Enriching the physical education pedagogical content knowledge of foundation phase teachers
- Authors: Kahts-Kramer, Samantha Andrea
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Physical education and training , Early childhood education -- Curricula
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51242 , vital:43236
- Description: Physical Education (PE) is vital for the holistic development of Foundation Phase learners. Foundation Phase teachers working in low resource contexts, however, being generalists rather than specialists, struggle to teach PE effectively, even when supplied with programmes by external experts. I was interested in finding out why, and what could be done to help them integrate Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) into their teaching, to benefit their learners. I proceeded from the hypothesis that teachers should play an active part in their own development, otherwise any Continual Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) would not bring about the change desired. I argued that if CPTD training and support is embedded within their context and based on teaching philosophies that foster teacher transformation, empowerment, and advocacy, then teachers might be more likely to commit to teaching PE. My aim in this study was thus to develop a collaborative process of CPTD with Foundation Phase teachers in low resource schools to enrich their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of PE and FMS within their contexts of social disadvantage. I initially adopted a qualitative design, but during this study, I realised that a more participatory approach was needed. I therefore present my study in two phases In Phase One, I answered the question: What are Foundation Phase teachers’ experiences of implementing PE in low resource schools? I did so to inform the design of an appropriately suited CPTD model for Phase Two of this study. I used a qualitative research design situated within the interpretive paradigm. I purposively sampled 24 Foundation Phase teachers to partake in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed three broad themes, namely, personal, and systemic barriers to PE, as well as positive responses to challenges. The overlap between themes was significant, highlighting the complexity of teachers’ experiences and perceptions of PE. Teachers’ positive responses emphasised that they possess the creativity and advocacy to overcome challenges posed and necessitated that I adopt a participatory design to work with teachers to develop a collaborative form of CPTD. Phase Two of this study was guided by the questions set by the participating teachers. Ten Foundation Phase teachers from two schools volunteered to be part of the study. In Cycle One they asked: What do we need to learn to be able to effectively implement PE? The findings of Cycle One led them to ask the following question in Cycle Two: How can we improve our confidence to teach PE within our school contexts? Participants did so through collaboratively creating PE lessons which they then implemented and evaluated. The findings of Phase Two highlighted how Foundation Phase teachers can be guided to empower themselves to overcome the barriers to teaching PE that they face in their low resource schools. Based on teachers’ CPTD experiences, I then addressed the third question of this study: What CPTD guidelines can be generated to enable Foundation Phase teachers to improve on and to implement their PCK of PE and FMS at low resource schools? Five CPTD guidelines aimed at collaborative and transformative PE-based CPTD focused on whole school transformation were identified. I provide a graphic depiction of the CPTD guidelines that explains how it can be operationalised. These CPTD guidelines and process model provide valuable knowledge to inform CPTD policy and practice of PE in the Foundation Phase in low resource schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
An improved mentoring model for student teachers on practicum in primary schools in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Jeko, Ishmael
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Student teachers -- Zimbabwe , Student teaching -- Zimbabwe , Early childhood education -- Curricula , Teachers -- Training of -- Zimbabwe , Mentoring in education -- Zimbabwe , Lesson planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9571 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1017553
- Description: As part of a drive to improve the quality of teachers, Zimbabwe introduced a school-based mentoring model in 1995, a move which regrettably seems not have borne fruit. Therefore, this study sought to propose an improved mentoring model for initial teacher training for primary school teachers. Efforts to improve the current mentoring could, however, be facilitated if they were informed by an empirically-based understanding of the shortcomings of the existing mentoring system for student teachers and teachers. In order to attain the above objective, this study adopted a multisite case study design, guided by the interpretive paradigm. A core of nine primary schools, drawn from the rural, urban and peri-urban areas of the Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe, was purposively selected to participate in the study. In the participating schools, key participants were student teachers and mentors, while school principals participated when they had time. A secondary group of primary schools were also identified to be used as validation of findings in a wider setting. An in-depth literature study on teacher education and mentoring was also carried out and this, combined with empirical data, illuminated the issues being investigated. The empirical data were primarily gathered through focus group and face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews, while participant observation (used in conjunction with informal unstructured interviews) and questionnaires were used to verify and triangulate data collected through the interviews. To safeguard the ethical integrity of the study, ethical approval from the relevant university committee, as well as the official consent of educational authorities, was obtained beforehand, as was the informed consent of individual participants. The research established that the support rendered to student teachers in the participating primary schools was largely inadequate and of a shallow mode, focusing primarily on facilitating the mastery of technical skills and the provision of psycho-social support, while being sorely deficient in empowering the student teachers with the skills and attitudes to reflectively and critically engage with their own and others‟ teaching practices. The mentoring was taking place in the context of field experience, organised along the apprenticeship model, hence located in an outmoded traditional paradigm of field experience, something which is regrettable at a time when international best practices seek to move towards a reflective-inquiry-oriented paradigm. Secondly, the research found that the participating schools were not structurally or culturally ready to take significant teacher training responsibility; hence the schools, in their present state, could be seen as constraining the smooth functioning of the mentoring model. Thirdly, some mentor-based factors also seemed to inhibit the functioning of the mentoring model. These included teachers who were attitudinally indisposed to accept student teachers as their professional colleagues, preferring to relate to them hierarchically and vertically, thereby limiting the emergence of a culture of professional collaboration and reciprocal learning relationships. In similar vein, the mentors‟ lack of training limited their capacity of mentors to perform the extended range of mentoring functions necessary for supporting student teachers trained in 21st century schools. The above conclusions and implications point towards the following recommendations: Mentor support for student teachers should be extended from the present superficial level to include functions that are oriented towards reflective practice. However, for this to happen, some adjustments will need to be made in the schools. These include, most importantly, making time available for mentoring activities. In order for the mentors to be able to perform their mentoring functions knowledgeably, they must be made fully aware of what they are supposed to do by providing them with the official documents spelling out mentoring expectations in schools. Additionally, the commitment of mentors to their duties could be made more sustainable by putting in place a clearly defined reward structure that is fully recognized officially and integrated into the employee grading system. To make school environments more propitious towards mentoring, schools must be structurally modified and re-cultured to create slots for mentoring activities, provide opportunities for informal professional interaction among teachers, as well as establish professional engagement forums, such as school-based learning circles. The research also suggests that student teachers should be allowed to choose their mentors through providing them with opportunities for early contact with their prospective mentoring partners. In an attempt to close the gap between college-based modules and field-based school experiences, the research further recommends that college-based modules be delivered in a way that ensures that they are fully integrated with student teachers‟ field experiences. Finally, mentoring could be better facilitated if schools and colleges adopted a partnership arrangement that is more aligned to mentoring. This implies provisionally shifting from the present separatist to the HEI-led partnership model, while preparing for the adoption of a fully-fledged collaborative partnership in the long term. The research was, however, by no means carried out perfectly. It was somewhat limited by its failure to take into account the view of officials from the Department of Education, as well as the input of colleagues in teacher education. In similar vein, the researcher felt that a more nuanced and fine-grained picture of the participants‟ mentoring experiences could have emerged if he had spent more time in the field, something which limited resources and work commitments did not allow him to do. Some significant issues arose from this study, but which it could not pursue. These include exploring the possibility of coming up with a model of teacher education that integrates ITE and CTPD in the context of mentoring, as well as conducting a similarly designed research into the mentoring that is taking place in secondary schools.
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- Date Issued: 2013