1. Joint Basic and Higher Education Portfolio Committee Meeting
PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
Joint Basic and Higher Education Portfolio Committee Meeting
24 October 2017

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE Purpose The context of teacher education
Trends and growth in Teacher Education
Enhancing the quality of initial teacher education through policy
The Teaching and Learning Development Capacity Improvement Programme
Establishing a Teaching Practice/ WIL platform
UNISA Task Team
ICT and Initial Teacher Education
Professional Standards
Induction 2

3. PURPOSE
To present to the joint Portfolio Committee progress with the implementation of measures to improve Initial Teacher Education Programmes. 3

4. CONTEXT OF TEACHER EDUCATION
SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
SDGs/ CESA/ NDP 4

5. GROWING THE SIZE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
HC Enrolments
35 275
45 474
59 434
79 435
94 236
Graduates
5 939
6 855
7 973
10 593
13 702
16 496
19 077
20 738 5

6. GROWTH IN FUNZA LUSHAKA APPLICATIONS & AWARDS6

7. ADDRESSING THE SHAPE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
2014
2015 FP
2 761
6 746
(35.4%)
2 945
8 056
(38.9%)
FP/IP
267
392 IP
405
413
IP/SP
3 313
4 306 SP
3 918
12 331
(64.6%)
825
12 714
(61.1%)
SP/FET
3 052
5 595
FET
5 361
6 294
TOTAL
19 077
20 720 7

8. ADDRESSING THE SHAPE OF TEACHER EDUCATION THROUGH FUNZA LUSHAKA
2014
2015 FP
808
Funza Lushaka contributed 24.66% of 6746
912
Funza Lushaka contributed 26.93% of 8056
FP/IP 31 92 IP
220
264
IP/SP
605
902 SP
186
Funza Lushaka contributed 20.82% of 12331 96
Funza Lushaka contributed 22.38% of 12714
SP/FET
FET
1 574
1 848
TOTAL
4 232
Overall contribution by Funza Lushaka (22.18% of 19077)
5 016
Overall contribution by Funza Lushaka (24.2% of 20720) 8

9. ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION THROUGH POLICY
Two key policies are in place:
Policy on Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (DHET, 2011, revised 2015)
National Education Policy on Recognition and Evaluation of Qualifications for Employment in Education (DBE, 2017)
Overseen by the:
National Teacher Education Programmes Evaluation Committee (TEPEC) 9

10. TEPEC – APPROVED NEW INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS10

11. ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION THROUGH PROJECTS
2015/16 – 2019/20 11

12. TLDCIP THEORY OF CHANGE
Quality research that is needed to inform the development work in the range of focus areas is supported;
Teaching standards (knowledge and practice standards/competence standards) for the specific focus areas within ITE programmes are developed;
The standards are used to inform the development of curriculum frameworks for the focus area;
Well-designed comprehensive materials that support the delivery of courses within the focus area;
Assessment tools that enable the reliable assessment of initial teacher education students and newly qualified teacher’s ability/competence in the area are developed;
Capacity development opportunities for teacher education academics involved in these of initial teacher education are provided; and
Ultimately, the main result must be strengthened initial teacher education programmes that enable new teacher graduates to teach competently as beginning teachers. 12

13. Knowledge and practice standards development has been completed.
TEACHER EDUCATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION PROJECT (TEECEP)
Work areas
Progress
Gazette a Policy on Programmes Leading to Qualifications in Higher Education for Educators and Practitioners in Early Childhood Education and Care
The Policy was published in March Provincial advocacy visits will take place between October and November Articulation workshops are in progress.
Support at least 10 universities to develop and offer professional qualification programmes for ECD (Birth – 4) educators and other ECD professionals
10 universities in collaboration with three civil society organizations are in the process of developing the ECCE professional qualifications.
Knowledge and practice standards development has been completed.
The curriculum framework is currently being drafted. 13

