Unisa Press
Critical Issues in Professional Development
Situated knowledge from South Africa
| Author: | Prof. Hasina Ebrahim and Prof. Vitalis Chikoko |
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| ISBN: | 978-1-77615-098-4 |
| This book is not available in electronic format |
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About the book
Drawing on Nelson Mandela’s inspiration of education as the most powerful weapon for societal transformation, this book unpacks professional development with special reference to education systems in early childhood and schooling. The notion of situated knowledges as posited by Haraway (1988) is used to make the point that knowledge creation comes from somewhere. The critical issues of pedagogy, educational practice, knowledge mixes, curriculum change, mentorship, leadership and teacher identity are used to explore how knowledge creation emerges from participation and contributions in a socially constructed world.
The chorus of voices amplified in this book bears testimony to how meaning of words and actions are situationally grounded. Through its exposition of how professional development is thought of, enacted and researched, this book provides threads for engagement on the micro- and macro-politics that shape the conditions and models of professional development. Experiences of the social actors in the different chapters make salient the trials and tribulations in situations that have implications for professional development. Both social knowledge and social action are woven together in the articulations of teachers, managers and mentors among other education role players. In so doing, this book contributes to building contextually responsive professional development through paying attention to situated knowing in practice and knowing as a practice.
The book is valuable for early childhood researchers, students, academics and policy makers interested in disabling a one-size-fits-all approach to professional development for more situation-bound understandings where social actors are respected as knowers of their realities and as speaking subjects in their own development.