Experiences of online teaching in South African university: Towards teacher professional development

The purpose of the study was to investigate the importance of Teacher Professional Development in the implementation of online teaching as a tool for distance learning since the onset of COVID- 19. Before the outburst of the coronavirus pandemic, lecturers were used to face-to-face contact sessions, and most of the students did not have laptops. So, the distressing experience of COVID-19 has catalyzed the need for continuing professional teacher development. The study employed the theory of reasoned behavior and the theory of planned behaviour. The theory of reasoned action aims to explain the relationship between attitudes and behaviours within human action. It is used to predict how individuals will behave based on their pre-existing attitudes and behavioural intentions. The latter includes behavioural control as an additional determinant of intentions and behaviour. The study adopted qualitative methodology and employed the case study. The data was collected through interviews with four university lecturers, who were chosen through purposive sampling technique. The data revealed that most teachers perceived online teaching as a good intervention during the period of COVID- 19. However, teachers lacked training and experience when it comes to online teaching. This resulted in lot of uncertainty when it came to online teaching, and frustration for older teachers. In conclusion, the paper highlighted the need for teacher development in the form of in-service training and suggested that teachers should register for short courses on online learning, implementing mentorship programs by the tertiary institutions.