Teachers educators in South Africa: something amiss with their academic performance?

Abstract

According to some observers, academics responsible for teacher education in South Africa and elsewhere traditionally have not enjoyed great esteem as academics from their colleagues in other disciplines and university structures. This is not only because of the nature of their subject, but also because they prepare students for one of the less esteemed professions, namely school teachers. Data from the South African part of the 22 country survey known as the Changing Academic Profession Research Project (CAP)(2007/8) confirm that their academic performance was not quite as high as that of their peers in other academic fields. The CAP data further suggest that their lower academic performance, operationally defined as research publication output, might among others be related to them feeling less in control of their professional environment than their peers in other disciplines, especially at departmental level. The discussion also reveals several shortcomings in the CAP survey and the data it provides.