30 Enhancing Professional Development and Excellence in Teaching through ePortfolios: A Phenomenological Study

Elaine Grace and Florah Moleko Teane
University of South Africa

ABSTRACT

This chapter explores teachers’ perceptions of an ePortfolio as a transformative tool for professional development, teaching excellence, and the building of a teaching legacy. Although existing literature highlights the importance of professional development, questions remain about the effectiveness of ePortfolios in improving daily teaching practice. This research provides insight, through a heutagogical lens, of how a well-structured ePortfolio fosters critical reflection and supports refinement of instructional approach by enhancing personal and professional growth as well as excellence in teaching. Employing a phenomenological case study design, the data were generated from 12 participants at two branches of a South African tertiary institution through interviews, a focus group and document analysis. Participants were selected using purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling strategies. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was applied to identify emerging themes that addressed the research questions. Findings indicate that an effectively implemented ePortfolio contributes significantly to professional development, teaching transformation, excellence, expertise, self-actualisation, and the creation of a lasting teaching legacy. The chapter concludes that an ePortfolio, when optimally utilised, empowers teachers to sustain a high standard of professional practice and support a transformative vision for lifelong professional growth.

Keywords: ePortfolio, professional development, legacy, lifelong learning, teaching excellence, phenomenological study.

INTRODUCTION

Ongoing professional development in South Africa is essential to support in-service teachers in building confidence, strengthening their skills, and enhancing subject knowledge (NDP, 2017:82). This chapter explores how professional development, excellence and transformation in teaching, can be enhanced through ePortfolios. Purposeful digital collections of documents and multimedia artefacts are showcased in ePortfolios, together with a learner’s skills, accomplishments, and progress (Yang & Wong, 2024). They represent a shift from traditional teaching portfolios to digital platforms enabled by technology, allowing teachers and students to organise, document, and display their most significant learning experiences in one space. In doing so, Pérez Cavana (2018) explains that this offers the advantage of the electronic format being available for immediate distribution. This chapter focuses on teachers’ perceptions of ePortfolios as transformative tools for professional development also promises to contribute to understanding how the National Development Plan (NDP, 2017:79) goal of continuing teacher development and promoting professional standards is being realised.

Existing literature affirms the potential of ePortfolios in supporting professional growth. Pelger and Larsson (2018) demonstrated the role it plays in promoting ideal teaching, framing it as a form of andragogy that enables both personal and professional improvement. Similarly, Hase & Kenyon (2001) highlight that ePortfolios are tools that foster ongoing, self-determined and self-reflective practice, increasing capacity and capability. Other studies emphasise that teaching is enhanced when ePortfolios are used to support reflective and transformed thinking (Little-Weinert & Mazziotti, 2018; Pelger & Larsson, 2018).

Despite these contributions, limited research has examined teachers’ own perceptions of how ePortfolios contribute to professional development and teaching excellence, particularly in the South African context. This chapter addresses this gap by drawing attention to the transformative potential of ePortfolios to foster personal growth, strengthen teaching practice, and improve the quality of teaching and learning (Damianakis et al. 2020).

Guided by this aim, the chapter sought to answer the following research question: How does the use of ePortfolios enhance professional development and teaching excellence throughout a teacher’s career?

To address this overarching question, the following sub-questions were explored:

1. How do teachers perceive the value of ePortfolios for their professional development?
2. In what ways does the use of an ePortfolio transform teaching and learning practices?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study is underpinned by constructivist theory, drawing particularly on the work of Piaget and Vygotsky, who conceptualise learning as a constructive process (Vygotsky, 1978). Constructivism views knowledge as actively formed through experience and participation, with existing knowledge serving as the foundation for new understanding. Learning, therefore, is shaped by the quality of prior knowledge and its connection to daily life experiences (Candra & Retnawati, 2020). In this process, individuals construct meaning by engaging with the world and reflecting on their experiences (Tomljenović & Vorkapić, 2020).

Cognitive and Social Constructivism

Constructivism comprises two main branches: cognitive constructivism and social constructivism, led by Piaget and Vygotsky respectively. Cognitive constructivism emphasises the learner’s active role in adapting to the environment and constructing knowledge through personal engagement (Candra & Retnawati, 2020). Social constructivism, in contrast, underscores the role of social interaction, cultural context, and shared meaning-making in cognitive development (Nassaji & Tian, 2018).

