The long-term influence of teaching portfolios in the professional development of educators

Abstract

This study investigated, by means of semi-structured interviews, the personal perceptions of educators on post level one concerning the extent of their knowledge of the learning areas they teach; their involvement in the development, organization and planning of their learning areas; the range of broad teaching skills they possess; ways in which they evaluate and give feedback to their learners; their insight into the educator-learner rapport in teaching; and, on the basis of the literature review and the empirical research, made recommendations for a mandated teaching portfolio for all educators in South Africa. The study was conducted with the full knowledge that teaching portfolios are not yet mandatory for educators in South Africa. It was, however, necessary to investigate how educators self-reflect on and self-evaluate their teaching practice, so that mandated teaching portfolios for the professional development of all educators in South Africa can be recommended in order to promote their self-evaluation and self-reflection in teaching. The study recommends that the Department of Education should mandate the development of teaching portfolios for the professional development of educators in South Africa.