye nesocio-constructivism. Kusetshenziswe uhlaziyo ngokwengqikithi ukuhlaziya ulwazi lwekhwalithethivu. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukuthuthukisa ubungcweti akuhlangabezani nezidingo zothisha; ziningi izinselelo othisha abahlangabezane nazo ekuhlonzeni i-LWLB, nakuba sebeqeqeshiwe. Ucwaningo lusho ukuthi Abeluleki Bezifundo kufanele banake izinjululwazi zokufunda ezihlukahlukene ukuze bahlanganyele emisebenzini yenethiwekhi ukuze bafunde komunye nomunye. UMnyango Wezemfundo udinga ukuthola izindlela zokulungisa ukuqeqeshwa kuhambisane nenqubomgomo; ukwenza ukuqeqeshwa kusebenze; ukwandisa isikhathi esikhona sokuprakthiza ukufundisa esizovumela othisha ukuthi baxhumane bodwa; futhi babelane ngemibono nolwazi lokulwisana nezinselelo ekuhlonzeni i-LWLB. Kwaphakanyiswa izinsiza ezanele nezifanelekile (okungukuthi, imishini ye-ICT), ukuzibandakanya kothisha ngesikhathi sokuqeqeshwa, nokufunda okubandakanya izinjululwazi isocial constructivism kanye neconstructivism. Umcwaningi uphakamise ukuthi kusetshenziswe izinjululwazi zesocial constructivism kanye neconstructivism yokufunda njengamasu okuthuthukisa othisha ukuze bakwazi ukuhlonza i-LWLB Esigabeni Esiyisisekelo nokwenza ngcono ukusebenza kwabafundi abanjalo.

Diphuputso di shebane le ditlhoko tsa ntlafatso ya mosebetsi wa matitjhere ho hlwaya LWLB Mokgahlelong wa Motheo. Ditlhoko tsa thupello ya matitjhere le ntlafatso ya mosebetsi wa matitjhere a Mokgahlelo wa Motheo wa Afrika Borwa ha ho mohla di kileng tsa qojwa. Lefapha le tlalehile ho hloleha ha Thuto e Phahameng ho hlahisa matitjhere a tshwanelehang, a nang le tsebo ya Mokgahlelo wa Motheo ho ka finyella ditlhoko tsa barutwana ka diphaposing tsa borutelo tse sa fapafapaneng. Dilemong tse mashomeshome, boemo le setshwantsho sa ho ruta di ne di shejwa ka leihlo la kgethollo ya morabe. Tsamaiso ya demokrasi e fedisitse kgethollo e leeme tsamaisong ya thuto ka ho amohela Leano la Tsamaiso ya Thuto le Thupello e Akaretsang ka 2001 ho ntlafatsa phihlello ya thuto ya boleng bakeng sa barutwana ba tlokotsing le ba teanang le ditshitiso tsa ho ithuta. Maano le tataiso di ile tsa fetolwa, mme matitjhere a ile a rupellwa. Leha ho le jwalo, diphuputso di bontsha hore mananeo a mangata a ntlafatso ya ditsebi a hlolehile ho ntlafatsa thupello ya matitjhere. Ho sa tsotellehe diphetoho dipolotiking, le ho neha matitjhere thupello, thupello le ntshetsopele ya mosebetsi ha di a ka tsa fa matitjhere tsebo e hlokehang le tsebo ya mekgwa e loketseng ya ho hlwaya LWLB. Ke nnete hore haeba ditlhoko tsa matitjhere di ananelwa, katleho ya barutwana e tla ntlafala. Diphuputso tsena di reretswe ho fuputsa hore na thupello ya matitjhere le ntshetsopele ya mosebetsi, di ka ntlafatswa jwang ho hlwaya LWLB dikolong tsa Mokgahlelo wa Motheo seterekeng sa Motheo, Freistata. Diphuputso tsena di ne di batla ho araba potso e ka sehloohong ya diphuputso: Ditlhoko tsa Matitjhere a Mokgahlelo wa Motheo tsa thupello le ntshetsopele ya mosebetsi ke dife bakeng sa ho hlwaya LWLB le ditlamorao tsa thuto ya matitjhere? Ho ile ha kgethwa kutlwisiso ya ho hlalosa le mokgwa wa teko ya boleng ho fumana maikutlo a bankakarolo mabapi le thupello ya bona. Dintlha di ile tsa fumanwa dipuisanong tse entsweng ka mokgwa o batlileng ho hlophisitsweng tsa ho kopana le batho ka seqo le tsa dihlopha tsa diphuputso tse kenyeleditseng matitjhere a Mokgahlelo wa Motheo, matitjhere a tshehetsang le Baeletsi ba Dithuto dikolong tsa mathomo tsa Afrika Borwa. Barupellwa ba ile ba kgethwa ka boomo. Mekgwa ya thuto ya motheo e ne e sebedisa mawa a diphuputso a mohopolo le a ho ithuta ka lefatshe ha ho ipapiswa le mehopolo ya setjhaba. Ho hlahlojwa ha dintlha tsa boleng ho ile ha etswa ka ho hlahloba ho ya ka mookotaba. Diphuputso di senotse hore ntshetsopele ya mosebetsi ha e sebetsane le ditlhoko tsa matitjhere; matitjhere a ile a thulana le diphephetso tse ngata ha a ne a hlwaya LWLB, le hoja a ne a fumane thupelo. Diphuputso di fana ka maikutlo a hore Baeletsi ba Dithuto ba lokela ho ela hloko mawa a fapaneng a ho ithuta ho theha dipuisano tsa tshebedisano ho ithuta ho ba bang. Lefapha la Thuto le hloka ho fumana ditsela tsa ho fetola thupello ho ya ka leano; ho etsa hore thupello e phethiswe ka mokgwa o sebetsang; ho eketsa nako e fumanehang bakeng sa ho ruta ka mokgwa o tla dumella matitjhere ho sebedisana le batho ba bang; le ho arolelana maikutlo le diphihlelo tsa ho tobana le mathata a ho hlwaya LWLB. Ho ile ha fanwa ka maikutlo a hore ho be le mehlodi e lekaneng le e loketseng (ke ho re, thepa ya ICT), ho utlwa maikutlo a matitjhere nakong ya thupello, le ho ithuta ho akarelletsang lewa la mohopolo wa setjhaba le mawa a mohopolo. Mofuputsi o ile a etsa tlhahiso ya hore ho sebediswe mawala a ho ithuta ka lefatshe ka ho ipapisa le mehopolo ya setjhaba le lewa la mohopolo bakeng sa ho ntshetsa matitjhere pele; ho a nolofalletsa hore a tsebe ho hlwaya LWLB Mokgahlelong wa Motheo le ho ntlafatsa tshebetso ya baithuti ba jwalo. Mantsoe a sehlooho: ntlafatso ya mosebetsi, ditshitiso tsa ho ithuta, thupello ya matitjhere, matitjhere a Mokgahlelo wa Motheo.