TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THEIR CLASSROOM PRACTICES IN THE KASSENA/NANKANA WEST DISTRICT..

ABSTRACT It is generally acknowledged that promoting teacher quality is a key element in improving primary and secondary education. It is also believed that one critical step to improving students’ achievement is by improving teachers’ knowledge, skills and disposition. Therefore the study sought to investigate teachers’ understanding of continuous professional development (CPD) and its relevance to their classroom practices in the Kassena/Nankana West District (KNWD). Ninety-three (93) teachers out of three hundred and ten (310) teachers were sampled using the quota sampling technique for the study. Questionnaire, interview guide and observation schedule were the instruments used to collect data from respondents. Data collected on the questionnaire and observation schedule were analyzed using the descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages) while data collected from the interview were analyzed using the thematic narrative approach. Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between teacher quality and effective teaching. Findings from the study revealed that over ninety percent of basic school teachers in the KNWD understand CPD to mean any planned continuous in-service training offered to teachers to improve teaching and learning. Similarly, basic school teachers reported that professional development programmes were beneficial and relevant to their classroom management the practices. Finally, the study revealed a statistically significant, strong positive correlation between teacher quality and effectiveness. It is recommended based on the findings that teachers should be given enough learning opportunities through CPD programmes so as to broaden their knowledge and also make them effective and efficient in the classroom.