ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATORS IN UMGUNGUNDLOVU DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA

Year 2019, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 74 - 100, 01.01.2019

Sybert Mutereko

Abstract

Many institutions have embraced professional development as a way of capacity
building in response to external accountability imperatives. Predicated on an
envisaged linear relationship between CPD and educational outcomes, which
assumes that an improvement in teachers’ content and pedagogic knowledge
would result in the improvement of educational outcomes, the Department of
Basic Education devotes an enormous amount of resources to CPD. This paper
sought to elicit the understandings of educators regarding the implementation and
effectiveness of CPD in the South African Education system using a case study of
uMgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal. Using a mixed methods approach,
the study conducted in-depth interviews with 15 purposively selected school
principals and 100 questionnaire surveys with teachers. The study found that CPD
is implemented as an accountability mechanism with much success. However, a
significant number of respondents reported that they do not use what they learn
from such CPD. The findings of this research provide profound insights for
training and development in the public sector. Unless the public sector adopts a
systematic CPD that is informed by needs analysis and facilitated by competent
practitioners, quality education and efficient service delivery will not be attained.  

Keywords

professional accountability, professional development, skills development

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