Teachers Continuous Professional Development: Contributions and Challenges In The Case Of West Shoa Zone Nono Woreda Primary Schools.

Abstract

The main object of this study was to assess contributions and challenges of teacher professional development in the case of primary schools of Nono Woreda. The research design employed in the study was descriptive research. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed. To this end, the sample size of 128 teachers, 20 school leaders and 1 Woreda education office expert were involved in the study. Teachers were selected using simple random sampling technique, while school leaders and experts were included in this study using purposive sampling. The data gathering tools were questionnaire, interview and document analysis. Questionnaire was employed to collect data from school leaders and teachers and interview was used to gather information from Woreda experts. Then, the information gathered through closed ended questionnaire was analyzed using percentage and mean score while the information gathered through interview and open-ended questions were narrated qualitatively. The findings of the study indicated that the extent of teachers practices of professional development activities such as mentoring, portfolio development, facilitating group discussions and peer observations, and evaluating the overall successes and failures of the implementation processes were inadequately implemented. The school administrations (principals, cluster supervisors, professional development facilitators and Woreda experts were providing insufficient support for the teachers. Thus, teachers were not benefited much from the present continuous professional development program. The major challenges identified were, lack of training manuals, irrelevance of the training contents to need and interest of teachers, lack of trained facilitators, insufficiency of supports provided for teachers growth at all level, insufficient allocation of budget to run school programs were some of the challenges. To overcome the challenges encountered creating teachers awareness in advance with the overall CPD aims and its contribution, challenge and possible solution for the challenge for teachers teaching skills improvements, motivating teachers to willingly take self-initiative and responsibilities in the implementation process, assigning competent and trained facilitators and supervisors, and allocation of sufficient resources to effectively achieve the intended goals from continuous professional development program are fundamental measures. The major conclusion of the study was teacher were not sufficiently practice CPD, the government body follow the cpd practice