Exploring the Teacher Professional Development Activities: Perspectives of Nigerian High School Teachers

Abstract

The quality of education is central to the Sustainable National Development that can be attained by any country. Hence, the professional development of teachers is critical to classroom practices in the education system. Teachers attend various professional development activities every year to improve their classroom practices. The aim of the study was to establish teachers’ perspectives on professional development activities. The study adopted an interpretive qualitative approach to explore teachers' views on the phenomenon. The study engaged three heads of departments in semi-structured interviews and five teachers in a focus group interview to explore teachers’ lived experiences of professional development. The study employed andragogy as the theoretical framework to understand teachers' views on workshops, subject association meetings, conferences and other professional development activities they attended. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out systematically to generate themes from the findings. Teachers did not regularly attend annual professional development activities. The contents of the professional development activities did not adequately address teachers’ needs for dynamics in the classroom. It is therefore recommended that teachers’ classroom practices be assessed by their heads of departments, vice principals/principals or subject specialists to determine how their classroom practices could be enhanced. The frequency of professional development activities for teachers should be increased every year, to improve their classroom practices.

Impact of ICT-Driven Teacher Professional Development for the Enhancement of Classroom Practices in South Africa: A Systematic Review of Literature

“…De Beer (2023) confirms that teachers' knowledge and skills in ICT, can assist in the selection of learning technologies and teaching approaches that can help curriculum delivery and also learners' performance in teaching and learning. However, Ajani (2022) asserts that regular training of teachers in ICT enables them to effectively integrate learning technologies into teaching and learning, and encourages learners to use ICT. Various learning technologies can be used for curriculum delivery in the education system.…”

“…However, Ouyang and Scharber (2018) suggest that the adoption and use of ICT in teaching and learning, with the support of ICTbased professional development, should be learner-centred, for learning to take place. Ajani (2022) recommends that schools that have ICT resources make teachers more likely to use ICT in teaching and learning. According to Wangdi, Dhendup, and Gyelmo (2018), the support teachers receive from ICT-based professional development activities encourages them to develop their ICT competencies in the adoption and use of ICT.…”

“…It has been argued that teachers' knowledge and skills in ICT can motivate the use and adoption of ICT in teaching and learning. Ajani (2022) further argues that the presence of various serviceable ICT gadgets in schools can also inspire teachers to integrate ICT into their classroom practices. Hence, Ajani and Govender (2019) report that the adoption and use of ICT in classroom teaching and learning are critical to curriculum delivery in schools.…”

“…The study will also highlight the significance of integrating the TPACK framework into teacher professional development, for teachers in South African schools. Raman and Thannimalai (2019); Esfijani and Zamani (2020); Agyei (2021);and Ajani (2022) assert that quality training of teachers adequately and regularly is necessary to keep them relevant to dynamic changes in teaching and learning across the globe.…”

Enhancing Participative Management Practices among Secondary Schools in Patriarchal South Africa

“…Ajani (2019Ajani ( , 2020Ajani ( , 2021 posits that professional development is necessary for practitioners in education to be engaged in a series of activities that can enhance the educational system. Thus, workshops, meetings and other professional activities are capable of improving influencing curriculum delivery and implementation by all the stakeholders in the school system (Ajani, 2018;2022).…”