Twixt the workshop and the classroom: transgressing or progressing?

Abstract

English: It is commonly conceded that promoting quality teaching is vital for improving education. To this effect, the South African Dept of Education presents training workshops to in-service teachers. The workshops are experienced as highly relevant, supportive, a very popular means of training, and they are generally well attended. Yet, teaching successes in the Eastern Cape province remain bleak. The aim of this investigation has consequently been to ascertain why there is such a chasm between the enthusiasm displayed by teachers during these workshops and their subsequent classroom practices, which should translate into more success in the classroom.

Afrikaans: Dit word algemeen aanvaar dat verbetering van die gehalte onderwys beslissend is vir die bevordering van opvoeding. Om hierdie rede bied die Suid-Afrikaanse Dept van Onderwys opleidingswerkswinkels vir diensdoenende onder-wysers aan. Hierdie werkswinkels word as hoogs relevant, ondersteunend, ’n gewilde middel tot opleiding ervaar, en hulle word oor die algemeen goed bygewoon. Tog bly die onderwyssuksesse in die Oos-Kaapprovinsie maar skraal. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was dus om vas te stel waarom daar so ’n gaping is tussen die entoesiasme van die onderwys tydens die werkwinkels en hulle klaskamerpraktyk wat tot meer suksesse in die klaskamer behoort te lei.