'n Professioneleontwikkelingsprogram vir die ontginning van kinder- en jeugliteratuur vir die Afrikaans skoolkurrikulum

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