A professional development programme for grade R teachers : a focus on phonological awareness
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Steyn, Hilette
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North-West University (South Africa), Potchefstroom Campus
Abstract
Professional development is considered an essential mechanism for deepening
teachers' content knowledge and developing their teaching practices. As a result,
professional development could be a cornerstone of systemic reform efforts
designed to increase teachers' capacity to teach to high standards. Professional
development refers to those programmes, activities and experiences where teachers
review, renew and change their attitudes, skills and knowledge. However, most
professional development programmes currently available to teachers, still consist of
the one-shot workshop model for professional development. This is in contrast to
what is suggested by research-based literature. According to the literature, effective
professional development programmes make provision in their design for the
following aspects, namely: the participants in the programme (the "who"), the
relevant knowledge and skills taught during the programme (the "what"), and lastly
the models and techniques that will be utilised during the programme (the "how").
Addressing these aspects in professional development programmes ensures that the
attitude, motivation and context of the participants are taken into account.
Furthermore, that the content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and learner
knowledge of teachers are taught through the best interactive and integrated
activities as part of effective professional development models and techniques, that
are on-going over time and provide follow-up support. To affect change in the
participants' attitude, skills, knowledge and practice, which is the aim of any
professional development programmes, it is important that these aspects are
addressed.
Significant research and professional development efforts during the past several
decades have focused on increasing scholarly and pedagogical knowledge about the
nature and relevance of phonological awareness for children's early literacy
development (e.g. , National Reading Panel, 2000; Lenigan, Burgess, Anthony &
Baker, 1998). Despite these concerted efforts, many early childhood educators,
particularly those providing child care and preschool education, are lacking in a
sophisticated understanding of phonological awareness and of how to promote its
development appropriately in young children (Dickinson & Brady, 2005; Moats &
Foorman, 2003; Zill & Resnick, 2006). As a result, opportunities are missed for supporting the emergent literacy development of many children, particularly those
from backgrounds that make them at risk for reading difficulties.
In order to teach phonological awareness skills effectively within the Grade R
classroom, it is essential that the Grade R teachers have the relevant content
knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and learner knowledge to teach phonological
awareness skills daily, explicitly and systematically in small groups.
This study analysed Grade R teachers' content knowledge and teaching practices
relating to phonological awareness, as well as the "who", the "what" and the "how" of
professional development programmes currently available to Grade R teachers
within the Sunshine District in the North West Province. The results revealed striking
gaps in the content knowledge relating to phonological awareness of the
participating Grade R teachers and that phonological awareness skills are taught
haphazardly within the relevant Grade R classrooms. The results further reflected
that the professional development programmes available to the participating
teachers are lacking in aspects such as providing follow-up support, encouraging
collaboration, being on-going over time and taking the context of the participants into
account
Description
MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015