While cognitive constructivism highlights individual adaptation, social constructivism insists that knowledge cannot be separated from its social and cultural context. Thus, teaching and learning are not isolated acts but dynamic, interactive processes between teachers, learners, and their environments (Danish & Gresalfi, 2018).

Application to this Study

This study integrates both cognitive and social constructivism to highlight the holistic potential of teaching ePortfolios as tools for professional learning. At the individual level, ePortfolios foster cognitive development by advancing teachers’ knowledge, skills, and reflective practice, thereby shaping personal beliefs and teaching styles. At the social level, ePortfolios influence classroom interactions, learner engagement, peer collaboration, and professional communities.

The impact further extends to the societal level, where teaching ePortfolios contribute to curriculum development, institutional practices, and educational structures at national and even global levels. In this way, the constructivist lens illustrates how ePortfolios generate layered benefits—from individual teacher growth to systemic improvements in teaching and learning. Education, by its very nature, influences all other disciplines and professions, reinforcing the interconnectedness of learning within an integrated society.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Perceptions of the Value of ePortfolios for Professional Development

An ePortfolio integrates teaching and learning with technology, providing a platform for effective planning, training, knowledge acquisition, and skill development (Razali et al., 2022). It is not only a repository of evidence but also a dynamic tool for professional learning, allowing teachers to evaluate their practice, pedagogy, and expertise, while also documenting achievements such as publications, extracurricular activities, and student outcomes (Vorotnykova & Zakhar, 2021).

Teaching portfolios have further been described as mindtools that foster rigorous thinking (Hopper et al., 2018), enable structured professional development, and provide evidence of career growth (Little-Weinert & Mazziotti, 2018). Reflection embedded in ePortfolios helps teachers sustain growth and enhance teaching (Hamilton, 2018), while also promoting lifelong competencies and reflective practices meaningful to the workplace (Hoven et al., 2021).

Growth through ePortfolios is seen as a self-directed process, requiring the recognition of critical learning moments and opportunities (Yavoruk, 2017). In this way, ePortfolios scaffold teacher learning (Alkan et al., 2024), with feedback identified as one of their most beneficial features (Hunt et al., 2021). Importantly, they empower teachers to make classroom decisions and refine their teaching practices (Graham, 2017). Professional development therefore becomes a continuous journey of enrichment, fostering personal and professional fulfilment (Prins et al., 2018; Hamilton, 2018).

Self-Actualisation, Excellence, and Expertise

Beyond immediate growth, ePortfolios support the pursuit of excellence and expertise. Professionalism of a high standard emerges through portfolio use, often requiring a revision of existing understanding and conceptual evolution (Damianakis et al., 2019). Pelger and Larsson (2018) suggest that competence in teaching can be achieved at three levels: excellence, expertise, and the highest scholarly level of teaching and learning, all of which can transform classroom practice.

Academic excellence refers to intellectual achievement at the highest level (Nnabuife et al., 2021), while expertise is built on sustained experience, authority, and mastery (Quast, 2018). Importantly, this attainment is self-judged, as teachers reflect on whether their learning sufficiently meets personal and professional needs (Loeng, 2020). Loeng (2018) further asserts that self-actualisation is an ongoing journey that influences character formation, inner development, and fulfilment of inborn potential.

This transformational growth is reflected in exemplary professional practice (Bowman, 2018), supported by comprehensive and tailored ePortfolio training that empowers teachers (Pingo et al., 2025). To maximise their pedagogical impact, however, ePortfolios must be co-created with teachers to align principles of use with practice. They also serve as evidence of quality teaching, student engagement, and class capability (Shah et al., 2020), linking staff competence directly to student success (Machingambi, 2020).

The Heutagogical Approach: A Global Trend

The role of ePortfolios in teacher growth aligns closely with heutagogy, a self-determined and learner-centred approach. This approach assumes that teachers must be self-directed and motivated to change their own thinking to empower learning (Couros, 2015). A teaching portfolio, as a mindtool, thrives on internalised motivation and promotes metacognitive, reflective, and self-challenging growth (Hase & Kenyon, 2001; Hopper et al., 2018).

