Peer-reviewed article
Authentic caring in online professional development for early childhood teachers in South Africa
Leonie van der Westhuizen, Donna Hannaway ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5This study looked at how early childhood teachers in Gauteng, South Africa experience professional development. Researchers interviewed and observed 23 teachers to understand their everyday challenges and learning needs. They found that teachers benefit from school-based support and media resources but want more opportunities to grow professionally. The researchers developed a new model called authentic caring, comparing good teaching practice to tending a garden with careful planning and nurturing.
Key points
- The study involved 23 early childhood teachers in Gauteng province
- Teachers benefit from school-based support and available media
- Teachers need additional learning opportunities to advance professionally
- A new grounded theory model called authentic caring was developed
- The model uses a garden metaphor involving tending, planning, and nurturing knowledge
Limitations
The study is based on a small qualitative sample from one province, so findings may not generalise to other regions or contexts. It does not measure impact on child outcomes directly.
Abstract
Background: The professional development (PD) of early childhood teachers is of strategic importance in higher education and the profession given the need to improve responsiveness and progress towards millennium goals. Aim: The purpose was to analyse classroom practices and teachers’ experiences of PD programmes, through the theoretical lens of the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers to construct an authentic data-based model, which can be used to understand PD challenges and guide decisions about the improvement of education quality. Setting: The study was conducted in Gauteng with teachers from a selection of early childhood centres. Methods: A phenomenological inquiry explored the settings and practices of 23 selected teachers in Gauteng province. Interview and observation data were analysed for content categories and grounded theory articulations. Results: The main finding is that teachers facing everyday educational challenges benefit from school-based support and available media but need additional learning to advance their professional aspirations. The grounded theory analyses of the data highlighted that early childhood practices and articulated development needs are best explained as authentic caring. This was conceptualised metaphorically as garden spaces where careful tending, deliberate planning and various elements of nurturing knowledge may harmoniously be blended. The model extends prevailing theories of PD and the flipped ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. Conclusion: The model of authentic caring is a grounded theory articulation based upon beliefs of practising EC teachers. Contribution: The article provides a comprehensive online teacher professional development framework for EC teachers, emphasising authenticity, care and alignment with global educational standards.