EXAMINING THE ROLE OF LIFE SCIENCES SUBJECT ADVISORS IN COLLABORATIVE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY OF NORTHERN KWAZULU NATAL

Subject advisors play a critical role in strengthening teacher capacity and ensuring effective curriculum implementation, particularly in under-resourced contexts.Their responsibilities extend beyond administration to include pedagogical support, professional development, and sustained mentorship for in-service teachers.However, in many rural districts, subject advisors face numerous systemic constraints, including geographical isolation, resource limitations, and inadequate content knowledge, which hinder their ability to provide meaningful curriculum and instructional support.This qualitative study, situated within an interpretivism paradigm, explores how Life Sciences subject advisors perceive and enact their roles in a collaborative teacher professional development initiative between a local university and two districts in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.A multiple case study design was employed, and two subject advisors were selected using purposive and convenient sampling, as they held relevant advisory roles in Life Sciences education and had direct involvement in the professional development workshops.Data was collected through a close-ended questionnaire, semi structured interviews, field notes and researcher reflections.The roles encompass (i) logistical coordination, (ii) instructional support, and (iii) emotional encouragement.The findings suggest that subject advisors' roles in collaborative teacher professional development workshops are shaped by both structural conditions (e.g., district demands, workloads, time constraints) and personal professional commitment to supporting teacher learning.The key findings highlight that while logistical tasks such as arranging venues and sending circulars are essential for ensuring teacher participation, they are insufficient on their own to build sustained teacher capacity.The Findings reveal varying levels of engagement shaped by both systemic constraints such as workload and individual professional commitments.One advisor displayed a strong professional agency, frequently co-facilitating sessions and addressing teachers' practical needs, while the other primarily supported logistical arrangements due to competing departmental obligations.This study highlights the importance of clearly defining and supporting the professional roles of subject advisors in collaborative PD initiatives.It calls for ongoing partnerships between universities and education departments to ensure subject advisors are positioned not only as logistical coordinators but as active co-facilitators of sustainable teacher learning.