Heutagogy, rooted in constructivist learning theory, frames change as an internal and cognitive process, enabling reflective growth. Drawing on Mezirow’s (1997) transformative learning theory, heutagogy positions the teacher as the agent of their own learning, with full autonomy over what, how, and when to learn (Kanwar et al., 2019). This requires maturity and an understanding of learning as a lifelong process, positioning ePortfolios as tools for capacity-building, transformative practice, and the development of sustainable skills

Transformative Potential of ePortfolios in Teaching and Learning

Transformative experiences are characterised by discovery and change at a deep personal level, often altering one’s core self (Paul & Quiggin, 2020). In the process of developing ePortfolios, teachers learn to recognise their biases, assumptions, and diverse perspectives, which leads to a paradigm shift in how they perceive their own learning (Prokopetz, 2022). This shift is described as a personal evolution that revises existing understanding and ways of thinking (Damianakis et al., 2019), resulting in transformation of both character and worldview (Obongha, 2020).

Such transformation is sustained by critical thinking, self-reflection, and questioning of established frames of reference (Romano, 2017). ePortfolios provide the scaffolding for these moments of reflection, interaction, and feedback, which become powerful educational experiences (Prokopetz, 2022). Transformed thinking can invigorate teachers’ beliefs, strategies, and motivation, encouraging modern and innovative approaches to teaching (Kálmán et al., 2020). This effort empowers teachers to reach their full potential and to function competitively in a global educational context (Maxwell, 2015; Obongha, 2020).

Transformed thinking translates into transformed teaching, which involves conscious, intentional growth aimed at improving learners’ experiences (Shigo, 2016). This process requires teachers to deeply interrogate their own practices and apply value judgements to their teaching (Symons & Pierce, 2019). In doing so, confidence and passion are cultivated, empowering teachers to engage in ‘high-effect practices’ (Babaee, 2020).

An ePortfolio contributes to this transformation by shaping teacher identity, instilling pride, enthusiasm, and a sense of professional worth (Hopper et al., 2018). Transformed teaching, in turn, leads to transformed learning by fostering accountability and a shared vision for excellence (Shigo, 2016). Portfolios also encourage reflective practice, enabling teachers to refine their skills in ways that directly enhance student learning outcomes (Sebalao, 2019). This process represents a long-term investment in students’ lives, which in turn supports teacher endurance, empowerment, and accountability in the profession (Shigo, 2016).

The long-term impact of transformation is reflected in the legacy of teaching. Bowman (2018) suggests that the enduring impression of teaching is the legacy a teacher leaves behind. This legacy includes not only subject knowledge but also the memories and experiences shared with learners—the laughter, the projects, and the joy of discovery (Mackenzie, 2019). Lasting transformation is also evident in the relationships teachers build with their students (Shigo, 2016).

Professional development through ePortfolios supports this legacy by fostering continuous growth and sustained excellence. Transformation is therefore not a once-off event but an ongoing journey of enrichment and fulfilment (Prins et al., 2018; Hamilton, 2018). A teacher’s legacy is both a responsibility and an opportunity, measured by the impact made on students’ lives (Talamonti, 2019; Couros, cited in Spenser, 2017). This legacy is sustained through collaboration, exchange of ideas, and sharing of expertise (Verger et al., 2018), all of which equip teachers to prepare learners for the demands of the 21st-century workforce (Longmore et al., 2017).

In sum, literature shows that ePortfolios facilitate transformation at multiple levels: thinking, teaching practice, and long-term professional legacy. They not only transform individual teachers but also build capacity for systemic improvement in teaching and learning (Butakor, 2024). Despite these insights, gaps remain in fully understanding the depth and scope of the transformative opportunities offered by ePortfolios.

METHODOLOGY

This study followed a qualitative approach. According to Renjith et al. (2021), this assured rich data exploration of the participants’ thoughts and actions, generating patterns and behaviour that describe experiences. As a phenomenological case study, a specific aspect could be explored in-depth which was participants’ perceptions of a teaching portfolio to transform professional development. The population in this South African tertiary institution consisted of 273 lecturers (2022), as teachers in a variety of faculties. Convenience sampling was applied in line with Maree’s (2019) suggestion.

