A philosophical analysis of continuing professional development of teachers in Namibian schools

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This study is fundamentally ontologically, epistemologically, and methodologically a philosophical research. It is grounded in the philosophy of education perspective, because it is aimed at the analysis of the concept of continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers in Namibian schools. The programme of CPD for teachers at schools may not reach its intended goal of achieving quality education in Namibia, if the concept of CPD is not well perceived by the implementers at school level, who for this study in particular, are school principals. Motivated by my lived experience, the study is guided by the critical theory framework, with its unique emphasis markedly on emancipation, different to many paradigms within the social sciences. I employed a conceptual analysis as the main research activity to deal with data while analysing the concept of CPD for teachers. Conceptual analysis is admired for its ability to unfold what is not clear about the concept while simultaneously providing clarity. With a conceptual analysis, concepts become understandable in relation to other concepts. The study employs document analyses and semi-structured interviews to collect data. The national policy (Vision 2030) and the educational policy (Toward Education for All, and Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme) documents were analysed in order to have their pronunciations on how the concept CPD of teachers in Namibian schools considered and included. A constant comparative method was adopted for data analysis. The concept of CPD with all its diverse notions has been noted as articulated in all policy documents analysed as inservice training, human resource development, lifelong learning, and professional development. These concepts correlate with the interchangeable concepts to the concept of professional development discussed in literature that the researcher reviewed. The concept of CPD for teachers was perceived reasonably well by the school principals who participated in this study as respondents during interview sessions. The findings of this study show that the programme of CPD for teachers in Namibian schools is happening at schools. Teachers are engaged in a variety of activities for their professional development. The contextual factors such as time and school culture emerged as hindrances to the effective implementation of the programme of CPD at school level. The workload of teachers, too, imposes burdens on the implementation of the CPD programme. Schools need to adopt supportive, responsive and accommodative school cultures to ensure teachers’ professional learning in a collaborative context. School time needs to be rescheduled to accommodate the teachers’ professional development interventions.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie studie is basies ontologies, epistemologies en met betrekking tot metodiek ʼn filosofiese navorsing. Dit is gegrond in die filosofie-van-opvoeding-perspektief, weens die beklemtoning van ʼn analise van die konsep, deurlopende professionele ontwikkeling (DPO) van opvoeders in Namibiese skole. Die program, DPO vir opvoeders by skole, mag moontlik nie die beoogde doel bereik dat kwaliteit opvoeding in Namibia geskied, as die verstaan van die konsep, DPO, deur diegene wat dit op skool vlakimplementeer, nie voldoende is nie. In hierdie geval word die klem op hoofde by skolegeplaas. My motivering kom vanuit my persoonlike ervarings as hoof by skole. ʼn Kritiese teoretiese raamwerk rig die studie en verleen dus aan die studie ʼn unieke beklemtoning van menslike bevryding, wat merkbaar verskil van ander tydsverbande of tydsbepalende uitkyke en benaderings binne die sosiale wetenskappe. Ek maak ook gebruik van konseptuele analise as die hoofnavorsingsaktiwiteit om die analise van navorsingsdata van die konsep, DPO vir opvoeders, te bewerkstellig en bepaal. Konseptuele analises word grotendeels as ‘n bepalende wetenskaplike vorm deur praktiserendes gebruik, hetsy die direkte inherente vermoë dat dit konsepte verklaar en klaarheid of duidelikheid verskaf. Met die gebruik van konseptuele analise word konsepte met verband tot ander konsepteverstaanbaar. Die studie gebruik dokumentêre analises en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude om die nodige data te verkry. Die Nasionale Beleid (Visie 2030) en die opvoedingsbeleiddokumente (Opvoeding vir Almal, en Opvoeding en Opleiding Sektor Ontwikkelingsprogram) is ontleed om die konsep van DPO vir opvoeders in Namibië te definieer en verklaar. Konstante vergelykingsmetodes is gebruik om data te ontleed. Die konsep, DPO,is vanaf verskeie oorde, uitkyke en interpretasies met al die verskeie benamings en konnotasies in ag geneem, soos bestaande beleidsdokumente dit artikuleer as indiensopleiding, menslike hulpbronne en ontwikkeling, lewenslange opleiding en vaardigheidsontwikkelingen professionele ontwikkeling .Hierdie konsepte stem ooreen met konsepte wat wedersydse gebruiklikheid of bruikbaarheid ten toon stel, soortgelyk aan professionele ontwikkeling soos bespreek en ontleed in literatuur binne hierdie studie. Skoolhoofde wat aan hierdie studie en onderhoude deelname gehad het, het n redelike begrip van DPO. Bevindings van die studie dui aan dat die program, DPO vir opvoeders by Namibiese skole, tans bestaan. Opvoeders bemagtig hulsef met verskeie professionele ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite. Kontekstuele faktore wat inbraak maak op en ’n negatiewe uitwerking het op sukses, soos tydsbestek of beskikbaarheid en skoolkultuur bestaan ongelukkig nog as redelike invloede wat die suksesvolle implimentering van DPO op skoolvlak benadeel of bekamp. Ander faktore wat suksesvolle implementering van DPO-programme benadeel, is die bestaande werklading van opvoeders. Skole moet poog om bystand te verleen en kulture te skep wat ingryping en insig bevorder en toon, sodat die versekering daar is dat professionele opvoeding van opvoeders in ’n gemoedelike en innemende konteks geskied. Skoolprogramme, intervensiepatrone en tye moet hergeskeduleer word om voorsiening hiervoor te maak