South Africa is in its infancy in responding to the challenges of 21st-century education. Hence, the attitude of teachers towards 21st-century educational change is critical in developing the skills learners need to succeed in it. A teacher’s instructional approach, shaped by their attitude, must promote the acquisition of essential skills in learners. Underpinned by a conceptual framework informed by the relationship between attitudes, teaching practices and the attainment of skills by learners, this qualitative case study asks two questions: (i) What are selected Life Sciences attitudes towards 21st century educational change? (ii) What are the implications of these attitudes on their teaching practices? Teachers’ attitudes were determined by applying the forces, namely job outcomes, trust in the principal and colleagues, and the role of process factors that shape attitudes (Kondakci et al., 2017). Eight purposively selected Life Sciences teachers participated in this study. Data sources included open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed. Findings revealed that teachers generally have a positive attitude towards change. However, their attitudes towards 21st-century educational change exhibit both supporting and resisting aspects. A supporting aspect is that learners developing the relevant skills for the 21st century would provide teachers with job satisfaction. A concern (resisting aspect) is that they lack trust in their principals to support them through this change. It is recommended that effective professional development initiatives be conducted for principals and teachers to promote the supporting aspects and address the resistant elements of the teachers’ attitudes.

Authors:
Marcell Mc Knight, University of South Africa, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Marcell Mc Knight is currently a lecturer in the Department of Science Education, University of South Africa, South Africa.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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