What Is Teaching? Definition, Roles, and Importance in South Africa

South Africa is facing a severe shortage of teachers. According to sources, over half of the current teaching workforce will retire by 2030, creating more vacancies. This makes teaching a highly in-demand career option in the country.

If you are someone who wants to create an impact and inspire young minds, teaching can be a go-to career option for you. But you must note that the profession demands compassion, dedication, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

This article will serve as a guide, informing you what teaching is and other related details.

About Teaching & Teaching Styles

Simply stating, teaching refers to providing guidance to students to acquire values, information and abilities. It is a purposive and intentional act intended to bring about learning outcomes and behavioural changes in students.

Teaching involves nurturing the personal and intellectual growth of learners from all age groups. This makes the activity influence both societal advancement and individual achievement.

The manner in which a teacher imparts information is referred to as the teaching style. The effectiveness of different teaching styles varies depending on the subject, learning objectives, and students.

Different teaching styles exist, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. 

Now that you know what teaching is, let’s take a look at the most common teaching styles:

1. Facilitation: This teaching style encourages active participation and is focused on the needs and interests of students. However, it may be difficult to implement this style in large classrooms.

2. Lecture: This is useful when a lot of information needs to be conveyed in a short time period. However, this teaching style does not encourage active participation, and students may find long lectures boring.

3. Collaboration: This style encourages teamwork and helps develop social skills. But it may be challenging to manage in large classrooms and is unsuitable for all subjects.

4. Demonstration: This is a hands-on teaching approach useful for practical subjects. However, it can be particularly inappropriate for subjects with more theoretical knowledge. It can also be time-consuming.

5. Hybrid style: This style combines various teaching styles to develop a blended approach tailored to the students’ needs. But it requires more preparation and planning on the teacher’s end and can be difficult to implement in large classes.

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Importance of Understanding Roles and Responsibilities as a Teacher 

Teachers are not just subject matter experts. They are also a role model, a facilitator of learning and a mentor. 

In addition to knowing what teaching is, you should have an idea about the roles and responsibilities of a teacher. Being aware of the different aspects of the role is important to ensure the overall effectiveness of the teaching practice and the success of students.

A proper understanding of the responsibilities allows teachers to develop an organised and structured learning environment. It helps them allocate their resources and time effectively, prioritise tasks, and ensure that students’ requirements are met.

Further, it will also help teachers develop a clear vision for their teaching and align their actions with the goals of their institution.

Awareness about the roles and responsibilities empowers teachers to take ownership of their professional development. 

It allows them to identify areas for improvement, seek out relevant resources and training, and keep enhancing their knowledge and skills. This further contributes to their growth as educators and helps them provides the students with a higher quality of education.

Read: How to Become a Teacher in South Africa: Essential Steps and Tips

Skills & Qualifications Required for Teaching in South Africa

Those who want to pursue a teaching career after completing matric in South Africa can choose from two ways to become qualified. 

The first one is by opting for a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) programme of 4 years. Another option is to pursue a Bachelor’s degree programme of 3 to 4 years in a relevant subject, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme of 1 year.

Both these ways will make you a professionally qualified teacher. After qualifying, you need to register with the South African Council for Educators (SACE).

The institutions in South Africa focus on factors beyond academic qualifications when recruiting teachers. They look out for candidates who can combine sound pedagogical knowledge, professional readiness and solid subject expertise. To stay prepared, note these required skills.

Have a look at them here:

• Pedagogical and curriculum knowledge: This knowledge helps deliver effective teaching in diverse learning environments.
• Digital literacy: Having digital literacy supports technology-driven, modern learning strategies
• Classroom management and lesson-planning skills: Developing structured, engaging lessons while maintaining a disciplined, productive and positive learning space.
• Learner engagement strategies: These strategies help foster a participative, positive and motivated learning environment.

In addition to these, individuals should maintain professional integrity and constantly improve themselves with self-assessment. 

Also read: Why Great Teachers Are the Best EdTech Investment South Africa Can Make

Career Opportunities & Future Outlook of Teaching in SA

In addition to traditional teaching roles, individuals can find employment in a variety of unique and related career paths in this field. Having an idea about the different career paths available will help you set a target for yourself if you are considering a career in this field.

Here are some of the job roles that you can take up:

• EdTech Product Manager
• Corporate Trainer
• Educational Consultant
• Cultural Heritage Educator
• Government Education Advisor
• Curriculum Developer
• Nonprofit programme coordinator

Coming to what the future holds for teachers in SA, you must note that, as per sources, there will be a requirement of over 400,000 educators in the country by 2030. This is considering the number required to maintain a sustainable teacher-learner ratio. Thus, in a way, there is a strong demand for these professionals.

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Challenges in the Teaching Profession

The teaching profession does come with some challenges. Several teachers encounter challenges that can sometimes make it overwhelming for them. Though most of the time, the rewards outweigh the negatives, it is worth noting that you understand these challenges.

The challenges that teachers face are related to:

• Pressure from the institution administrators
• Understanding different learning styles
• Lack of effective communication
• Burnout
• Time-consuming administrative work
• Lack of funding

These challenges test the organisational, teamwork, and management abilities, as well as the resilience, of the teachers. Understanding these and taking up measures to prevent and overcome them is imperative for success in this field.

Choose Regenesys to Pursue an AI-powered B.Ed Programme

If you are seeking a reputable institution in South Africa to prepare yourself for pursuing a career in this field, consider Regenesys Education. It offers a 4-year Bachelor of Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching programme.

It focuses on the Senior Phase (SP) and Further Education and Training Teaching (FET) band. The two areas of specialisation that it offers are Business and Management or Science and Technology.

In addition to the core B. Ed modules, there are AI modules built into this programme.

More reasons to choose Regenesys are:

• A legacy of over 25 years
• An alumni network of more than 500,000 members
• A state-of-the-art campus in Sandton
• CHE Accreditation
• Registered by SAQA
• Registered with the Department of Higher Education & Training 
• Financial assistance available

Conclusion

Teaching is a powerful force that can help shape society. In the modern education system, teaching has a vital role to play in developing academic knowledge, empathy, critical thinking, and lifelong skills in learners.

Now that you know what teaching is and all the important related details, you can plan your learning and set career goals for yourself.

Choose Regenesys Education to pursue an AI-powered B.Ed programme. Visit the website and check the programme requirements.

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