Effective management of the Continuous Professional Development Program in selected schools in Oshana Education Region, Namibia

Abstract

Continuous professional development denotes the empowerment of teachers to execute their duties diligently, which has a ripple effect on learner performance. Highly equipped teachers enhance and guarantee the smooth academic progression of learners. The impact of continuous professional development on teacher performance has become an important issue considering their role in changing lives. In the study, the effective management of the Continuous Professional Development Programme was investigated in selected schools in the Oshana Education Region in Namibia. The programme was implemented in 2012 to mitigate the challenges teachers were facing in the execution of their duties. Since then, mixed opinions on the impact of the Continuous Professional Development Programme have been expressed. Some stakeholders postulate that the programme is a waste of money, while others appreciate and have confidence in it. The main purpose of the study was to ascertain how effective the management of the Continuous Professional Development Programme is. The case study approach was applied as a qualitative method. Four schools, four principals and twelve teachers were purposively selected for the study. The participants in the study were purposively selected from the four selected schools in the Oshana Education Region. The purposive sampling method was used since it allows the researcher to select participants who are information-rich regarding the matter under study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants to gather data. The data collected were analysed using content analysis and presented in the form of narratives and verbatim responses by the participants. The research findings reveal a positive relationship between continuous professional development and teacher performance. It could be noted that the Continuous Professional Development Programme equips teachers with confidence, motivation, dedication and commitment, strengthens teachers’ expertise, improves teacher performance and promotes lifelong learning. However, the effectiveness of the Continuous Professional Development Programme was found to be low due to challenges such as limited time, incompetence of principals, a lack of financial support, teachers’ lack of motivation and interest and teachers’ high workloads. The following recommendations were made: improving school environmental factors; training principals as leaders; motivating teachers using non-financial rewards such as promotion and input in decision making; reconsidering teachers’ workload; and planning properly, both at school and at regional level.