Two easily accessible campuses were in Pretoria and Sandton. Purposive sampling would, according to Parker et al. (2019), allow participants to be selected based on the predetermined characteristic that they were knowledgeable and experienced in using a teaching portfolio for professional development. Snowball sampling was used to initiate the sample identification. According to Maree (2019), this meant that the initial known contact provided access to more potential participants. The final sample size consisted of 12 participants for the individual interviews and 5 for the focus group. The range of biographical data is as follows:

Table 1
Interview Sample and Focus Group Biographical Data (created by Authors)

Number of Participants:	Years’ experience (lecturing/ teaching)	Experience in portfolio completion	Highest Qualification	Campus Geographic
Interviews 1:1
Total = 12 Females = 9 Males = 3	Between 3 & 40 years	Between 1 & 12 Times	PhD = 1 Master’s = 7 Honours = 3 Higher Certificate=1	Sandton = 3 Pretoria = 9
Focus Group
Total = 5 Females = 5 Males = 0	Between 4 & 29 years	Between 1 & 10 Times	Master’s = 3 Honours = 2	Sandton = 2 Pretoria = 3

A senior manager responsible for managing the portfolio function within the institution where the research took place provided contextual, knowledgeable, and valuable input; this was recorded in the textual document section.

DATA COLLECTION STRATEGIES

Valuable triangulated data were collected after ethical clearance was granted by UNISA and the institution where the research took place. The primary data collection technique was 12 semi-structured individual, one-to-one interviews which were guided by a set of 13 semi-structured, open-ended questions recorded in an interview schedule. The questions were geared to gain a complex understanding of each participant’s unique and personal insight and perception on the topic (Marshall & Rossman, 2016). In this context it included their experience relating to the transformational value of their teaching portfolio. Probing and prompting were used to add depth to insight.

Secondary data collection sources included a focus group session with 5 voluntary participants. Three scheduled questions guided the interaction. Zoom conferencing facilities were used for all interviews as well as the focus group. Confidentiality was promoted by adjusting the Zoom virtual interaction settings to remove all visual sharing. This was in line with the recommendations by Gray et al. (2020) for efficient online, virtual qualitative data generation. The third data source was textual document analysis, including a) field notes, b) journal records (participant self-reports), and c) researchers’ incidental observation notes. Notes from perusal of the policy document as well as a transcript of a Zoom interview with the senior manager concerning portfolio policy implementation were included.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Having captured multiple accounts and perspectives from all participants, a “stream of events” formed the data to be interpreted (Maree, 2019). Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data, and this allowed implicit meaning to evolve (Willig & Stainton-Rogers, 2017). As suggested by Lester et al. (2020), the data were collected, transcribed, coded, organised, and analysed into themes and sub-themes that relate to answering the research questions and providing context. The interview and focus group data was transcribed from the recordings into Word documents. The research questions guided the deductive analysis and coding. Each theme presented sub-themes with emerging patterns . The textual documents were already recorded in writing: a) field notes; b) journal records (participant self-reports); c) researchers’ incidental observation notes (including notes from perusal of the policy document); and d) a transcript of a Zoom interview with the senior manager concerning portfolio policy implementation. These were analysed in line with the themes already identified from the interviews and focus group; contextual data added deeper insight and meaning. Participants were identified by number, and this assured anonymity. The collective responses provided patterns of insight in two themes, indicating participants’ personal views, utterances were used verbatim in the findings and are indicated in italics. The original transcripts and audio recordings are stored on a password-protected personal laptop.

FINDINGS

Two themes emerged from data collected:

Theme 1: Teacher’s Perceptions of the Value of e-Portfolios for Professional Development

Value for Professional Development
Ten of the participants agreed on the value of professional development in the teaching portfolio process:

‘… it is because of professional development and obtaining constructive feedback on what I am doing right and on what I should improve on…’ (P9) [Focus Group].

The standard of professional development is acknowledged as outstanding, with one senior manager noting:

‘… customise the process for the individual … it must result in best practice and must contribute to development and growth.’ [Textual Document Analysis].

Changed Thinking and Reflective Practice
Participants emphasised the impact of e-portfolios on changing their thinking and promoting reflection:

‘… it has changed how you thought … It forced you to think of the bigger picture, … in more depth.’ (P2);
‘higher order thinking skills.’ (P15);
‘a reflective practice tool.’ (P6);
‘…practice of introspection.’ (P14);
‘…self-reflect … identify areas that I am lacking.’ (P15).

