Departments of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training as well as the Education

Deans Forum

Measures taken to improve Initial Teacher Education

Portfolio Committee on Basic Education03 November 2015

Purpose

To brief the joint Portfolio Committees of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training with a report on the measures taken to improve Initial Teacher Education.

2

The Formal Teacher Education Landscape• Teacher education is a national competence, funded and

regulated through the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

• Teacher education can only be offered by accredited Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

• Teaching is a graduate career with two pathways: Bachelor of Education degree (National Qualification

Framework [NQF] exit level 7; 480 credits; 4-years full-time); and

Appropriate undergraduate degree or diploma followed by a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) [NQF exit level 7; 120 credits; 1-year full-time]

3

The Formal Teacher Education Landscape• Teachers can specialise as Foundation Phase Teachers;

Intermediate Phase teachers, Senior Phase/FET teachers.

• 23 public universities offer Initial Teacher Education (ITE). The exceptions are Vaal University of Technology; Mangosuthu University of Technology and the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

• Increased private HEI involvement in ITE• The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is the main

custodian of quality in higher education, including teacher education.

4

Private HEIs Involved in Initial Teacher Education

• Akademie Reformatoriese Opleding en Studies (AROS) • Afrikaanse Protestante Akademie• Centre for Creative Education• City Varsity• Cornerstone Christian College• Damelin• Embury Institute for Teacher Education• Helderburg College• Lyceum College• Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA)• Midrand Graduate Institute• SANTS Private Higher Education Institution• The Independent Institute of Education

5

The Roles of DHET, DBE, EDF in Teacher Education

• Whilst different Departments and structures play a leadership role with respect to specific functions, there is collaboration between structures on all the functions.

• The DHET leads on the following: Funding teacher education. The development of policies on teacher education

qualifications. Support and monitoring of the implementation of

policies. Supporting capacity development at universities.

6

The Roles of DHET, DBE, EDF in Teacher Education

• The DBE leads on the following: Understanding and planning for teacher demand and

supply. Advocacy and recruitment. Funza Lushaka bursary programme. Teacher utilisation and placement. New teacher induction programmes.

• The Education Deans Forum (EDF) is a sub-structure of the Universities South Africa (USAf) and its role is to: Identify challenges in the education system and

discuss ways in which to address these. Sharing of good practice. Promote dialogue and engagement with policy

makers and relevant research. 7

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education…….is an on-going process that has been unfolding with more focus and intensity since 2007, through a range of policy, planning and programme initiatives, and in direct response to issues highlighted by the Ministerial Task Team on teacher education and by the 2007 CHE review of teacher education programmes, and in the 2009 Teacher Development Summit, which are themselves part of the process to strengthen and improve the quality of teacher education.

8

Quality in Initial Teacher EducationQuality in ITE is promoted through:•Policy•Oversight•Collaboration•Infrastructure development•Dialogue and community building•Research•Programmes

9

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Policy

• The Policy on Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ) is an important response to the issue of teacher education quality.

• MRTEQ sets minimum standards for initial teacher education qualifications.

• It requires that all ITE programmes must be strongly focussed on developing teacher knowledge and practice.

• It puts specific requirements in place for the teaching practice components of ITE programmes.

• All universities are required to develop new programmes that comply with the policy

10

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Oversight

• Several evaluation processes: Evaluation by the Teacher Education Programme

Evaluation Committee (TEPEC) which is convened by DHET with a representation from DBE, the South African Council for Educators (SACE) and the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA)

Evaluation for inclusion on the Programme Qualification Mix (PQM)

HEQC evaluation for accreditation by CHE Application to South African Qualifications Authority

(SAQA) for registration on the NQF11

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Oversight

• Quality concerns with respect to delivery and outcomes referred to CHE for investigation. CHE has the mandate for quality assurance in HE and we all have recourse to report quality concerns to it.

• What should the role of SACE be in quality promotion for teacher education?

