Attitudes of basic school teachers toward professional development programmes in the Assin North District

Abstract

Teacher professional development programmes which are meant to enhance skills, knowledge, abilities and beliefs are inseparably linked to effective teaching and learning. This study sought to determine the attitude of basic school teachers in the Assin North district towards professional development programmes. One hundred and seventy-four (174) basic school teachers and eight (8) officers in the district office were selected using random sampling method for the study. The main instrument used for data collection was a researcher-designed questionnaire following the principles of the Likert Scale to ascertain teacher’s personal characteristics and attitudes towards professional development programme and, an interview guide to elicit the views of the officers on attitude of basic school teachers towards professional development programmes in the district. Data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).The study revealed that Basic School teachers in the Assin North district have a positive attitude towards professional development programmes. The study also revealed that there is no systematic evaluation of the impact that professional development programmes have on teachers’ instructional delivery as well as gains in students’ academic performance. The Ghana Education service (GES) should enforce proper supervision and evaluation of the impact of such programmes. One of the recommendations of the findings is that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with other stakeholders of education and organizers of professional development training programmes should develop systematic and comprehensive professional development plans for teachers.