| dc.description.abstract | The European Commission (2007) identified the quality of teaching and teacher education as key
factors necessary to ensure the quality of education systems and to improve the educational
attainment of young people. A study of the most successful school systems acknowledges the central
role of teachers, and maintains that “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of
its teachers” and that “the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction” (Barber &
Mourshed, 2007: 1). As such, maintaining and improving the quality of teaching is vital to the
achievement of South African’s education goals.
Several decades of research has demonstrably shown the short and long term consequences that
good quality early childhood development programmes have on the development of children. High
quality programmes depend on the effectiveness of the teacher. In order to be effective, teachers in
the Foundation Phase and the Intermediate Phase have to develop specialised content knowledge
and skills. The key to the maintenance of teaching effectiveness and the promotion of continuing
growth lies in professional teacher training of a high standard.
In the context of this study about professional development, the researcher wished to focus on and
examine the usefulness of child and youth literature as part of a comprehensive literacy programme
for teachers in both the Foundation and Intermediate Phase.
The Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy reports that the professional development of teachers
in the Foundation and Intermediate Phase is limited, inconsistent and fragmented. This inconsistency
is reflected by the great variety of content, approaches, duration and quality of available teacher
development programmes.
The problem of inconsistency is exacerbated by the fact that what teachers learn in various
programmes is generally not integrated or contextually relevant. Most professional development
programmes do not provide follow-up actions to give support to teachers applying newly learnt
practices. Inconsistency and disruption fragment professional development, rather than strengthening
it.
The purpose of this study was to determine which literary components need to be included in
professional development programmes, who presents professional development, what it includes and
how the professional development programme is presented. This study also attempted to determine
the attitude of teachers towards professional development programmes and child and youth literature,
teachers’ subject content knowledge of child and youth literature, and finally teachers’ skills in the
integration of child and youth literature in the classroom. After this information had been gathered, the purpose was to compile a professional development programme which will focus on the format and
support necessary for the maintenance of continuing professional learning for Foundation and
Intermediate Phase teachers, with regard to the integration of child and youth literature. This was
done within a conceptual framework that focussed on the Whole Teacher Approach.
This study was undertaken from an interpretative paradigm in which the focus was on the individual
and/or community and the meanings that they attach to specific experiences. A qualitative research
approach was undertaken, through which an attempt was made to gather rich descriptive data about
a specific subject within its context, and to analyse and understand this. The study makes use of a
phenomenological research design in order to identify the phenomenon and thus to investigate how
the people concerned view the phenomenon (i.e., professional development programmes and child
and youth literature). A focussed survey was done in the Wonderland District. Subject advisors in the
Foundation Phase (Grades 1, 2 & 3) and in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4, 5 & 6) were consulted
in order to find out who the presenters of the professional development programmes are and what
these persons’ attitudes or readiness for these programmes is. The subject advisors were also asked
to clarify what professional development programmes that focus on child and youth literature entail
and to explain these programmes in terms of format and duration. The focussed survey was also
used to interrogate teachers in both Phases in schools in the Wonderland District, where Afrikaans as
mother-tongue is used, concerning their attitude to professional development programmes and child
and youth literature, as well as to investigate their content knowledge and skills with regard to its
integration.
The following methods of data collection were used in this study, namely: open questionnaires, semistructured
focus group interviews, and document analysis. The data thus gathered was analysed
according to themes which were identified within the data itself. According to Moustakas (1994: 120-
121), phenomenological data is analysed in a specific manner. The researcher used the following
characteristic phenomenological steps of Moustakas to analyse the data: a) The list and grouping of relevant data (horizontalization)
b) Reduction and elimination
c) Grouping and theme identification from the data
d) Final identification – validation
e) Individual textual descriptions
f) Individual structured descriptions
g) Individual textual – structured descriptions
The results indicate that the relevant literary components that are important for the teaching of child
and youth literature are not necessarily part of the teachers’ content knowledge. In addition the results
showed that attitude with regard to professional development programmes and child and youth
literature in the classroom was not necessarily positive and that there was a lack of clarity about what
should be included in professional development programmes which focus on the integration of child and youth literature. In most cases teachers were negative about professional development
programmes and their content knowledge was inadequate. The results indicate that an effort needs to
be made with the development of a professional development programme which focuses on the
integration of child and youth literature in the classroom.
The professional development programme upon which this study was based is the WOM model. This
model includes a five-day workshop during which the theory is presented to teachers, but in which
they acquire sufficient practical experience. As part of the WOM model five teaching aids are
developed which assist teachers in the integration of child and youth literature in the classroom. In
addition, the WOM model makes use of follow-up visits and mentorship brought to teachers and
implemented in schools, which will provide support to teachers in the integration of child and youth
literature in the classroom | en_US |