12

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Collaboration

• National Teacher Education Development Committee (NTEDC): The establishment of the NTEDC is a requirement of

the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development (ISPFTED) under Output 4; and

Its purpose is to ensure that a coherent and coordinated approach is taken to the planning for and delivery of teacher education programmes in the country in ways that are aligned to national teacher education needs, that are sustainable and lead to stability and quality in the system

13

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Collaboration

• Provincial Teacher Education Development Committees (PTEDC): Function to ensure a coherent and coordinated

approach is taken to the planning for and delivery of teacher education programmes in the provinces in ways that are aligned to provincial and national teacher education needs, that are sustainable and that lead to stability and quality in the system.

• Education Deans Forum (EDF): Meets on a quarterly basis to share knowledge and

information as well as to network and foster collaboration amongst HEIs and other stakeholders in the higher and basic education sectors; and

DBE and DHET are active participants in the EDF.14

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Better Infrastructure

TEACHER EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES (2012/13 -2014/15)(DHET contribution)

Amount (000) Purpose

CPUT 58 230 Mowbray and Wellington campus extensions

UCT 55 000 New teacher education building on the middle campus to accommodate an enlarged education cluster

CUT 45 000 Expanding teacher education buildings on the Bloemfontein campus

DUT 79 588 Expanded teacher education infrastructure on the Indumiso campus in PMB

UFH 42 329 Construction of new building to support ECD/Foundation Phase on the East London campus

UFS 25 058 Expanded infrastructure to accommodate Technology, Engineering Graphics and Design, micro and practical teaching as well as 6 new lecture theatres on Bloemfontein campus

UJ 19 565 Additions to the teaching school and two new lecture halls on Soweto campus

UKZN 45 000 Phase 1 of a new initial teacher education building on the Edgewood Campus

NMMU 40 767 Construction of a new building for Foundation Phase teacher education on the Missionvale Campus

UP 7 829 Construction of a post-graduate research commons on the Groenkloof campus

UNISA 30 000 Development of ICT infrastructure to better support initial teacher education students on teaching practice

SUN 3 050 Refurbishment of the teacher education building

TUT 55 000 Construction of new multi-purpose teacher education building on Soshanguwe campus and general landscape improvement of campus

VUT 33 040 Construction of a new teacher education building on the Sebokeng campus

WSU 60 000 Construction of 2 teaching auditoriums (200 seats and 400 seats) on the ZMK campus

UWC 15 972 Extension and renewal of South campus to allow relocation of teacher education

WITS 14 000 Renovation of old student union building to house education policy unit and centre for deaf studies.

TOTAL 662 468 Teacher education infrastructure projects supported at 17 universities

Improving Teacher Education Quality through national Dialogue and Community Building

Events• 2009 teacher development summit• 2012 teacher education conference• 2014 colloquium on the teaching practice component of

initial teacher education programmes• 2014 symposium on academic depth and rigour in initial

teacher education• 2015 colloquium on teaching practice and teacher

professionalism

16

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Research

a) Initial Teacher Education Research Project (ITERP)• Partnership between JET, EDF, DHET and DBE to generate

information to inform the debate about the quality of ITE among the most important stakeholders in the sector.

• The project consists of four components:i. Content of teacher education programmes at 5 HEIs

(Research completed);ii. Case studies of NQTs in first two years of teaching

(Ongoing);iii. Survey of all final year (BEd and PGCE) students in 2013,

tracking them into the workplace for 2 years (Ongoing); andiv. Dissemination and recommendations for ITE in the

Intermediate Phase (Findings presented).

17

Improving teacher education quality through Research

• Impact on policy (MRTEQ):i. All IP student teachers will be required to include

a substantial maths component in their BEd programmes; and

ii. The language requirements, both for English First Additional Language (FAL) and another SA languages, have been strengthened.

