THEMATIC PATTERNS
6.2. Biographical influences
6.2.1. The need to engage in formal study
All four teachers in this study stressed the importance of being fully qualified teachers with an appropriate university degree. The emphasis placed on being qualified and acquiring knowledge is both relevant and critical to a teacher’s professional status (Abel, 2008). As Bennis and Farrel (2013) stress, the need for teachers to obtain formal teaching qualifications
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if they are to be adequately equipped for the challenges such work brings. Curriculum, content, and pedagogical knowledge have all been indicated by research participants as being of vital importance if a teacher is to be effective in the classroom. Equipped in this way, a teacher will be able to engage effectively in the process of teaching and learning.
6.2.2. The need to become a qualified teacher
Bongani8 felt the need to become a qualified teacher in order to deepen his knowledge as a teacher. His conception of an expert-teacher is that of a knowledgeable person. After working for a long period of time unqualified, Bongani furthered his studies at university:
I became interested in teaching when I grew up as a learner because, teachers at school were often telling us that there was a shortage of teachers in rural areas. I started teaching in 1987 as an unqualified teacher with a matriculation qualification. I worked in rural areas as a way of assisting because there was a shortage of qualified teachers. I worked there temporarily to generate funds to further my studies at university.
Bongani was motivated to solve the problem of the shortage of qualified teachers at rural schools. He is driven by an overarching desire to educate the rural community as a qualified teacher with a university degree. This is confirmed by Adeddiwura and Toyo (2007) who support the view that teachers must further their studies in order to gain further understanding of their specialisation and thereby increase their overall productivity.
6.2.3. The desire to be a university graduate
Hlengiwe9 developed the desire to be a university graduate in order to get knowledge that made her improve in her teaching. Her conception of an expert-teacher is a person who is well- educated:
There was a certain teacher at secondary school that used to tell us in our class that, he was a university graduate. He was very interesting when teaching us, which is why, I developed love for teaching. He started teaching me when I was doing grade ten until grade twelve. When teaching us, he used English and was able to explain the way that made us to be always attentive.
8 In terms of the ethical reporting of human research data in this study, the real name of this research participant has been withheld and replaced with a pseudonym.
9 In terms of the ethical reporting of human research data in this study, the real name of this research participant has been withheld and replaced with a pseudonym.
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By developing their overall knowledge-base about teaching, teachers will grow in their pedagogical ability. According to Baron (2008), content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge is vital for one to become competent in teaching and learning.
6.2.4. Leadership qualities
As a university student, Njabulo was able to gain leadership qualities that taught him how to communicate with learners properly when he became a teacher. These qualities also assisted him when executing his duties as a teacher, by influencing learners in the right direction.
Njabulo:
When I was doing grade nine, I was elected to the leadership position with other learners. Teachers in the school did not assist us to acquire leadership skills, I learned them by attending meetings outside the school that was related to the student association. When attending those meetings, I learned how to conduct meetings by looking at how other students were doing it. I also learned how to discuss and debate issues when attending those meetings during my leadership role.
As a student leader at secondary school, Njabulo was also able to learn leadership skills that became very important to him latter when he strove to be a better teacher. As a teacher he was able to use his expertise in the classroom, leading learners and creating a healthy atmosphere for teaching and learning in the classroom. Likewise, the leadership qualities he gained through his political involvement also assisted him when executing his duties as a teacher to create a good atmosphere for teaching and learning to take place:
The strong belief in myself because of political involvement as a leader, gave me the strength to grow in the field of education. I did not want to be a product of the environment since I was not new in the field of education.
Consequently, Bongani was able to grow in the field of education as an expert-teacher because he was thrust into leadership positions even before becoming a teacher. His strength to teach properly can be traced back to the leadership attributes he learned when he was politically involved as a leader.
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Similarly, Hlengiwe10 also developed her leadership qualities at university as a student leader.
This experience also enabled her to become a good teacher, using her leadership knowledge to influence learners in the right direction:
I was also involved in the student leadership at university, where I gained leadership skills. At university, I learned to work under pressure because; I had to balance between my studies and student politics. I was also able to learn from other students.
As a student at university, Hlengiwe was able to learn leadership qualities which placed her in a better position to meet the challenges of teaching as an expert-teacher. This leadership exposure enabled her to learn more about how to exercise leadership in various contexts. As Hattie (2003) has argued, teachers must exercise leadership qualities in the classroom environment, as this will allow them to create a healthy atmosphere for teaching and learning.
Finally, a leader is able to influence learners in a certain direction (Hattie, 2003). As Grasha (1994) has confirmed, an expert-teacher is a person who possesses leadership qualities and takes informed decisions about teaching and learning.
6.3. Programmatic forces influencing one’s expertise