Effectiveness of School-based Professional Development in Addressing Teachers’ Learning Needs and Improving Learner-centred Pedagogical Practices
Abstract
The study set out to investigate how school-based continuing professional development (SB-CPD) addresses teachers’ learning needs and contributes to the improvement of learner-centred pedagogical practices in Tanzania secondary schools The study employed questionnaire, interviews, classroom observation, and documentary review to collect data from a sample of 110 teachers and heads of schools participating in an SB-CPD programme called the Probono Teacher Training (PPT) Programme. The study revealed that, even though teachers’ learning needs were not identified through a needs assessment, the teachers perceived the programme effective in addressing their learning needs related to the implementation of the competence-based (secondary education) curriculum. Moreover, the PPT Programme, to a large extent, was effective in improving learner-centred pedagogical practices, particularly in the aspect of applying learner-centred teaching (LCT) strategies in the course of teaching. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that an SB-CPD programme is effective in addressing teachers’ learning needs and improving learner-centred pedagogical practices.
Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) was issued with copyright registration Certificate No. Rw-C10000866 by the Office of the Registrar General in accordance to the Rwandan IPR Law No. 31/2009.
N.B.: KIE is now a College of Education, constituent of the University of Rwanda in accordance to the Rwandan Law No. 71/2013 of 10/09/2013 establishing the University of Rwanda (UR), and the College of Education as shown on its website: http://www.ce.ur.ac.rw/
