Abstract:
A thesis in the Department of Basic Education, School of Education
and Life-Long Learning, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Basic Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
Description:
The purpose of the study was to find out the influence of Religious and Moral Education
teachers’ Continuous Professional Development on teaching and learning in Agona
West Municipality. This study employed the mixed methods sequential explanatory
design. One hundred and fifty (150) RME teachers that were randomly selected to
participate in the study. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and semistructured
interview guide. The questionnaire data were analysed using means, standard
deviation, simple linear regression, and the interview data were analysed using thematic
analysis. The findings revealed that Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
positively impacts various aspects of teaching and learning, including teaching
effectiveness, student learning experiences, and educators’ adaptability to changing
educational needs. Also, it was revealed that lack of major resources for professional
development, the absence of a clear written policy on professional development in
schools, and inadequate systematic and comprehensive training needs analysis were
some challenges RME teachers encounter in their quest for continuous professional
development. It was recommended that educational authorities and institutions should
allocate sufficient resources, including financial, technological, and human, to support
robust CPD programmes. Also, schools and educational authorities should work
together to establish clear and well-defined written policies on professional
development.