• Impact on practice:i. Communities of practice (COPs) for Primary

Mathematics and Primary Literacy being established which will have a role in developing professional standards for these areas of teacher education

18

Improving Teacher Education Quality through Research

b) Research Report on Establishing Professional Practice Schools in South Africa by Prof M Robinson (completed)

c) Research Report on Establishing Teaching Schools in South Africa by Prof S Gravett (completed)

d) Enhancing teacher professionalisation • Role of SACE in enhancing teacher

professionalisation.e) Research on teacher induction programmes

• The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) is currently undertaking policy research on Teacher Induction funded by the Zenex Foundation.

f) Research on teacher supply and demand (Reports published by DHET, CDE, and University of Stellenbosch)

g) Validation of the Commonwealth Standards for teachers and school leaders by JET Education Services. 19

Improving teacher education quality through Programmes

Foundation Phase Teacher Education

Primary Teacher Education

Teacher Education

Involvement of additional universities in Foundation Phase teacher education to enable increased enrolments and additional teachers for this phaseResearch, Programme Development and Materials Development projects at universitiesBursaries for African language B Ed Foundation Phase studentsFoundation Phase Programmes that are able to develop African language Foundation Phase teachers.

Establishment of the South African Research Association for Early Childhood EducationEstablishment of the South African Journal of Childhood EducationEstablishment of new teacher education campuses

Research on initial teacher educationResearch on the establishment of professional practice schoolsResearch on the establishment of teaching schoolsDevelopment of a supply-demand model for teacher educationEnhanced system competency to evaluate teacher education qualifications

20

Achievements of the Strengthening Foundation Phase Teacher Education Programme

• The number of universities involved in Foundation Phase (FP) teacher education has grown from 13 to 21 universities. The 21 universities have been involved in a range of research, programme development and material development projects ---new teacher education programmes that will prepare FP mother tongue teachers in all SA languages.

• The headcount enrolments in initial teacher education FP programmes has grown from 10 073 students in 2009 to 18 260 in 2012.

• 28 journal articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals so far.

• The programme supported the seed employment of 24 new childhood education academics at universities.

21

Achievements of the Strengthening Foundation Phase Teacher Education Programme

• Scholarship support is provided for 7 Honours students, 54 M Ed students and 40 PhD students.

• 200 African language Bachelor of Education students are supported with full cost bursaries.

• Establishment of the South African Journal of Childhood Education.

• Establishment of the South African Research Association for Early Childhood Education (ECD).

• Establishment of the University of Mpumalanga, Siyabuswa Teacher Education Campus and a Centre for African Language Teaching on the Campus.

22

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme• The Funza Lushaka bursary programme has made a

considerable contribution by: Improving the attractiveness of teaching as a choice. The merit-based criteria for awarding the bursary has

contributed to a higher calibre of students entering initial teacher education programmes.

A recent evaluation of the Funza Lushaka bursary programme indicates that the throughput of Funza Lushaka students is higher than non-bursary holders

23

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme

Programme Time Taken Number Percentage

BEd

Minimum Time (Four years)

1 265 81%

More than Minimum Time

296 19%

PGCE

Minimum Time (One year)

106 49%

More than Minimum Time

109 51%

24

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme• Number of bursaries awarded in 2015:

Value of the Funza Lushaka bursary fund in 2015: R991, 084, 000

25

Funza Lushaka Bursary ProgrammePhase specialisation and year of study of the Funza Lushaka bursary holders in 2015:•Analysis of the consolidated lists of new applicants and re-applicants for Funza Lushaka bursars from the 24 universities offering initial teacher education programs shows that 2 576 students are currently in their first year while 4 616 students are in their fourth year of study.•Risk: The Funza Lushaka bursary has to maintain a larger number of existing students while fewer bursaries are available for new applicants

26

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme

Phase Specialisation

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

4th Year PGCE Grand

TotalBlank 6 8 7 2 2 25FET 969 1 086 1 312 1 802 121 5 290FP 421 556 559 924 3 2 463FP/IP 0  0 2 15 0 17IP 269 326 257 440 3 1 295IP/SP 223 306 361 593 1 1 484SP 142 276 174 203  0 795SP/FET 546 523 671 637 140 2 517Grand Total 2 576 3 081 3 343 4 616 270 13 886

27

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme• FET Subject Specialisations of 2014 Funza Lushaka

Graduates:

28

Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme• 2014 Foundation Phase graduates by home language:

29

Next Steps in Improving Teacher Education and Quality

• Professional standards for teachers and school leaders.• Investments in Initial Teacher Education programmes

to strengthen teacher practice and enhance the quality of new teacher graduate output.

