Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

schools, classrooms, management and support services ofthe schooling system. Its
intention was to facilitate the implementation of Curriculum 2005, by training educators
in terms ofthe knowledge, skills and values that would make learning in schools more
relevant to the economic and social needs ofthe country.
Seven roles that represent the hallmark ofa competent and professional educator were
clearly defined in the NSE. Teachers were expected to be learning mediators, interpreters
and designers oflearning programmes, leaders, administrators and managers, scholars,
researchers and lifelong learners, play a community, citizen and pastoral role, and be
learning area/phase specialists.
A significant and crucial aspect ofthe NSE was that it accentuated the importance ofthe
subject or content knowledge of the teacher; an aspect that Sayed (2004) asserts is crucial
to effective teacher development. Weak subject or content knowledge is a serious
shortcoming ofmany South African teachers (Taylor and Vinjevold 1999). The
Curriculum 2005 Review Report indicated serious shortcomings in the preparation of
teachers for the implementation ofthe new curriculum (Department ofEducation 2000).
A significant finding ofthe report was that while teachers were able to conduct basic
group work and other classroom management and administrative functions, they lacked
the basic content knowledge required by learners.
The NSE attempted to offer coherence to a wide variety ofefforts to improve teaching,
by providing benchmarks against which the quality ofteacher education programmes
could be measured. Recognition and funding ofteacher education programmes was based
on compliance with these benchmarks. Guidelines provided by the NSE led to SAQA
registered and accredited programmes. In the development ofsuch programmes, due
cognisance needed to be taken ofteachers as professionals, valuing what they knew but at
the same time acknowledging that what they knew was an inadequate base from which to
proceed (Adler 2002). Sayed, however, argues that South African teacher education
policy worked from the assumption that teachers were lacking in certain areas (Sayed
2004). It also presented a negative image ofteachers as villains who were undisciplined.
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