A Holistic Professional Development model for South African physical science teachers

The state of mathematics and science education in South Africa is a cause for. This situation can be attributed, in part, to many mathematics and teachers’ limited content knowledge, ineffective teaching approaches, unprofessional attitudes. To address these three problem areas simultaneously, holistic model for the development of Grades 10 to 12 Physical teachers was constructed and evaluated against national and international. The effects of the model were assessed over a period of years with 75 teachers. The model was developed in a distance education, with no face-to-face contact required. It comprises the following elements: study guide which integrates the development of teachers’ content, pedagogical content knowledge, cognitive skills and experimental ; reflective journals; assignments; workshops; peer support and science. We briefly describe the research that culminated in the Holistic Professional (HPD) model, followed by an account of each element of the model. then present evidence that suggests that the model is effective in helping develop along three desired dimensions, namely, content knowledge, approaches, and professional attitudes.