PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN FOSTERING TEACHERS’ CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN GOVERNMENT SECONDERY SCHOOLS OF EAST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the practices and challenges of school leadership in fostering teachers’ continuous professional development in government secondary schools of East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State. To this effect, descriptive survey research design that involved the use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches in data gathering and analysis was employed. Data were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources were 129 teachers, 77 continuous professional development coordinators (18 school leadership, 52 department heads and 7 supervisors) and 7 vice woredas/Town heads educational officers. Stratified sampling technique was employed to proportionally select teachers from 13 secondary schools, while available sampling technique was employed to select continuous professional development coordinators and vice woredas/Town education officers. To collect primary data, questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions and interviews and were employed. Interview and document review were conducted to triangulate the information obtained through questionnaire. The quantitative data were first edited, organized, tabulated, and then analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and t-test while qualitative data from interview were thematized and narrated to support the quantitative analysis. The findings indicated that continuous professional development program was not implemented successfully due to the lack of commitment of school leadership, lack of continuous training for teachers and school leadership, and lack of incentives and career structure. Additionally, failed to allocate sufficient resources and budget for continuous professional development training, absence of organizing experience sharing, absence of certification after completion of continuous professional development, lack of stakeholders’ support and follow up activities also were identified by this research. Hence, it was concluded that continuous professional development is not properly implemented as stipulated in the policy document and thus, it seems that continuous professional development program could not contribute to teachers’ professional development. On the basis of these major findings the following recommendations were made. To implement the continuous professional development program effectively, school leadership should be follow up the teachers’ continuous professional development performance; prepare conducive environment for training; apply certification and career level for teachers, applying experience sharing and allocating sufficient resources to effectively achieve the intended goals of the continuous professional development program. It was also recommended that, woredas education office should work in collaboration with zone and regional Education Bureau, community and other concerned bodies to solve the problem.