Responding to whether it would assist that all SBTPD programmes were funded by the DBE, most participants were of the view that the availability of funds would enable them to effectively implement all programmes that relate to TPD. From the research sites I visited, it emerged that the DBE provided funds that were budgeted for by schools for them to use in the implementation of SBTPD and those funds were found to be mostly used when teachers attended workshops. These workshops were off-site workshops that were provided by the DBE to facilitate and expedite SBTPD. In conversation with participants from school A, they revealed that the school provided funding to enable them to attend off-site workshops. This was their view on funding of SBTPD:
When we go to workshops, we get money from the school set aside for teacher development workshops, that money is used for transport for teachers who attend workshops. Even if there is no money, we still go using our own money and get reimbursed when money is available in schools. (Group A)
In school B it emerged that the funds set aside by the school for SBTPD got finished before the end of the year:
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We are funded by the school for all programmes of SBTPD that we have which include PLC meetings, our staff development workshops and workshops that we attend in central venues with other educators. That is the reason those funds get finished before the end of the year, then when there is a need we fund it ourselves but we always get reimbursed.
(Group B)
Participants from school C revealed that being funded by the school made it easy for them to implement all SBTPD programmes:
The principal gives us money for workshops, we never attend workshops using our own funds. You cannot say you did not attend a workshop because you hand no money, the school provides for that always, it makes it easier for us to attend workshops in that way.
(Group C)
In school D, group participants echoed similar views with other groups in that the school provided funding for SBTPD and thus enabled the implementation of SBTPD. This was their view:
We are given money to attend workshops, conduct our own staff development workshops, for example, if we want to invite someone from the outside, that would incur expenses, the school provides us with the funds, if it happened that you used your own money, you get reimbursed, so there is no problem with that. (Group D)
The school principals revealed that they budgeted for TD SBTPD. From school A, it emerged from
Pa that there was a finance policy that covered funds for SBTPD. He said:
Our finance policy for the whole school, as well as this one for mentoring educators, we spoke with the SGB to actually say that we need to fund the educators who are going for workshops and there is a policy for that, we keep the minutes, receipts and all documents. We budget for workshops and trainings so that we have funds set aside for such. So, yes, it assists. (Pa)
Pb revealed that school funds set aside for SBTPD sometimes ran out and teachers used their
monies but would be compensated when funds were available. He said:
We always have a budget set aside for the SBTPD as sometimes teachers attend workshops off-site. The only problem is when the funds run out before the year ends then they have to
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take out from their pockets, but we try very hard to avoid that and if it happens, we reimburse them when the school funds are available. (Pb)
From school C, similar views emerged that SBTPD was already budgeted for by the school. This is what Pc said:
Our finance policy, that covers transport fees for teachers to attend away workshops that are often organised at a central venue. So, that is how we fund TPD programmes, even for cluster meetings with other schools, we cater for that in the school budget. Unless it becomes depleted during the year, then teachers use their own money and are reimbursed when school allocation funds are available. So, I would say it would be of help if funds never ran out before the following financial year. (Pc)
In school D, it emerged that similar views to that of other schools were shared. SBTPD was funded through the school allocation. Pd said:
We do have a financial policy that includes money that teachers need for attending workshops. When teachers have to attend workshops and cluster meetings that are DBE driven, we fund their transport cost with the school allocation. The problem is that the amount is just never enough, so it would help to have more funds solely allocated for SBTPD. But if it happens that those funds get depleted during the course of the year, then teachers fund their own trips for TPD and we reimburse them. (Pd)
However, in conversation with the CM, it emerged that, for any type of SBTPD programme, schools exercised monopoly over the funds entrusted to them by the DBE. This is what he said:
From where I am sitting as a circuit manager, I do not have any funds for any school, schools manage their own funds. They are supposed to budget for teacher development programmes on their own with their finance committees. I do not have control over that, mine is to monitor the appropriate utilisation of the school allocation. However, it would
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assist greatly to have all SBTPD programmes funded solely by the Department which should be happening in our schools. (CM)
In Chapter 2 (see section 2.6.7), I discussed how schools funded their TPD programmes, how the type of funding they used impacted on the effectiveness of SBTPD, and how the absence of a finance policy for SBTPD impacted on its implementation. The data generated reveals that schools did have finance policies that provide for the funding of SBTPD programmes enabling teachers to attend those off-site workshops as provided by the DBE. However, the data also revealed that the funding was inadequate, since the funds set aside for SBTPD activities got depleted before the end of the year which could be due to the amounts allocated for TD programmes as well as the remoteness of the schools, as the teachers had to attend all workshops planned by the DBE.
