Abstract
Working in challenging contexts can impact negatively on a teacher’s sense of purpose and efficacy. This article explores the potential of group Life Design (LD), a narrative constructivist career counselling process, for supporting ten South African school teachers working at an under-resourced school with understanding their career aspirations and their personal and professional identity. The group LD process formed part of a participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) project. This article focuses on teachers’ experience of the group LD process. Participating teachers reflected in writing and during group discussions on their experience of the LD process. Qualitative data generated from transcriptions of their discussions and written reflections were thematically coded. Findings suggest that the group LD process encouraged participants to reflect on themes from their life narratives to encourage agency for pursuing their future personal and professional goals. Through the LD process, the teachers acknowledged personal and professional assets, from past and present narratives which could motivate them during challenging times. The LD process ignited agency for action to achieve career and personal goals. Participants designed future life maps and also explored pathways for collectively improving their support to learners. Keywords : Group Life Design; poverty; psychosocial challenges; South Africa; teacher efficacy
Highlights
Introduction and Literature ReviewIf teachers are capacitated with appropriate skills and knowledge, feelings of efficacy and competence are fostered (Loots, Ebersöhn, Ferreira & Eloff, 2012; Mwoma & Pillay 2015; Nel, Lazarus & Daniels, 2010)
An increase in teacher efficacy is positively related to career adaptability (McLennan, McIlveen & Perera, 2017), defined as “the self-regulation strengths or capacities that a person may draw upon to solve the unfamiliar, complex, and ill-defined problems presented by developmental vocational tasks, occupational transitions, and work traumas” (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012:662)
Theme 1: Life Design (LD) Helped Improve Teacher Sense of Self-efficacy Reflecting on the group LD process, created the space for teacher participants to reconnect with their lost dreams, by reflecting on where they came from and comparing this to the current reality for informing way forward): “I can use the balloon activity to measure my ability and achievements from the moment I set my goals to where I am and possibly the future [...] Sometimes you can set yourself goals and they are not always according to your expectations due to some obstacles on the way” (Participant E)
Summary
Introduction and Literature ReviewIf teachers are capacitated with appropriate skills and knowledge, feelings of efficacy and competence are fostered (Loots, Ebersöhn, Ferreira & Eloff, 2012; Mwoma & Pillay 2015; Nel, Lazarus & Daniels, 2010). Challenging socio-economic realities in the communities in which learners reside pose a significant challenge to learning and teaching, and are an obstacle to teachers meeting their professional career goals (Wood & Goba, 2011). This in turn, negatively affects teacher motivation and efficacy (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010) and cannot be separated from personal goals and identity (Guichard, 2005). Teachers at the school had sought individual therapeutic interventions for challenges stemming from financial problems, workrelated stress, trauma, HIV and AIDS, grief, and relationship problems They requested assistance with giving support to learners facing poverty-related psychosocial challenges. Teachers who volunteered to support learners thought there was little acknowledgement and support for their pastoral role in caring for learners with poverty-related psychosocial challenges
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