The process encouraged honest evaluation of strengths and weaknesses:

‘… it forces you to think what are my strengths and that is easy and then it says, what are your weaknesses? That is threatening because I need to be honest.’ (P15).

Others linked reflection to improvement and learning:

‘I realised that if I missed it, I was missing out on an amazing opportunity to learn something from my students, about myself and the way that I teach and ultimately improve the delivery.’ (P6);
‘… it makes you aware of how you are perceived and how you are received.’ (P15);
‘… impacts on my skill, in transferring that knowledge, facilitating learning.’ (P 14).

Commitment to Excellence
Several participants associated the portfolio process with excellence and expertise:

‘… a commitment to exemplary, professional development, which includes excellence and expertise.’ (P6);
‘… facilitating learning causes excellence in teaching and learning.’ (P14).

Participants also described how training and engagement with e-portfolios promoted motivation, understanding, and excellence:

‘…think in advance.’;
‘… a learning curve.’ (P9);
‘… deep gaps and amazing opportunity that empowers excellence in teaching.’ (P6);
‘… helps me develop professionally and absolutely … in excellence.’ (P8);
‘… drives student engagement and success…’ (P6).

Self-Actualisation
Participant 4 reflected on the personal benefits:

‘It helped me personally … understanding where I want to go …it is something that I feel I have to do…’ (P4).

The process is seen as ongoing and aligned with growth:

‘…is about self-actualising, is ongoing … it is beneficial, and is something I want to do for me … I see excellence … in line with the self-actualisation need.’ (P4).

Heutagogy (Self-Determined Learning)
Participants highlighted intrinsic motivation, responsibility, and ownership:

‘I think it is an intrinsic thing … I have to challenge myself!’;
‘Learning requires me as the lecturer to take responsibility.’ (P6).

From the senior management perspective:

‘… we take it that if a person has opted to lecture, … they have an obligation to develop the craft.’;
‘… maturity encourages taking accountability for your own development.’ [Textual Document Analysis].

Participants further linked ownership and responsibility to professional growth:

‘It does help you plan to achieve.’ (P2);
‘… it is important for me to continue to develop myself, both professionally and personally.’ (P6);
‘I think it’s just about acknowledging that if you want to be this best version of yourself, not just for personal development but for professional development and all areas of life as well, you need to use all opportunities to drive student engagement and success.’ (P6).

Theme 2: Transformative Potential of e-Portfolios in Teaching and Learning

Catalyst for Transformation
A teaching portfolio is viewed as a catalyst, inspiring outstanding professional development and self-actualisation (Theme 1). Participant 6 reflected:

‘I genuinely feel that it has transformed the way I teach.’

Half of the participants affirmed this value:

‘… you can’t get to the excellence and expertise without … working towards it.’ (4P);
‘… helps me develop professionally and absolutely in excellence.’ (P8).

Deep and Meaningful Change
For many, transformation is linked to depth, reflection, and growth:

‘… becomes a tool you can use for transformation when you integrate all the development opportunities that are available. Then you create something that is holistic and has a deep meaningful space for reflection.’ (P15).

Other participants added:

‘… an exciting journey.’ (P15);
‘… it plays out a roadmap.’ (P13);
‘So, you know Maslow, the highest needs … I see it in line with the self-actualisation need.’ (P4).

Transformation of Teaching and Learning
Participants highlighted changes in both teaching practice and student learning:

‘… students are changing, their needs are changing, how we teach is changing, the tools we use to teach are changing.’ (P6).

The senior manager noted:

‘This is part of the process and that it must be invested in; it starts as a schlep and becomes a maze of growth.’ [Textual Document Analysis].

Transformation of learning was also recognised:

‘… it shows me that I am still lacking … it helps me to realise that if I am mature in my teaching skills, my students will benefit from it.’ (P4);
‘… I’ve been better able to understand the needs of our students and … cater to those teaching and learning needs.’ (P6).

Legacy and Lasting Impact
Transformation is seen as nurturing a legacy:

‘…helped me evolve year-by-year.’ (P2);
‘Last year there were excellence awards … I had to update my teaching portfolio so they could see the areas of my professional development … I received the award, it is part of my legacy.’ (P9);
‘…a legacy is a part of our commitment to lecturing.’ (P6).

