Teacher Professionalism in South Africa: Evaluation of a Teacher Education Programme on the Basis of Constructivist Principles

Over the past decade South Africa has developed a comprehensive set of policies in the field of education with a view to transforming education in such a way that ideal of quality education for all could become a reality. Transformation of education was intertwined with the process of reviewing teacher education in South Africa. In response to educational changes, teacher educators developed and implemented innovative strategies to train professional teachers. However, teacher education is been criticized for over-emphasizing theoretical rather than the practical strategic actions that novice teachers require. This book pursues arguments related to teacher education in South Africa. The book presents a case study of the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme at the University of Pretoria. The analysis has important implications for teacher education and also has relevance for discussions on what is meant by teacher competence in South Africa.