PORTFOLIO: ROLES OF A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
BTE2601 ASSIGNMENT 5 PORTFOLIO
SOLUTIONS 2025
Assignment 5 Portfolio of Evidence Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Title: Exploring the Seven Roles of • Cover Page: Include your name,
Educators: A Portfolio of Theory, student number, course title, module
Practice, and Personal Reflection name, and submission date. (assignment
Module: Becoming a Teacher (BTE 2601) framework provided)
Level: First-Year Bachelor of Education • Word Count: 4000- 5000 words.
Lecturers: Prof NP Khumalo, Prof DW (approximately 9-11 pages)
Mncube & Prof MC Maphalala • Font & Spacing: Times New Roman,
Submission Deadline: 08 October 2025 12pt, 1.5-spaced.
• Referencing: Use Harvard/APA
• Submission Format: Submit as a PDF
on the learning management system
(LMS).
,DECLARATION OF ACADEMIC HONESTY
I (full names): Student number: Module: BTE2601
Declare the following:
1. I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy in this
regard.
2. I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where I used someone else’s
work, whether a printed source, the internet or any other source, I gave the proper
acknowledgement and included a complete reference list.
3. I did not use another current or previous student’s work and submitted it as my own.
4. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
submitting it as his or her own work.
Signature: , Date: 17-09-2025
, Title:
Exploring the Seven Roles of Educators: A Portfolio of Theory,
Introduction
Teachers occupy a unique and complex position in society, acting not only as conveyors
of knowledge but also as mentors, role models, and nation-builders. In South Africa, the
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET, 2015) outlines seven professional
roles that describe the expectations placed on teachers: learning mediator, interpreter
and designer of learning programmes, leader/manager/administrator,
scholar/researcher/lifelong learner, community/citizenship/pastoral role, assessor, and
learning area/subject/phase specialist.
These roles collectively highlight the holistic nature of teaching. A teacher is not limited
to classroom instruction but must also adapt teaching strategies to learners’ needs,
manage resources effectively, continue to improve their own knowledge, and provide
emotional and social support. Teaching is therefore both an academic and relational
profession.
The purpose of this portfolio is to critically engage with each of the seven roles by
combining three perspectives. Firstly, the theoretical framework from policy and
literature demonstrates the official and scholarly expectations. Secondly, the practical
insights of Mr Thavhanyedza T, an in-service Mathematics and Science teacher at
Mbilwi Secondary School, illustrate how these roles are enacted in daily practice.
Thirdly, personal reflection shows how I, as a prospective teacher, plan to apply these
principles in my future career.
This triangulated approach ensures that theory, practice, and reflection are brought
together in a coherent manner. It also shows how the professional identity of a teacher
is shaped not just by policy documents but also by the lived realities of classrooms and
personal commitment to continuous growth. By exploring these seven roles in depth,
this portfolio demonstrates the multifaceted nature of teaching and the professional
standards expected of educators in South Africa today.
BTE2601 ASSIGNMENT 5 PORTFOLIO
SOLUTIONS 2025
Assignment 5 Portfolio of Evidence Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Title: Exploring the Seven Roles of • Cover Page: Include your name,
Educators: A Portfolio of Theory, student number, course title, module
Practice, and Personal Reflection name, and submission date. (assignment
Module: Becoming a Teacher (BTE 2601) framework provided)
Level: First-Year Bachelor of Education • Word Count: 4000- 5000 words.
Lecturers: Prof NP Khumalo, Prof DW (approximately 9-11 pages)
Mncube & Prof MC Maphalala • Font & Spacing: Times New Roman,
Submission Deadline: 08 October 2025 12pt, 1.5-spaced.
• Referencing: Use Harvard/APA
• Submission Format: Submit as a PDF
on the learning management system
(LMS).
,DECLARATION OF ACADEMIC HONESTY
I (full names): Student number: Module: BTE2601
Declare the following:
1. I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy in this
regard.
2. I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where I used someone else’s
work, whether a printed source, the internet or any other source, I gave the proper
acknowledgement and included a complete reference list.
3. I did not use another current or previous student’s work and submitted it as my own.
4. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
submitting it as his or her own work.
Signature: , Date: 17-09-2025
, Title:
Exploring the Seven Roles of Educators: A Portfolio of Theory,
Introduction
Teachers occupy a unique and complex position in society, acting not only as conveyors
of knowledge but also as mentors, role models, and nation-builders. In South Africa, the
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET, 2015) outlines seven professional
roles that describe the expectations placed on teachers: learning mediator, interpreter
and designer of learning programmes, leader/manager/administrator,
scholar/researcher/lifelong learner, community/citizenship/pastoral role, assessor, and
learning area/subject/phase specialist.
These roles collectively highlight the holistic nature of teaching. A teacher is not limited
to classroom instruction but must also adapt teaching strategies to learners’ needs,
manage resources effectively, continue to improve their own knowledge, and provide
emotional and social support. Teaching is therefore both an academic and relational
profession.
The purpose of this portfolio is to critically engage with each of the seven roles by
combining three perspectives. Firstly, the theoretical framework from policy and
literature demonstrates the official and scholarly expectations. Secondly, the practical
insights of Mr Thavhanyedza T, an in-service Mathematics and Science teacher at
Mbilwi Secondary School, illustrate how these roles are enacted in daily practice.
Thirdly, personal reflection shows how I, as a prospective teacher, plan to apply these
principles in my future career.
This triangulated approach ensures that theory, practice, and reflection are brought
together in a coherent manner. It also shows how the professional identity of a teacher
is shaped not just by policy documents but also by the lived realities of classrooms and
personal commitment to continuous growth. By exploring these seven roles in depth,
this portfolio demonstrates the multifaceted nature of teaching and the professional
standards expected of educators in South Africa today.