Students’ gratitude and continued connection were also highlighted:

‘… feedback from students that you’ve changed my life, you have given me so much wisdom.’ (P7);
‘…there’s the personal connection you get to them … they want to stay part of your life … I appreciate this!’ (P7).

Participants linked this to career success and student achievement:
‘I got really good feedback from student’s … I contributed to their success … I have students come back to me across the years and say … I got my first job thanks to you.’ (P6);
‘… some of my 3rd years got internships.’ (P2).

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
The scholarship dimension was emphasised through continuous improvement and sharing of best practice:

‘Continuous development and the sharing of best practice to be passed down.’ (P6) [Textual Document Analysis].
Participant 6 further explained:
‘… update year on year from feedback, from peer reviews, from student evaluations … it is a reflective practice tool to look at what you’re doing in the classroom and how you could change it to make it better.’

Digital technology was also recognised as essential for creating online teaching portfolios (OTPs).

Fair Representation: Challenges and Limitations
Despite the transformative potential, several participants raised challenges:

‘For me it was more of an administrative task than a living, working document.’ (P3);
‘… the immediate notion is that it is a tick-box task.’ (Senior Manager);
‘… entirely, unrelated to my professional development … it is a standardised summative assessment … It is not being used as a developmental tool.’ (P3);
‘… No, not transformational.’ (P5)

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

The findings indicated that an ePortfolio is a form of professional development. Ten out of the 12 participants claimed that ePortfolios support professional development of a high standard, enabling competence, excellence, expertise, and even self-actualisation. This finding aligns with Little-Weinert and Mazziotti (2018), who describe teaching portfolios as tools that encourage growth, provide input for professional development, and showcase expertise. Similarly, Vorotnykova and Zakhar (2021) note that an ePortfolio is a dynamic process that evaluates pedagogy, knowledge, skill, and expertise.

Participants also emphasised that professional development through ePortfolios led to deeper thinking, introspection, reflection, higher-order thinking, and re-examining teaching approaches. Graham (2017) highlights such rigorous thought as essential for decision-making in the classroom. Yavoruk (2017) describes these as “critical moments” of learning, while Alkan et al. (2024) see the ePortfolio as scaffolding that facilitates such growth. Feedback was consistently noted as the most beneficial aspect (Hunt, 2021), particularly because it helped participants identify both strengths and weaknesses. Babaee (2020) similarly identifies these as opportunities to improve teaching delivery and influence student learning.

More importantly ePortfolios were seen as fostering confidence and passion for “high effect practice.” This resonates with Machingambi (2020), who links teacher competence to student success, and Shah et al. (2020), who argue that portfolios demonstrate evidence of quality teaching and engagement. Pelger and Larsson (2018) also confirm that portfolios develop competence at a level of excellence and expertise. For participants in this study, this process resulted not only in professional growth but also in self-actualisation, as described by Loeng (2018), who notes that such growth fulfils an inner need for personal development and character formation.

Participants linked their professional growth to intrinsic motivation, ownership, and accountability. They reported that ePortfolio use was self-initiated, owned across a lifetime, and customised to one’s craft. Institutional perspectives confirmed that accountability for ongoing development reflects maturity. Loeng (2020) supports this view, explaining that self-directed learning can only be judged by the learner themselves in meeting their needs. In this regard, the ePortfolio aligns with heutagogy, described by Hase and Kenyon (2001), which emphasises self-determined, meta-cognitive, and reflective learning. Couros (2015) similarly suggests that a self-directed teacher can empower learning by first changing their own thinking.

Overall, findings confirm that ePortfolios support exemplary professional development that strengthens teacher quality and empowers excellence. This aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP, 2017), which emphasises the need for capable, motivated, and continuously developing teachers to meet the demands of the South African education system.

In as far as the transformative potential of the ePortfolio is concerned, participants described their experience with ePortfolios as deeply transformational. Half of the participants confirmed that professional development through ePortfolios transformed their teaching. This included creating holistic and meaningful spaces for reflection, leading to excellence and expertise. Prokopetz (2022) notes that ePortfolios allow teachers to confront biases and assumptions, resulting in paradigm shifts. Similarly, Damianakis et al. (2019) argue that portfolios generate personal evolution by revising one’s existing understanding.

