The RPL Conundrum: Recognition of Prior Learning in a Teacher Upgrading Programme (Teacher Education in South Africa)

Exploring the implementation of recognition of prior learning (RPL), this study addresses the conundrum of how prior learning can still be valued if it is believed to be misguided or outdated. Highlighting adult education, this examination demonstrates how the practice of RPL affirms and accredits the knowledge and skills that students have already attained in the course of their working lives. Presenting case studies of the performance of RPL in the National Professional Diploma in Education at three universities, this survey depicts interesting approaches to the conundrum and reveals the importance of phronesis—practical wisdom—in considerations of RPL. Showing how formal recognition of phronesis may not be possible, this argument strives to prove that including the concept in the curriculum of a teacher-upgrading program may help to make the RPL component more effective. Part of a comprehensive investigation of the dynamics shaping the professional development of educators, this analysis is essential for educationists, academics, and policymakers.