Discourses of professionalism and the production of teachers' professional identity in the South African Council for Educators (SACE) Act of 2000 : a discourse analysis

This study seeks to identify discourses of professionalism and the production of Teachers' professional identity in the South African Council for Educators (SACE) Act of 2000. These identifies are located in the context of their social impact on, and in the actualisalion of the political roles of teachers in post-apartheid South Africa. Central to the study is the conceptualisation that discourses coiistruct identities. The research methodology is derived from Ian Parker's approach to discourse analysis, which is premised to an extent on post-structruralist thought. The author summarises Parker's 'steps' to effect a discourse analysis, and constructs a set of five analytic tools with which no analyse the SACE Act of2000. The study's main finding is that two discursive frames constitute the roles of the post-apartheid teacher in South Africa. The first is a bureaucratic discourse of marketisation that defines a role for teachers in preparing students for participation in a global market economy. A second discourse which is identified in the study is a democratic professional discourse, which delineates a critical, independent professional role for teachers. The study suggests that the two teacher identities are in tension. The two identities are complex and are simultaneously constructed and actualised.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

School of Education

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Omar, Yunus

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jacklin, Heather

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7410

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7410