Professional development opportunities for early years’ practitioners in disadvantaged communities

Abstract

This paper aims to increase understanding of the professional development opportunities available to support the transformative capacity-building of early years practitioners. The context of this study was South Africa’s underprivileged Motheo district municipalities in the Free State province. The convergent mixed-methods design facilitated the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The sample size was n = 211; the participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The researcher tested two hypotheses to determine whether significant relationships existed between educational qualifications and years of teaching experience, and whether early childhood practitioners were aware of professional development opportunities available to them. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, and SPSS Version 25 was used for quantitative data analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data reveal that the practitioners were aware of professional development opportunities, though they did not take them up. Hypothesis testing revealed that the professional development opportunities available to practitioners were independent of their education qualifications and years of experience. The practitioners who participated in the research study seemed underprepared to deliver quality early childhood education services. This situation could change if they participate in relevant professional development opportunities.