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.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Educational Administration
and Management, Faculty of Educational Studies, submitted
to the school of graduate studies, University of Education,
Winneba in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of Master of Philosophy Degree in Administration
and Management
AUGUST, 2018