UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Education
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BPT1501: Being a Professional Teacher
Assignment 1 — Semester 1, 2026
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BPT1501
Module Code:
Being a Professional Teacher
Module Name:
Roles of a Teacher — Ms Diphego Case
Essay Topic:
Study
Assignment 1
Assignment Number:
18 March 2026
Due Date:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for Being a Professional Teacher — UNISA 2026
, UNISA | BPT1501 Being a Professional Teacher
Introduction
The Norms and Standards for Educators, as published by the Department of Education (DoE,
2000), outline seven key roles that professional teachers in South Africa are expected to ful-
fil. These roles recognise that teaching is not simply about delivering content in a classroom:
it is a multidimensional professional practice that encompasses subject expertise, pastoral
care, community engagement, curriculum design, and lifelong learning. The case of Ms Diphego,
a grade 12 mathematics teacher at Reholegile High School, provides a rich illustration of how
these roles come to life in everyday teaching practice.
The questions below identify four of these seven roles that Ms Diphego demonstrably ful-
filled, and provide a specific example from the case study to illustrate each role.
Page 2 of 9
College of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501: Being a Professional Teacher
Assignment 1 — Semester 1, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501
Module Code:
Being a Professional Teacher
Module Name:
Roles of a Teacher — Ms Diphego Case
Essay Topic:
Study
Assignment 1
Assignment Number:
18 March 2026
Due Date:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for Being a Professional Teacher — UNISA 2026
, UNISA | BPT1501 Being a Professional Teacher
Introduction
The Norms and Standards for Educators, as published by the Department of Education (DoE,
2000), outline seven key roles that professional teachers in South Africa are expected to ful-
fil. These roles recognise that teaching is not simply about delivering content in a classroom:
it is a multidimensional professional practice that encompasses subject expertise, pastoral
care, community engagement, curriculum design, and lifelong learning. The case of Ms Diphego,
a grade 12 mathematics teacher at Reholegile High School, provides a rich illustration of how
these roles come to life in everyday teaching practice.
The questions below identify four of these seven roles that Ms Diphego demonstrably ful-
filled, and provide a specific example from the case study to illustrate each role.
Page 2 of 9
