Teacher professional development (TPD) in Ghana: constraints and solutions

Abstract

This study examined constraints facing teacher professional development (TPD) at the pre-tertiary level of education in Ghana and the measures that could address them. Based on an embedded mixed method design, we sampled 150 pre-tertiary school teachers from a purposively selected district in eastern Ghana. We used questionnaires for data collection and analysed the data using descriptive, factor, and regression analyses. The study revealed multitudes of systemic challenges, such as the failure of TPD organisers to follow up on in-service training programmes, infrequent state sponsorship of TPD activities, and the lack of transparency in awarding study leave for professional development. In resolving the challenges, the research found, among other things, the need to make follow-ups to address skill gaps after training programmes, increase budget spending on TPD activities, and decentralise the organisation of TPD activities to make them transparent. Locally, the findings highlight TPD as a crucial challenge in Ghana's education system and underscore the importance of addressing skill gaps through follow-up initiatives after training programmes. Internationally, the study adds to the burgeoning literature on TPD by providing a more nuanced understanding of the nature of TPD challenges in an African context through the lens of the Theory of Constraints.