Effects of Continous Professional Development on Teachers’ Job Performance in Public Primary Schools Nakuru North Sub County Kenya

Abstract

Continuous professional development is an educational improvement, in order to gain skills and knowledge. It can be attained through in-service courses, workshops, seminarsand non-formal learning opportunities. It provides teachers with knowledge to use during teaching/learning activities, apply new technology and proper use of teaching/ learning resources well in classroom. The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of continuous professional development on teachers’ job performance in public primary schools in Nakuru North Sub County, Nakuru County. The study was carried in 22 public primary schools in the sub county among the 22 head teachers and 170 school teachers, specifically the effect of training on pedagogical content knowledge on teachers’ performance, established the effect of teaching strategy choice on teachers’ performance, findout the effect of teachers’ self-efficacy on teachers’ performance; determined the effect of teachers’ mastery of subject matter on teachers’ performance in schools within Nakuru North Sub-County. The study was based on Campbell’s theory of performance and social cognitive theory. A sample of 8 head teachers and 51 public primary school teachers was used. The sample for the head teachers was selected using purposive sampling technique while that of the teachers was selected using simple random sampling technique. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires for teachers and interview schedules for head teachers respectively. Prior to use, the questionnaires were subjected to validity checks and reliability tests. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, means and percentages.)Pearson moment correlation (r) was used to establish the relationship between the variables. The study established that training on pedagogical content knowledge, teaching strategy choice, teachers’ selfefficacy and teachers’ mastery of subject matter had a positive effect on teachers’ performance in schools within Nakuru North Sub-County. There was a negative Pearson correlation between Training on Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Teachers' Performance (r = -0.37, p = 0.802); and a positive Pearson correlation between teachers’ self-efficacy and teachers' performance (r = 0.117, p = 0.427); and teachers’ mastery of subject matter and teachers' performance (r = 0.213, p = 0.147). The findings of the study may be significant to the Ministry of Education, Quality assurance officers and Primary school teachers.