Lecturers' perceptions on the value of the experience of completing a teaching portfolio

Abstract

A teaching portfolio allows lecturers to track their own growth and development in teaching and learning, as it helps to document their career’s journey. This study gained insight into this experience from the lecturers’ perspectives. The research paradigm was qualitative and the study used a sample of lecturers from an independent tertiary institution in Johannesburg. Personal interviews provided rich data and themes were developed from the data to answer the research questions concerning the value of doing a teaching portfolio. Lecturers’ perceptions provided clear evidence of the value of doing a teaching portfolio, because it developed their personal competence, knowledge, skills and higher-order thinking. However, the findings showed that the success of a teaching portfolio remained dependent on individual motivation and how the process was implemented. Any challenges experienced tended to negatively affect motivation, thereby decreasing the perceived value of a teaching portfolio. This study recommended that a teaching portfolio might offer a solution to some of the current education issues within the South Africa context, especially with regard to the lack of content knowledge and the disempowerment of teachers.

ʼn Onderrigportefeulje maak dit vir dosente moontlik om hul eie groei en ontwikkeling ten opsigte van onderrig en leer te monitor, omdat dit hulle help om hul loopbaan te dokumenteer. Hierdie studie gee insig in hierdie ervaring vanuit dosente se oogpunt. Die navorsingsparadigma was kwalitatief en die studie het ʼn steekproef van dosente van ʼn onafhanklike tersiêre instelling in Johannesburg behels. Persoonlike onderhoude het ryk data opgelewer en temas is op grond van die data ontwikkel om die navorsingsvrae oor die waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje te beantwoord. Dosente se persepsies was ʼn duidelike bewys van die waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje, omdat dit hul persoonlike bevoegdheid, kennis, vaardighede en hoërorde-denke ontwikkel. Die bevindinge het egter getoon dat die sukses van ʼn onderrigportefeulje steeds onderhewig is aan individuele motivering en hoe die proses geïmplementeer is. Enige uitdagings was geneig om ʼn negatiewe invloed op motivering te hê en sodoende die vermeende waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje te verlaag. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat ʼn onderrigportefeulje ʼn oplossing kan bied vir sommige van die opvoedingskwessies in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, veral met betrekking tot die gebrek aan inhoudkennis en die ontneming van onderwysers se mag.

Photefolio ya go ruta e kgontša bafahloši go latišiša kgolo le tšwetšopele tše e lego tša bona ka go goruta le go ithuta, ka ge e thuša go rekhota leeto la mošomo wa bona. Thutelo ye e hweditše tshedimošo maitemogelong a go tšwa tebelelong ya bafahloši. Dikgopolo ka ga nyakišišo e bile tša go hwetša tshedimošo ka go kwešiša le go lemoga mabaka a bothata gomme thutelo ye e dirišitše sampolo ya bafahloši go tšwa institušeneng ye e ikemetšeng ya morago ga marematlou go la Johannesburg. Ditherišano tša motho ka botee di tšweleditše datha ye bohlokwa gomme merero e hlagišitšwe go tšwa datheng go fa karabo ya dipotšišo tša dinyakišišo tše di lebanego bohlokwa bja go dira photefolio ya go ruta. Dikgopolo tša bafahloši di file bohlatse bjo bo kwešišegago bja bohlokwa bja go dira photefolio ya go ruta, ka gobane e godišitše, botsebi, tsebo, mabokgoni tša bona le mokgwa wa go nagana wa maemo a godimo. Le ge go le bjalo, dikhwetšo di bontšhitše gore katlego ya photefolio ya go ruta e dutše e ithekgile go tutuetšo ya motho le ka moo tshepedišo e phethagaditšwego. Ditlhohlo dife goba dife tšeo di itemogetšwego di bile le go huetša tutuetšo, ka gorealo tša fokotša boleng bjo bo lebeletšwego bja photefolio ya go ruta. Thutelo ye e šišintše gore photefolio ya go ruta e ka fa tharollo go tše dingwe tša ditlhagišo tša bjale tša thuto kemong ya Afrika Borwa, gagolo malebana le tlhokego ya dintlhatsebo, dikgopolo le melaotshepetšo tšeo di rutwago le go ithuta ka tšona gammogo le go se be le maatla ga barutiši.