• Induction Programmes for new teachers (including better recruitment).

• Evaluation of teachers and school leaders.• Quality Continuous Professional Development

programmes.

30

Research

4 MAIN THRUSTS

Advocacy

Practice Teaching (WIL)

Course & Material Development

Programme Development

Policy, Regulation, Standards

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

(through developing/drawing on communities of practice and relevant

civil society organisations

ECD

educ

ator

dev

elop

men

t

Prim

ary

teac

her e

duca

tion

TVET

and

CET

colle

ge le

ctur

er e

duca

tion

Incl

usiv

e an

d sp

ecia

l nee

ds te

ache

r edu

catio

n

Introducing the Teaching and Learning Development Capacity Improvement Programme (2015-2020)

31

Strengthening University Capacity for ECD Educator Development: Indicative Activities

Gazette a policy on professional qualifications for ECD (birth-4 years) educators.

Support universities to develop and offer qualification programmes for ECD (birth-4 years) educators, and materials that will support the delivery of these teacher education programmes

32

Strengthening University Capacity for Primary Teacher Education

Support the establishment of academic communities of practice focused on achieving greater convergence, coherence and rigour in primary teacher education curricula for the development of mathematics teachers, science and technology teachers and language and literacy teachers.Seed the establishment of new primary initial teacher education programmes at universities where these are not yet offered.Finalise norms and standards for professional practice schools and teaching schools and mechanisms for their establishment, including a guide/manual on their establishment and supporting universities to develop business plans for the establishment of teaching schools.

33

Strengthening University Capacity for Primary Teacher Education

Develop a national programme/course and course materials to support the professional development of school teachers that act as tutors and mentors to initial teacher education students, which can be delivered in a blended mode, with a significant online component.Support the development of a teaching practice platform for initial teacher education programmes.Roll-out a national advocacy campaign for teaching as a viable and attractive career choice (with a focus on teaching in the range of education sub-sectors).

34

Strengthening University Capacity for Inclusive and Special Needs Teacher Education

Support the establishment of an inclusive education teacher educator community of practice that will develop an effective approach/model for developing inclusive education competence through teacher education programmes.Support the establishment of three university-based centres of excellence, one each with a focus on education for the visually impaired, education for the hearing impaired, and education for the intellectually impaired, that will have the function of training specialist teachers who work/ will work in special schools, special schools resource centres and full-service schools and of leading research in these areas in order to inform policy and practice.

35

Further Research to be Supported through the TLDCIP (to inform further planning and interventions)

Educator supply, demand and utilisation including a focus on:Pathways into Practice: New teacher graduate employmentMatch between graduate specialisations and system needsMovement patterns of South African teachers in the countryThe phenomenon of late joiners and returning teachersImpact of ageing profession and retirement bulgesLeaking bucket syndrome – teacher retention

With a view to understanding patterns, contributory factors, future trajectories, policy implications etc.

36

Teacher education practices with a focus on:Selection of students into initial teacher education programmes admission requirementsTeaching Practice and Work-Integrated Learning modalities Initial Teacher Education delivery modalities:

B Ed and PGCE Education faculty based B Eds and multiple faculty based B Eds Distance and contact ITE programmes School based (learnership) and university based modalities public and private teacher education offerings

Student success and throughput in initial teacher education programmesNew teacher graduate attributes: what’s in place and what are the gaps?Curriculum coherence, depth, breadth and responsiveness in teacher education programmes for the development of specialist teachers (e.g. of language, mathematics, for inclusive education, for special needs teachers.Are efforts to improve teacher education quality making a difference?

Further Research to be Supported through the TLDCIP (to inform further planning and interventions)

37

Thank You