Flexible in-service teacher education in a face-to-face university In 1996, the Faculty of Education of the University of theWitwatersrand, Johannesburg, introduced an innovative in-serviceteacher education programme. The Further Diplomas in Education inMathematics, Science and English Language Teaching are an attempt toprovide professional development opportunities for teachers at thesenior primary and secondary level. Its principle aim, to improve thequality of teaching and learning in South African classrooms, iscontextualised in this paper, by providing case studies of selectedteachers who participated. The programme's flexible approach includesindividual study of course materials together with intensiveresidential components and appropriate support. Introducing such aprogramme into the University of the Witwatersrand has posed severalchallenges. The university entry criteria under the apartheid regimeprevented many students (mostly black) from enrolling, unless theywent through cumbersome administrative procedures. The university'sapplication, registration and examination procedures are designed forface-to-face students and have proved very difficult to use fordistance students. It has also proved difficult to involve academicstaff who teach on face-to-face full-time programmes, in writingcourse materials and teaching at times which are not the universitynorm. Despite these challenges, the programme has achieved severalsuccesses, notably favourable evaluation reports and comments fromteachers, evidence of positive change in teachers' classroominteractions, relatively low failure and dropout rates, and interestin collaboration from other higher education institutions. As a resultof the experiences of the programme, several lessons have been learnedconcerning working flexibly in the university context. These includerecommendations regarding application and registration procedures,staff conditions of service, and collaboration with other institutionsholding similar aims. A brief literature review of face-to-faceinstitutions which have introduced open and distance learning isprovided as part of the paper. |