Professional Development On Teachers’ Academic Performance In Secondary Schools In Etche Local Government Area (Published)
The project reflects on professional development on teachers academic performance in secondary schools in Etche Local Government Area. It is a literature study. The result of the findings indicated that professional development of teachers refocusing the status quo of the school system hence contributing to high level of academic standard; in-service training fully integrates teachers’ talents and potentiality towards realizing the objectives and goals of the school system; workshops/conferences/seminars provide the medium for sharing assumptions, values, beliefs as well as engendering inter institutional resources and exchanging scholarly ideas. It is therefore concluded that enabling environment and opportunities be created for consistent acquisition of knowledge, skills and potentialities to pursuit the academic excellence. Hence, it is recommended that sufficient resources should be provided to assure effectiveness during the programme; there should be provision for positive reinforcement after training for transmission of the acquired knowledge and skills; varieties of development programme or activities should be provided to accommodate the interest of non-academic staff; teachers should be allowed to use research/publication as a yardstick for their promotion as in the universities system
Keywords: Etche Local Government Area, Professional Development, Teachers
Evaluation of Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) Program. A case study of Murang’a South District, Kenya (Published)
The purpose of the study was to assess the extent to which the SMASSE INSET program has been effective since it was started in 1998. SMASSE came into being when the consistently poor performance in Mathematics and Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) became a matter of serious concern. Although dismal performance in these subjects had almost been accepted as the norm in some schools, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders felt there had to be an intervention, hence the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary schools. The INSET Curriculum was thus developed to upgrade and strengthen teacher competent in the teaching of Science and Mathematics subjects.
The program activities are centred on the ASEI (Activity, Student, Experiment, and Improvisation) & PDSI (Plan, Do, See and Improve ) approach, which emphasize on learner – centred preparation and presentation of lessons. The study targeted the teachers of Science and Mathematics, learners, SMASSE trainers, Principals, District Quality and Assurance and Standard Officer Murang’a South District and the training program itself. The study involved five schools in Murang’a South District which were selected through convenience method. The study adopted the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation.
Questionnaires and observation schedule were used to collect data. Although there was some significant improvement in performance of Science and Mathematics subjects, a lot need to be done to improve the attitude of teachers. It clearly emerged that, majority of teachers are coerced to attend the inset training. However, majority of teachers use the recommended practices of teaching like PDSI and ASEI which have increased the learners’ interest in the learning of Science and Mathematics.
Keywords: Curriculum, Pilot Schools, Professional Development, Situational Analysis