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EXPLORING BUSINESS STUDIES TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRICULUM CHANGES: A CASE OF FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE PINETOWN DISTRICT BY DUDUZILE SIPHELELE KHOZA Submitted in fulfilment of the Master of Education degree in the discipline of Commerce Education, Social Sciences, School of Education, College of Humanities University of KwaZulu-Natal SUPERVISOR: Dr Jabulisile Ngwenya CO-SUPERVISOR: Dr Muntuwenkosi Mtshali DATE SUBMITTED: June 2019 DECLARATION I, Duduzile Siphelele Khoza declare that this is my own work submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of master of education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and that the dissertation has never been submitted at any university besides UKZN. Duduzile Siphelele Khoza Student number: 215081662 Signature ______________________ As the candidate‟s supervisor, I agree to the submission of the thesis/dissertation: Dr Jabulisile Ngwenya Signature: i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere gratitude is extended to all people who were involved directly and indirectly in completion of this research study: The Almighty God: for giving me strength to overcome all the challenges I faced from the beginning until the end. I extend my gratitude to my supervisors, Dr Jabulisile Ngwenya & Dr Muntuwenkosi Mtshali. Thank you for your guidance, patience, constructive criticism and support throughout the entire journey. You were able to push me to reach my full potential. To my late granny, MaZulu No College for her motivation. To my husband Judgement: thank you for believing in me and being such a competent librarian. For always going above and beyond to access my required resources. To my family: your support is highly appreciated. To Dingaan & Mhlengi for their technological support. To my Principal Sipho Magwaza for constantly encouraging me. To Nombulelo my mentor. To all my colleagues who always believed in me. To all the teachers who unconditionally agreed to be participants. To all those people I might have omitted. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my lovely kids Nqobile, Lubanzi and Zenhlanhla. Your love and admiration have inspired me to continuously strive for success. iii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore Business Studies teachers‟ experiences of learning through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in the context of curriculum changes. In addition it sought to explore the experiences of teachers‟ professional learning in a PLC. Literature on PLCs has proliferated in the last decade, signifying the importance of collaborative learning practices. This study investigated the level of development given to teachers during the time of transition, the purpose was to find how professional learning communities can help in developing teachers. This was a qualitative study, located within the interpretive paradigm. A case of five schools in the Pinetown district about teacher learning in PLCs. Data generation methods included semi-structured interviews with five teachers. The findings of the research revealed that learning occurred predominantly in a collaborative capacity both formally and informally. Various modes of teacher learning were expressed: individual learning, collaborative learning, networking and mentoring. In terms of teachers‟ experiences of learning in a PLC, occurrences were mostly positive. One of the most challenging factors of teacher learning in a PLC was the lack of support that was afforded to teachers. In addition the lack of time, and work intensification, hindered successful teacher learning in a PLC. These findings prompted the need for more involvement from leaders to support teacher learning in PLCs which was expressed as one of the recommendations. Furthermore, it was recommended that leaders play an integral role in establishing virtual PLCs for teachers to collaborate with members within and outside their organisation, allowing for networking and learning from external social agents. iv LIST OF ACRONYMS ACE- Advanced certificate in Education CAPS- Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement DBE- Department of Basic Education DoE- Department of Education FET- Further Education and Training NCS- National curriculum statement PLC- Professional learning communities SMT- School management team TLC- Teacher learning communities v LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Ethical clearance APPENDIX B Letter to the principal: Permission to conduct research. APPENDIX C Informed consent of the teacher APPENDIX D Audio recording consent APPENDIX E Interview Schedule APPENDIX F Turntin report APPENDIX G Editors report vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ......................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. v LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION OF THE STUDY ......................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ........................................................................... 1 1.3 RATIONALE .............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT ......................................................................................... 4 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................................................................... 4 1.6 PURPOSE AND FOCUS OF THE STUDY .............................................................. 5 1.7 OBJECTIVE................................................................................................................ 5 1.8 RESEARCH QUESTION ........................................................................................... 5 1.9 RESEARCH CONTEXT ............................................................................................ 5 1.10 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH DESIGNS AND METHODS .................................... 5 1.10.1 Research Paradigm............................................................................................... 6 1.10.2 Research Approach .............................................................................................. 6 vii 1.10.3 Research Strategy................................................................................................. 6 1.10.4 Sampling .............................................................................................................. 7 1.10.5 Site Selection of Research ................................................................................... 8 1.10.6 Selection of Participants ...................................................................................... 8 1.11 DATA GENERATION METHOD ............................................................................. 8 1.12 DATA ANALYSIS METHOD ................................................................................... 9 1.13 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION .................................................................................. 9 1.13.1 Trustworthiness .................................................................................................. 10 1.13.2 Transferability .................................................................................................... 10 1.13.3 Conformability ................................................................................................... 10 1.13.4 Dependability ..................................................................................................... 11 1.13.5 Credibility .......................................................................................................... 11 1.14 TRIANGULATION .................................................................................................. 11 1.15 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS .................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK............... 14 2.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 14 2.2 CURRICULUM CHANGES .................................................................................... 14 2.2.1 Curriculum Defined by Different Scholars ........ Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.2.2 Curriculum Changes in the South African Education SystemError! Bookmark not defined. 2.3 TEACHING OF BUSINESS STUDIES AS A SUBJECT ....................................... 19 2.4 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS ........................................... 22 viii 2.4.1 Teacher Learning ............................................................................................... 25 2.5 TEACHERS EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

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