"Nobody is listening" : the attitudes of teachers towards professional development by distance

Abstract

The research reported in this article focuses on the attitudes of primary school teachers upgrading their qualifications through distance education (DE) at Ramaano Mbulaheni Training Centre at Tshakhuma, in the Limpopo Province. A short literature study revealed that the attitudes of distance learners play a primary role in the successful implementation and sustainability of distance education. Taking as a point of departure the importance of teachers' attitudes for the successful implementation of teacher upgrading programmes through distance education, the purpose of the investigation was to explore the attitudes of primary school teachers towards professional development through DE which contributed to a high dropout and failure rate. Questionnaires were sent to a large number of distance learners and interviews were conducted. The information received was analysed and the results are illustrated and discussed. Suggestions for the improvement of delivery strategies are made. This article attempts to help solve the problem that "nobody is listening".