Professional development for grade ten physical science teachers.

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a study conducted in the Umlazi District in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province in South Africa. The study involved three Physical Science teachers who were in possession of a professional qualification. The focus was on the nature of the professional development that was received by the grade ten Physical Science teachers. Due to the nature of this study being descriptive and exploratory, a qualitative case research design was adopted. To ensure trustworthiness of the data, participants responded to open ended questionnaires and were interviewed. The study aimed at answering the following research question: What is that nature of the professional development received by grade ten Physical Science teachers? The findings of the study indicated that there is no professional development workshops that focus on grade ten Physical Sciences. The findings further indicated focus areas for developmental workshops for the improvement of grade ten Physical Science teacher classroom practices, these were content knowledge, pedagogical approaches for a South African classroom and teacher practical training programmes.