Doctoral Degrees (Education Policy Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Education Policy Studies) by Author "De Klerk, Edwin Darrell"

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    Teacher autonomy and professionalism : a policy archaeology perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) De Klerk, Edwin Darrell; Van Wyk, B.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Departmrnt of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Global challenges on education policy provide reason why perspectives regarding discourses such as teacher autonomy and professionalism are continuously questioned and new understandings are constructed. From a postmodern deconstruction methodology, this dissertation presents an original application of policy archaeology as a method to analyse how South African education policy in a globalised context can contribute to explore innovative perspectives regarding teacher autonomy and professionalism. The aim is to develop deconstructive insights of the two discourses, and more specifically, to explore how it is articulated in South African education policy in a globalised context. During my analyses, I not only articulated deconstructive insights regarding teacher autonomy and professionalism, but also labelled regularities which I utilised to explore innovative perspectives of the mentioned discourses. I analysed three South African education policies (NSE, NPFTED and CPTD) and my exploration revealed three regularities namely: governmentality, managerialism and performativity. Such labelling was critical, because regularities constitute policy archaeology and act as pre-conceptual frames to search for innovative perspectives regarding discourses under study. At one stage I asked the question: “Do the labelled regularities justify a policy archaeology of South African education policies to explore innovative perspectives regarding teacher autonomy and professionalism?” I responded positively to this question, because South African education policies (like any other policies) contain discursive embodiments which regulate teachers’ practices. As a result, the labelled regularities paved the way for a policy archaeology of South African education policies in a globalised context. I utilised the three regularities to analyse how teacher autonomy and professionalism are articulated in the NSE, NPFTED and CPTED. From this analysis, I suggested six innovative perspectives regarding teacher autonomy and professionalism: disciplinary professionalism, flexibilised teacher autonomy, managerial professionalism, responsibilised teacher autonomy, performative professionalism and performed teacher autonomy. From a Foucauldian frame of reference, I argued that the articulation of these original perspectives is an experiment that provides teachers with possibilities to go beyond mere compliance and docility. The suggested innovative perspectives further provided ingredients for the development of South African teachers in terms of professional autonomy. I contend that the development of professional autonomy becomes a further innovation which was necessary, because I had the desire of contributing towards the becoming of a different kind of teacher in the South African education system. Therefore, I advocated that homo economicus, self-surveillance, ausgang, recovery, performer and parrhesia be considered as suggested strategies which would enable South African teachers to be in charge of their teaching practices in order to define themselves anew in a globalised context.