An investigation into the continuous professional development needs of public basic school headteachers in the Ningo-Prampram district

Abstract

This study investigated the continuous professional development needs of the public basic school headteachers in the Ningo- Prampram District. The study investigated into the nature of CPD programmes organised for the headteachers, their CPD needs as well as learning opportunities for such headteachers to enable them to ensure meaningful improvement in quality educational provision. This was a mixed method research, both quantitative and qualitative data was collected. The study used the sequential explanatory design in which data was collected in two phases using structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview. A census sampling technique was employed to involve all the fifty one (51) public basic school headteachers in the Ningo-Prampram for the first phase of data collection and purposive sampling technique was used to select six(6) of the headteachers who had already responded to the questionnaire and the district training officer for an interview. Data obtained were analyzed statistically, using means and standard deviations, while the qualitative data was used to elaborate on the quantitative results. The study revealed that CPD organised for headteachers in the district were mostly in the form of workshops. Comprehensive Induction activities and programmes were barely organised for them after their appointment as headteachers which they were not pleased about. Headteachers mentioned their dissatisfaction with the organisation and implementation of CPD training workshops for them and this was due to poor feeding during the CPD workshops, unconducive venue, inappropriate duration and timing of the programmes, lack of transportation allowances and travel difficulties to the location were the CPD programmes were being held. Headteachers requested for their needs to be assessed prior to the organisation and implementation of CPD training and suggested some skills, abilities and competences they would like to acquire in their chosen career. They therefore indicated that they would like the content of their CPD training programmes to be relating to the day to day management of their schools. They indicated some leadership and management topics and requested for the content of their CPD training to be focused on those topics. Among others, the study concluded that, public basic school headteachers in the Ningo-Prampram district perceive CPD training to be relevant and demanded that CPD training programmes should be often organised for them to enable them acquire enough skills, abilities and competences for them to be able to lead and manage the schools effectively which will eventually improve the general quality of educational delivery. Based on this, the study recommends that the Ningo-Prampram district education directorate should design a comprehensive CPD programme policy solely for newly appointed and practising headteachers. The CPD programmes to be designed should focus on topics such as conflict management and resolution, information communication, staff appraisals, time management, leadership training, and technology, communication skills, financial management, skills in preparing and vetting lesson notes, financial management, school community relationship, team building, communication skills, staff professional development organisation, stress management, crises disaster management and decision making processes. The study further indicated strategies such as mentoring, coaching, conducting action research, study group formation, observation and networking as other opportunities for headteachers to learn, which will to enable them gain skills, competences and abilities to meet their training needs.