Towards a socially just continuous professional development model for teachers as adult learners

Abstract

In 2020, the world experienced an unprecedented pandemic with devastating, lasting effects. For South Africa, it revealed stark inequalities in society and in schools. One such disparity was that between the digitally advantaged and digitally disadvantaged in the workplace. South African teachers, like their global counterparts, lamented about their readiness to teach online and in blended classrooms. This prompted our investigation into how teachers as adult learners experience continuous professional teacher development(CPTD) in times of crisis. An exploratory case study, with a purposeful sample of 26 teachers at an independent primary school in Johannesburg, was undertaken. We discovered that teachers struggled with emotional stress and pressure in their efforts to acquire digital skills and competencies within a limited time frame. Hence, appropriate CPTD to support teachers, especially in a time of crisis, is crucial. We present an innovative model for CPTD, which has the potential to meet the needs of post-pandemic teaching and learning as well as provide for socially just CPTD opportunities.