Basic School Teacher Participation in Continuous Professional Development: A Study of Teachers in The Sagnarigu Municipality of The Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

By engaging in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), professionals ensure that their skills remain up-to-date and relevant, enhancing their competence and improving their overall performance. CPD for teachers has gained increasing attention from governments, educators, and researchers in recent times. This study assessed basic school teachers’ participation in CPD and the perceived benefits of the CPD programmes they participated in in the Sagnarigu municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study adopted the quantitative approach where 216 teachers responded to a semi-structured questionnaire. Results reveal that 83.3% of participants engaged in CPD activities. Respondents participated highly in inservice training, workshops/short courses and coaching and mentoring in that order. There was also relatively moderate participation in continuing education and peer class observation. However, teachers participated less in education conferences, observation visits to other schools, study networks, collaborative teaching and research, action research and publications. Sociodemographic characteristics of participants such as professional qualifications and years of working experience influenced participation in CPD activities. In-service training, workshops/short courses and peer class observation and Mentoring/coaching as part of formal school arrangement were considered the most beneficial CPD programmes by teachers. Recommendations included the fact that Stakeholders should organise relevant and high-quality CPD programmes: that are tailored to the needs of teachers and that address the specific challenges they face in the classroom.