Enhancing Professional Development of Foundation Phase Teachers through Training Needs Analysis at Primary Schools in King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal

Professional development remains crucial in empowering teachers with the knowledge and skills required in their workspace. However, the nature of professional development that should be offered to an individual teacher might be missed without initially conducting a needs analysis. Training Needs Analysis (TNA) refers to collecting and analysing data supporting decision-making about the training or other support required to improve individual performance. This study explores how Foundation Phase teachers’ TNA enhances their professional development in school. The study used a case study design and an interpretative paradigm in its qualitative research methodology. Ten Foundation Phase teachers were purposively selected from five primary schools in the King Cetshwayo district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Semi-structured interviews and observation in post-evaluation meetings were used to generate data. The collected data were analysed using a thematic analysis. The findings revealed gaps in how needs analysis was conducted, ranging from Foundation Phase teachers’ misconceptions about the process, poor monitoring of the process, and no evidence of the link between the needs analysis and the improvement of the learners’ performance. This study recommends appropriate monitoring by the Department of Basic Education’s officials as part of the development support groups to allow the triangulation of evidence and quality to ensure the process.