Learning from the project

1. Learning from the project Becoming a teacher educator in South Africa

2. Context and background • To train a small group of master trainers to deliver an Edexcel qualification (level 4) • PTLLS plus assessor award • Worked with Pearsons, • OLG(private training organisation) • Rustenburg College

3. Process • OLG chose the 6 master trainers • the College sent three heads of department to “provide context” • 2*2week blocks to deliver and assess the master trainers – 2 months between them • Visit from an EV during the second block

4. Roll out and sustainability • 2 * 1 week blocks to deliver and assess at Rustenburg college • 30 lecturers in range of subjects • Supported by material created from our sessions and in-country sourced documentation by a writer working for Pearsons • Change of role for the team from trainer to coach

5. Master trainers • 9 trainers • 3 were engineering heads of department at the College: Dorothy, Lucky and Zac • 2 worked for OLG full-time: Rochelle (project manager) and Lucas (maths) • 4 were independent: • Sipho (HR consultant) • Trevor (accountancy) • Lance (social science) • Benjamin (can’t remember)

6. Negotiating the context • Political context • Multilingual and tribal • The South African vocational education system • Resource issues • Transferability of principles and practices

7. joys • Laughter • Working together • Learning that the challenges and the rewards were the same • Learning about a different system and seeing more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of our own

8. Feedback • Brilliant! • This course has taught me to: • Differentiate learners • How to make a teaching and learning session interesting and memorable • Place more emphasis on good formative assessment • The importance of ice breaking in making the environment conducive to learning • When I return to teaching I want to give the learners a platform to explore other things than their academic side

9. Issues • Sustainability • Only 2 trainers stuck with it to the end • Contract by private partner • We ‘heard’ about the lack of remuneration • Lack of clarity from the start about logistics • But also had we motivated and prepared them well enough for their new role?

10. Becoming a teacher educator • Helen Colley et al, “Learning as Becoming” • “Teaching and learning are primarily social and cultural rather than individual and technical activities” (p472) • VET curricula tend to emphasise “acquisition of skills” and be outcome focussed • Creation of new identity is not considered • Other literature – individual is “absorbed” into culture and practices in the workplace

11. Community of Practice • Lave and Wenger – learning as participation –social participation is key and enables newcomers to learn from experienced practitioners • This process enables individuals to “become” a plumber, beauty therapist etc • Vocational Departments in FE colleges have specific cultures and behaviours – do these replicate those in their allied work environments?

12. Question 1 • Question asked by research: • What makes learners feel they are suitable for particular jobs? • Question for the project • Were teachers/trainers picked who were ‘ready for’ or “suitable for” transition to teacher trainer • What criteria would you use?

13. Question 2 • Question asked by research • How does their sense of identity change? • Question for the project • Did we promote this change? • What signs should we have been looking for? • How could we have enabled them to rehearse before putting into action the

14. Strategies used • Co-construction of teaching and learning • create an icebreaker, deliver it, evaluate • Present how you will apply…. • Similar to VET • “vocational learning is actively co-constructed by teachers and students, determined in part by the dominant structures of thought that prevail in particular employment structures” • What would these be for PCET?

15. And what about the group? • Dorothy, Zak and Lucky (3 Heads of Dept from the College) did not see themselves as teacher trainers initially • It became an aspiration for 2 out of 3 of them • All 3 participated in the first week of training but struggled to do the second • One OLG trainer, Lucas, did both weeks but still defined himself as a maths teacher; did not develop at that point the necessary confidence (or skills) • Rochelle had a baby • Ben did the first week, but not the second and avoided marking – he remained elusive therefore • Sipho and Lance disappeared but Martin in touch with Lance on facebook… • Trevor has “become” a teacher educator – see feedback

16. Lessons learned • Always be involved in selection process and be clear about criteria • Ask to see contracts of staff involved if the project required on-going commitment • Work out the logistics from the start • Always work in pairs at the start • Check feedback if they are assessing • Teach to the end goal, not the syllabus

17. May God Almighty bless and grow you guys older and more smarter.