The findings emphasised that transformed thinking translates into transformed teaching and, ultimately, transformed learning. Participants reported that portfolios enabled them to adapt to changing students, shifting teaching tools, and evolving educational contexts. One participant noted that maturity in teaching leads to direct benefits for students, while others affirmed that portfolios helped them better understand and cater to student needs. Sebalao (2019) underscores this by positioning reflection on practice as the central purpose of a teaching portfolio, with the ultimate aim of improving student learning.

Participants also described their ePortfolio journey as exciting, motivating them toward self-actualisation. Maxwell (2020) confirms that rigorous thinking drives teachers to reach their best potential. Paul and Quiggin (2020) also highlight that transformation alters the “core self,” which aligns with participants’ reports of ePortfolios as holistic and ongoing processes of professional and personal growth.

The results of this study linked transformation to legacy. Participants cited recognition in the form of awards, evidence of student career success, and long-term gratitude as evidence of the lasting impact of teaching. Bowman (2018) and Mackenzie (2019) describe this legacy as the enduring impression of teaching, reflected in relationships and memories that extend beyond the classroom. Prins et al. (2018) and Spenser (2017, citing Couros) likewise identify legacy as a measure of the impact teachers have on learners’ lives.

Participants noted that portfolios foster collaboration, peer review, and the sharing of best practice. This aligns with Vorotnykova and Zakhar (2021), who argue that ePortfolios create opportunities to participate in professional learning communities. Verger et al. (2018) similarly observe that globalisation has encouraged collaboration, networking, and the exchange of ideas, all of which were recognised in this study as benefits of portfolio use.

While many participants experienced ePortfolios as transformational, some reported more negative perceptions. For them, the portfolio felt like an administrative task, a “tick-box exercise,” or unrelated to professional development. These divergent perspectives highlight that the impact of an ePortfolio depends significantly on how it is implemented and engaged with by the individual.

CONCLUSION

The chapter shed light on the role of ePortfolios as a tool to enhance professional development reflection, and transformation in teaching and learning. ePortfolios were seen as promoting self-actualisation, higher levels of expertise, and excellence, while also contributing to a lasting professional legacy. Participants reported that the effectiveness of ePortfolios depends on how they are used—when engaged meaningfully, they support lifelong learning and best practice, but some teachers still perceive them as administrative tasks rather than developmental tools. Above all, ePortfolios were seen as having the capacity to strengthen teacher quality, enhance student success, and build a modern, capable teaching workforce in line with national and global educational goals.

Based on the findings, the following recommendations were proposed:

• Targeted training programmes should be introduced to build understanding of best practice in the use of teaching ePortfolios. Such training will optimise the portfolio’s role in fostering professional development and transforming teaching and learning
• Institutions should establish systems of mentorship, peer review, and professional learning communities to support teachers in using ePortfolios. These collaborative approaches will enhance best practice and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.
• Training and implementation strategies must emphasise the lasting value of the ePortfolio. Beyond documentation, it should be promoted as a developmental tool that shapes teaching practice, inspires excellence, and contributes to an enduring teaching legacy.

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AUTHORS

Dr. Elaine Grace has a Doctorate in Adult Education from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and is the co-author of the chapter: Enhancing Professional Development and Teaching Excellence through the use of ePortfolios in Teaching: A Phenomenological Study. Elaine’s Doctoral research has been valuable in exploring the role of a teaching portfolio in transforming teaching in a way that realises excellence and crafts an academic legacy. Elaine has spent the greater part of her career training teachers and assisting them to reach their best potential. One of her passions is the promotion of ePortfolios as a heutagogical tool for professional development of an outstanding standard. This highlights life-long learning as well as a carefully strategised legacy. Conference presentations related to promoting teaching portfolios have been well-received. Elaine lives and works in Pretoria, South Africa.
Email: elainelydia@gmail.com

Dr. Florah Moleko Teane is an Associate Professor at the University of South Africa in the Department of Adult Community and Continuing Education. Her job description entails providing supervision and tuition to honors and Masters’ and Doctoral students. She also coordinates an outreach program for the teacher community that empowers teachers on the implementation of Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). The community project started in the Northwest Province and spread to Mpumalanga province. She has presented research papers in conferences local and international. She has published book chapters, conference proceedings and articles in accredited journals relating to teacher education and curriculum issues.
Email: teanef@unisa.ac.za