5.5.3. Monitoring
It appears that when SBTPD is monitored, it results in its effective implementation. Responding to what monitoring strategies were used, who monitored SBTPD programmes and which areas of SBTPD were monitored, it emerged from the participants that, when authorities monitored the implementation of SBTPD programmes, teachers seemed to be implementing some type of development programmes to improve their practice. In conversation with group participants from school A, it transpired that the SMT regularly monitored their TPD. They shared this perspective on monitoring:
It is monitored by the school principal through liaising with the different committees responsible for CPTD, IQMS and staff development programmes as well as through the SMT meetings with the DH where they will report about the subject meetings, PLC meetings and phase meetings, and about what transpires during those meetings as we discuss about subjects and developing each other. It shows that they care about us as teachers, not only about the learners. (Group A)
In school B, participants revealed that the SMT monitored their SBTPD programmes but random visits from higher authorities were expected at any time.
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Other than our principal together with the coordinator checking on the progress of the IQMS, we sometimes get random visits from the National or Provincial Education office, if they want to check how we are conducting the IQMS programme. But it is very rare. Sometimes they can come after 3 or 4 years, so it is random like that. But it keeps us on our toes all the time because they do not tell when they come. (Group B)
School C group participants revealed that besides the SMT, subject advisors regularly visited the school for monitoring purposes. One perspective conveyed how the monitoring was done and the other elucidated on the benefits of being monitored. The first view was:
We are monitored by our principal, committee coordinators and some SMT members, but we also have our subject advisors who check the regularity and the quality of our subject meetings and our PLC meetings, or whether we do conduct subject meetings at all. (Group
C)
The view on the benefits of monitoring was:
Though it is not a pleasant experience, but being monitored does help in that when they want their documents, we are not found wanting because we are always ready. It also allows us to check whether we are doing things right and also track our progress as we move along. IQMS has a strict programme that has to be followed plus all our internal TPD programmes, so, monitoring is not a bad thing after all. (Group C)
In school D, group participants revealed that every SBTPD activity they conducted was strictly monitored by all SMT members. Their view was:
Our principal is very hands-on in checking whether we conduct IQMS as per its rules because they are given a management plan at the circuit office, so, he has to ensure that it is followed. If he cannot, he usually delegates to the DH who works together with the SDT coordinator. They monitor the IQMS and ensure that we are all signed up for the CPTD, they also monitor and oversee all our staff development programmes. (Group D)
The school principals revealed that the DBE had equipped them with different tools to enable the monitoring of SBTPD so that teaching and learning could take place effectively. Pa said:
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There are tools that we use to monitor SBTPD taking place at the school, in fact, I have a document where all educators have to make entries and specify whether they need help from the SMT or from the Department of Education, so such tools help us as SMT to see what are the areas of development for the teachers are. (Pa)
Pb revealed that together with the SMT, they had crafted a management plan on how to monitor
SBTPD:
We have curriculum monitoring which we do, DHs monitor work for the teachers, identify the problems and challenges that the teachers come across in class, where they need to be developed, the DP sits and discuss the reports of these with the DHs, I sit and discuss these with the DP, and lastly, we sit as staff and solve our teaching and learning problems. Curriculum monitoring is done quarterly and monitoring educators’ planning of their lessons is done weekly. (Pb)
Pc revealed that there was a regular and strict monitoring of SBTPD programmes. She said:
I have committees which report to me regularly about the progress of their engagements with the teachers, especially the SDT for IQMS. I monitor this quarterly to check which step of IQMS has been completed for the quarter because there is a developmental activity each quarter that has to be completed. I check with the DHs the minutes for meetings that they have for their subject meetings/PLCs. I also have conversations with the DHs about problems encountered when they do curriculum monitoring in their phases respectively.
(Pc)
For Pd, it was revealed that they had a continuous programme to enable the monitoring to take place.
We have curriculum monitoring that is done quarterly, we have Jika iMfundo documents that helps the subject teacher, the DHs and myself to track whether the curriculum was covered by the teacher. We also have minutes for subject meetings where teachers meet to talk and discuss about content and methodology for each subject. There are also PLC meetings which serve almost the same purpose as the subject meetings. I hold meetings with the SDT to find out how the development of teachers is going with regard to the IQMS.
