Education District Office Coordination of Teaching and Learning Support Programmes in South Africa: Eastern Cape Perspective

Abstract

This study analysed the coordination and collaboration of teaching and learning support programmes in the Department of Education District offices. Support for teaching and learning is a universal practise and education local (district) offices including in South Africa, are tasked to support schools with the view of enhancing learner outcomes. However, there is no significant improvement on the quality of learner educational outcomes in the Eastern Cape. Five district officials (office and school based) were purposively selected in two Education Districts. These were Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) Coordinators, Subject Advisors and Education Development Officers (EDOs) and School Management Team members and Principals. Qualitative research approach in which interviews and documentary analysis were used to collect data, served as a guide to this study. From the findings it emerged that district office based officials do not coordinate their teaching and learning support programmes. The data also revealed that EDOs’ Subject Advisors’ and IQMS Coordinators’ teaching and learning support programmes do not inform each other and in some instances these district officials send different signals to schools. This meant that different district offices apply different approaches when it comes to supporting teaching and learning in schools. The researcher recommends therefore that a coherent framework be developed where district officials coordinate jointly and centrally teaching and learning support programmes at district office level so as to avoid mixed messages sent to schools.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1083