Staff Development in Primary Schools: A Survey from Tembisa, South Africa

Abstract

Educators are faced with the responsibility of ensuring that they broaden and update their knowledge so that they can cater for the social welfare of learners as well as for their academic needs. Therefore staff development plays a key role in the upgrading of educators’ knowledge and skills. The aim of this article is to describe the current situation regarding staff development at primary schools in Tembisa, based on research done in this regard. In the research both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in order to ensure data triangulation. During data collection the researchers came into contact with educators at primary schools in Tembisa. Questionnaires were distributed and individual interviews were conducted with some principals. Three main findings of the research was that staff development is not regarded as a priority in all the schools, schools are not supported financially by the Department of Education to allow staff to attend staff development programmes and some facilitators of staff development programmes are not well trained, which mean that educators attending workshops do not always benefit maximally in improving their knowledge and skills.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p683