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In conversation with the CM, it emerged that the monitoring of SBTPD was part of a larger plan of monitoring the basic functionality of the school. He said:
When it comes to monitoring, as CM, I look at all areas of school functioning including curriculum management, IQMS, CPTD, school improvement plan, management of teaching and learning. In that aspect of SBTPD, I check whether the schools engage in staff development, I have to see their annual programme for staff development, I have to see through signed minutes that they hold these development programmes, I need to see the school IQMS file, I need to see the minutes for PLC meetings, subject meetings and one-on-one conversations for Jika iMfundo curriculum tracking. (CM)
The researched schools were small schools, which made easier the performance of the monitoring function for SBTPD. However, the findings indicated that monitoring in the researched schools took place but there was a noticeable absence of subject advisors to monitor the classroom implementation of what teachers learn in the TPD workshops that are provided. When teachers are not monitored, particularly by their subject advisors, they become reluctant to attend TPD workshops and that leads to the failure of SBTPD (see section 2.2). The data corroborates the literature findings that departmental officials, district officials, school principals have a duty to go through teachers’ weekly plans, learners’ performance records and perform regular classroom visits, in an effort to meet their SBTPD goals (see section 2.5.6). The theoretical framework of the study (see section 3.3), indicated that when teachers engage in SBTPD, they learn and in the process of learning they should reflect on their learning and receive the outcomes of their labour (Speck, 1996).
5.5.4. Continuity
In response to how schools ensured continuity in the implementation of SBTPD, the data indicates that schools had SBTPD programmes which were annual continuous programmes. From school A, group participants revealed that some programmes, for example IQMS, were designed to be continuous throughout the year.
We have IQMS which is continuous throughout the year. And then there is CPTD… (laughs), we have our own staff development programmes which we schedule at the
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beginning of the year to be every month. But then sometimes, we get disturbed by other programmes and we fail to hold them every month, but we do have them. (Group A)
Group B indicated that they had the IQMS and CPTD, which was continuous throughout the year. This was their view:
The PD programme that is continuous throughout the year is the IQMS and the CPTD, at least at the circuit office, they do give us dates of what to do and when, so throughout the year we definitely have something that we do continuously. (Group B)
Group participants from school C revealed that continuity was mandatory in the IQMS. This was their perspective on continuity:
At least we have the IQMS programme which forces us to be involved in SBTPD the whole year through, because it is structured such that every term there is something that we do and those dates are given to schools by the circuit office, again we need to have evidence of all that we have done to that effect. (Group C)
From school D, group participants revealed that strictness and rigidity in following the IQMS steps ensured continuity of their programme.
Besides our regular staff development programmes, there is the IQMS programme which we have to conduct using the programme given to schools by the circuit office, if that counts as continuity, then yes, we can say there is continuity in our SBTPD programmes. (Group
D)
Data from the school principals pointed out that they held the IQMS in high regard as an important programme for SBTPD. Pa indicated that all their SBTPD programmes had an element of continuity. He said:
We all have a reporting tool that has a space for making entries as to what workshops they have conducted and what development activities they have conducted, so, which means continuously they have to submit, in fact, quarterly submissions are made. At the beginning of each year we have annual plan that talks to what we have to do every term for IQMS. We consistently visit the plan to ensure we are still on track. Actually, it is a measuring tool that helps to keep track of continuous activities. (Pa)
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Pb revealed that from the CO programme, they then crafted their management plan as a school, so
they could always be on track. He said:
When we do our annual planning as per directive from the department, we also have a management plan that we craft for IQMS with specific dates, activities and the responsible individuals, from advocacy right up to the summative evaluation. Unfortunately, we do not do justice to it as it is supposed to be a continuous process. Most of the time we focus on the summative towards the end of the year, but the teacher development phase must take place throughout the year. (Pb)
Pc indicated that among other programmes, they had the IQMS as well as staff development
programmes for SBTPD. She said:
We have the IQMS which is a TPD programme and it starts at the beginning of the year, in term 1 with the advocacy from myself as a school principal and teachers doing the self- evaluation where they state where they need to be developed. Then in term 2 and 3 we have the teacher development stages going on with the DSGs assisting the teachers. In the final term we do summative evaluation. So, I would say it is continuous because it is an annual programme and teachers participate fully in the programme. We also have staff development programmes, as I alluded to earlier. (Pc)
Pd’s response suggested that the IQMS provided continuity all year through. He said:
First of all, IQMS is a whole year thing, therefore it is continuous, attending workshops as provided by the department is whole-year thing again, we have staff development workshops internally, which we conduct regularly. We have subject and phase meetings, all those count for teacher development because teachers grow from those meetings and experiences. (Pd)
The CM indicated that the IQMS was the first area of concern to ascertain continuity of SBTPD programmes. He said:
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The first area of my support is the implementation of IQMS, I visit schools to offer monitoring and support in the process itself. In the beginning IQMS was reduced to compliance, but with the re-organisation and re-introduction in the form of workshops and the importance of identifying areas for professional growth, it changed. We provide schools with a quarterly programme of what should be done every time and they have to follow that plan. (CM)
It came out strongly from the findings that schools regarded the IQMS and their internal staff