Teacher professional learning, a tool for managing teachers to improve pupils’ learning: the views of teachers in Ghana

ABSTRACT

The research sought the views of basic school teachers in Ghana regarding the forms of professional learning (PL) activities that they engaged in, the challenges in accessing them and how they wanted to be empowered in their PL. A simple random sampling technique was used to select six regions in which 19 teachers were selected across the regions participated. Data were collected through a questionnaire comprising both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The closed-ended questions were analysed and presented in the form of diagrams, while the open-ended questions were analysed thematically. The findings showed that all respondents engaged in some form of PL activities. However, they were confronted with challenges such as inadequate and inappropriate PL resources, poor support and lack of motivation. Hence, they wanted to be empowered through motivation and support with resources to enable them to have control over their own PL and make the needed impact in pupils’ learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional learning
• professional development
• top-down
• informal
• formal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).