Journal of Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' and learners' state of readiness with regard to the implementation of E-learning. The study followed a qualitative research approach with a case study research design. The population in the study consisted of School Management Teams, teachers and learners in quintile 3 schools in the Tshwane South District. Purposive sampling was used to select three School Management Teams, three teachers and three learners from underperforming schools in the Tshwane District. Data was collected through oneon-one interviews. ADDIE's model was used as a theoretical framework for determining how an instructional designer, training developer and educator should design a program such as E-learning. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data. The study found that teachers were not adequately trained prior to the implementation of E-learning, which impacted negatively on the project. Moreover, the study revealed that learners did not receive official, structured E-learning training, with the result that they relied on their teachers, who were also not properly prepared. Some schools were provided with tablets without having access to the internet, which severely curtailed their usefulness. The study recommends extensive training of both learners and teachers in the use of E-learning. 

This study reflects on the use of workshops as a strategy for ongoing professional development for inclusive education in South Africa. The study followed the qualitative research approach, where a case study design was adopted. Six teachers from three secondary schools in Limpopo Province were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews, observations and document analysis. Data was qualitatively analysed through the content analysis method and five findings emerged: Teachers expressed lack of a clear understanding of what inclusive education is; teachers were not confident enough to practice what they learnt at the workshops; teachers expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of content covered at workshops; teachers were not satisfied with the kind of venues where the workshops were held, and lastly teachers experienced shortage of resources necessary for inclusive education. These findings have at least two implications: One, the workshops as currently conducted, are inadequate to equip teachers with the requisite skills and knowledge to practise inclusive education. Two, the current models of professional teacher development such as workshops are ineffective, and inadequate, and that new strategies are needed to prepare teachers to be inclusive in schools.

Newly qualified teachers in South Africa will soon be required to prove themselves in the classroom before they get a license to teach. This is one of a number of initiatives to be spearheaded by the South African Council of Educators (SACE) in order to improve and ensure the quality of new teachers entering the profession and to guarantee their readiness to meet the requirements of 21^st century teaching. Several studies emphasise the importance of nurturing reflective teaching during teaching practice. Education faculties find it difficult to facilitate appropriate reflection and debriefing on teaching practice. As a result, much of the professional development for innovative teaching has little effect on classroom teaching and learning. The aim of this research was to explore the extent to which student teachers apply the art of critical reflective thinking during their teacher training programme and the implications for promoting reflective teaching in their learners. A qualitative and contextual study was undertaken to address the aim. The approach was mainly inductive with a view to understanding the participants’ reflective practices through capturing their written narratives. Data were collected by means of document analysis (forty lesson plans and forty reflective essays in student portfolios). The findings were varied but they highlighted overwhelmingly the necessity of improving student teachers’ critical and reflective thinking skills. There is a need for salient learning that occurs as a result of the art of reflection which will enable student teachers to implement reflective practices when they enter the profession. This study offers possibilities for transferable learning that practising teachers may also find useful.