14. TEACHER EDUCATION FOR INCLUSIVE TEACHING (TEFIT) PROJECT
Work areas
Progress
Develop a set of professional standards for inclusive teaching which can be used to guide the development of teacher education programmes, modules and materials
Draft knowledge and practice standards for inclusive teaching have been designed and presented at a Joint Standards meeting with PrimTEd, TEECEP and SACE.
Support the establishment and strengthening of 3 university-based specialist centres, each with a focus on a different area in special needs education.
UP- education for learners with visual challenges
WITS- education for learners with hearing difficulties
UJ- education for learners with neuro-developmental disorders.
Neurodevelopmental specialisation submitted to UJ faculty board for inclusion into the B.Ed (Senior and FET).
Two short learning programmes completed. Approval for online delivery awaited.
Website domain : Teachme.org.za created and hosted in March 2017 by UJ.
Wits Centre for Deaf Studies hosted a Family Centred Early Intervention /Africa Developing World Conference. Two stories in Series 1 have been published for Deaf children. 14

15. TEACHER EDUCATION FOR INCLUSIVE TEACHING (TEFIT) PROJECT
Work areas
Progress
Support for 3 research projects in inclusive and special needs education with at least nine articles (3 per research project) published in accredited journals
Research on the implementation of SIAS in schools has started.
A review of deaf education is in process.
Annual dialogue events
Convened in August 2017 at UJ 15

16. PRIMARY TEACHER EDUCATION (PRIMTED) PROJECT
Work areas
Progress
Developing new teacher graduates’ ability to teach literacy in English First Additional language and African languages with a special focus on reading.
Annotated bibliography for African languages completed.
Knowledge and practice standards in process
Developing new teacher graduates’ ability to teach number sense and early algebra.
Completion of literature review on the conceptualization of number sense.
Knowledge and practice standards in process.
Developing new teacher graduates’ ability to teach geometry and measurement.
Designed writing framework to guide materials development.
Developed and reviewed a set of core standards for Geometry and Measurement through desktop research. 16

17. PRIMARY TEACHER EDUCATION (PRIMTED) PROJECT
Work areas
Progress
Developing new teacher graduates’ ability to think mathematically and to infuse their own teaching with a mathematical thinking approach.
Draft conceptual framework approved by all provincial coordinators.
University questionnaire completed.
Knowledge management
Two newsletters produced. Online website in progress.
Development of assessment instruments for use in primary teacher education.
Mathematics Assessment tool finalized and available online. Two universities administered the Maths assessment with first year students.
Administered English language assessment at one university.
Development of curriculum tools to support the delivery of the work –integrated learning component of primary teacher education programmes.
Draft database prototype (WIL placement and administrative management) completed.
Successful collaboration with University of Stanford and University of Central Florida. 17

18. ESTABLISHMENT OF A TEACHING PRACTICE/WIL PLATFORM FOR ITE
Policy
Funding
Teaching Schools
Professional Practice Schools
ICT Platform
Curriculum
Implementation protocol
HR Capacity Development 18

19. ESTABLISHMENT OF A TEACHING PRACTICE/WIL PLATFORM FOR ITE
A Round Table on Teaching Practice was convened on 27 July 2017 at DBE Conference Centre. About 50 people participated including representatives from the DHET, DBE, PEDs, universities, SACE, ETDP SETA, teacher unions.
The main outcome was conceptualization of a teaching practice platform and a process towards putting it in place.
The process will involve convening a series of working groups focused on aspects of the platform. Groups will be convened between now and end March 2018 for 2-3 days. The output of each working group meeting would be a framework document that describes how that aspect must be built into the overall platform.
The framework documents developed by each group will be collated into an overall Teaching Practice Framework, to be presented to a representative group of delegates at a Teaching Practice Indaba in April 2018 and where it will be interrogated, critiqued and refined.
Thereafter the plan is to take it through the various approval processes and to implement. 19

20. ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNISA INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION TASK TEAM
Brief:
Work with UNISA’s College of Education to review initial teacher education at the institution, and to develop an action plan to strengthen aspects of initial teacher education that need strengthening.
Reporting to:
The Director-General (DHET) and the Vice-Chancellor (UNISA)
Composition:
Prof M Samuels (chair), Prof R Balfour, Prof J Aitchison; Dr N Taylor; Ms E Mokgalane; Mr G Coetzee; Prof V McKay; Prof M Mogano; Ms M Mathey; Dr W Green
Progress:
Terms of Reference finalised and approved
Two meetings held and work teams aligned to the TORs have been established and work plan for the TT has been put in place.
Data and information being collected and analysed.
Final Report due:
30 October 2018 20

21. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL LEARNING
THE IMMINENT APPOINTMENT OF A SARChI CHAIR ON ONLINE AND DIGITAL LEARNING WILL ADVISE ON:
RESEARCH AREAS
OPTIMAL USE OF ICT
DRIVING ACTIVE USE OF DIGITAL RESOURCES IN ITE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL LEARNING
ACCESS
TO DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR ITE
ICT &
INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION
GROWING COMPETENCIES OF STUDENT TEACHERS AND LECTURERS 21

22. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS: Background and Legislative Mandate22

23. NESTED MODEL OF STANDARDS
SDGs
NDP
MTSF
Broad Metrics
SACE
Professional Teaching Standards
Competence/ Content/ Subject Standards
Minimum Requirements for Employment
Performance Standards
IQMS
Standard for Principalship
DHET & DBE
MRTEQ (DHET, 2011, revised 2015)
Criteria for Recognition and Evaluation of Qualifications for Employment in Education (DBE, 2017)
DHET & EDF: Content Standards
Diagram acknowledgment: Dr J Keevy, JET Education Services 23

24. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
WORK AREA
PROGRESS
Support to SACE to develop professional practice standards for teachers in South Africa.
A Steering Committee, comprised of decision makers from SACE, JET and DBE is in place and meets every two months.
A SACE Standards Development Working Group (SDWG) is working on draft Professional Teacher Standards (TPS) .
A joint meeting between the SACE SDWG, the PrimTED subject standards working groups and the inclusive education working group, took place on 30 August 2017.
1st Draft Teaching Standards Framework – Consultation at Provincial Level with the Teachers and Subject Advisors (October – November 2017). 24

25. Initial Teacher Education Continuous Professional Development
INDUCTION PROGRAMME
Induction Programme
Induction programme to bridge the gap between initial teacher education (University) and practical implementation at school.
Improved initial teacher education programmes offered at Higher Education Institutions. E.g. TLDCIP
Developing the skills and competences of existing teachers with the theory and practical strategies necessary for effective teaching.
Initial Teacher Education
Continuous Professional Development 25

26. WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH INDUCTION?
Lack of consistency in teacher induction across provinces.
Critical information not always available for new teachers and principals on their very first day of school and or leadership.
Many new teachers and principals figure ‘things’ out by themselves.
False assumption: that newly qualified teachers are well prepared for their initial classroom and school experiences. Principals can develop professional, management and leadership expertise on their own.
Research says this period is predictive of success and retention in a teaching career; new teachers are more influenced by their first school setting than by their teacher education pre-service training and well received and supported teachers have a better chance of success in their first year of teaching. 26

27. INDUCTION PROGRAMME WORK AREA PROGRESS
Orientation Booklet for new teachers and newly appointed school managers.
The Orientation Booklet has been made available on the website of the DBE and has been communicated with the Heads of Provincial Education Departments.
Developing a comprehensive induction programme for all new teachers and school managers.
A Research Report on Teacher Induction has been prepared by the Centre for Development Enterprise (CDE) (November, 2015).
Support the implementation of the “Inclusive Education Teacher Induction Programme” as part of the European Union funded Teaching and Learning Development Capacity Improvement Programme (TLDCIP). 27

28. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that Portfolio Committee discusses progress with the implementation of measures to improve Initial Teacher Education Programmes and provide inputs and guidance. 28