UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501: Being a Professional Teacher
Assignment 2 | Semester 2, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501
Module Code:
Being a Professional Teacher
Module Name:
The Teacher as a Professional – Lesson 2
Essay Topic:
Analysis
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
40
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for Being a Professional Teacher, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | BPT1501 The Teacher as a Professional
Question 1: Mind Map of Professionalism Challenges (40)
The scenario depicts a township school in which inadequate training, weak management
structures, degrading disciplinary practices, learner hardship and an overburdened, disen-
gaged staff combine to undermine both learning and teachers’ professional standing. Profes-
sionalism in teaching rests on competence, ethical conduct, accountability and continuous
development (South African Council for Educators, n.d.), and each challenge below erodes
one or more of these pillars. The mind map in Figure 1 sets out five such challenges, their
impact on teachers’ professionalism, and a practical solution for each, using colour-coded
branches: blue for the challenge, red for its impact on professionalism, and green for the
proposed solution.
Erodes competence
CPTD-accredited
and credibility;
subject training and
weakens professional
peer mentorship
knowledge base
Additional posts
Unsupervised classes;
and genuine, non-
neglect of teach-
Inadequate subject- manipulable perfor-
ers’ duty of care
matter training mance recognition
Weak planning and Overcrowded
accountability (no classes and staff
staff meetings) disengagement
Mandatory daily Challenges to Normalises minimum
briefings and a moni- Teacher effort; erodes col-
tored coverage roster lective work ethic
Professionalism
Degrading disci- Learner hunger and
pline (frog-hopping, English/isiXhosa
leopard-crawling) language gap
Breaches SACE dignity Earlier feeding-scheme
clause; exposes staff access and mother-
to disciplinary risk tongue scaffolding
Lowers expec-
Restorative-discipline tations; forces
training and enforced teachers to abandon
code of conduct sound pedagogy
Figure 1: Mind Map: Challenges to Teacher Professionalism in the Scenario School
Page 2 of 5
College of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501: Being a Professional Teacher
Assignment 2 | Semester 2, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
BPT1501
Module Code:
Being a Professional Teacher
Module Name:
The Teacher as a Professional – Lesson 2
Essay Topic:
Analysis
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
40
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for Being a Professional Teacher, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | BPT1501 The Teacher as a Professional
Question 1: Mind Map of Professionalism Challenges (40)
The scenario depicts a township school in which inadequate training, weak management
structures, degrading disciplinary practices, learner hardship and an overburdened, disen-
gaged staff combine to undermine both learning and teachers’ professional standing. Profes-
sionalism in teaching rests on competence, ethical conduct, accountability and continuous
development (South African Council for Educators, n.d.), and each challenge below erodes
one or more of these pillars. The mind map in Figure 1 sets out five such challenges, their
impact on teachers’ professionalism, and a practical solution for each, using colour-coded
branches: blue for the challenge, red for its impact on professionalism, and green for the
proposed solution.
Erodes competence
CPTD-accredited
and credibility;
subject training and
weakens professional
peer mentorship
knowledge base
Additional posts
Unsupervised classes;
and genuine, non-
neglect of teach-
Inadequate subject- manipulable perfor-
ers’ duty of care
matter training mance recognition
Weak planning and Overcrowded
accountability (no classes and staff
staff meetings) disengagement
Mandatory daily Challenges to Normalises minimum
briefings and a moni- Teacher effort; erodes col-
tored coverage roster lective work ethic
Professionalism
Degrading disci- Learner hunger and
pline (frog-hopping, English/isiXhosa
leopard-crawling) language gap
Breaches SACE dignity Earlier feeding-scheme
clause; exposes staff access and mother-
to disciplinary risk tongue scaffolding
Lowers expec-
Restorative-discipline tations; forces
training and enforced teachers to abandon
code of conduct sound pedagogy
Figure 1: Mind Map: Challenges to Teacher Professionalism in the Scenario School
Page 2 of 5
