Physical science subject advisors are expected to assist and mentor teachers in matters pertaining to their subjects to enhance the quality of instruction. They are field workers who visit schools to support physical science teachers' ongoing professional development. Policy documents serve as a guide for their work, ensuring that all teachers receive consistent support. In South Africa, the challenge of underperformance of physical science in previously disadvantaged communities is prioritized by education departments, hence physical science subject advisors are expected to assist teachers in these schools to improve their competencies. This study investigated the physical science subject advisers’ perspectives regarding their role as stipulated in the policy documents that serve as a guide for their work as well as actual expectations of their roles by their managers to establish if these enable them to improve teacher competencies. Four physical science subject advisors participated in one-on-one interviews to gather qualitative data, which was then descriptively analyzed. The study's conclusions showed that subject advisors fulfil responsibilities outlined in the current policy document which are directly related to teacher support and monitoring; yet, because of the previous guideline's enduring subjectivity, the interpretations of their roles by their managers place additional burdens on subject advisors’ jobs, inhibiting effective support for teachers in previously disadvantaged schools. Findings of this study suggests that the document available on roles of physical science subject advisors should include subject advisors’ roles in interacting with physical science teachers to assist them with subject matters, correlate with interpretation of education managers and be mediated the same way throughout the country.

Keywords: Competencies, perspectives, physical science, roles, previously disadvantaged schools, subject advisors, teachers.