INSERVICE TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMMES: IMPLICATIONS ON TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of In-service Teacher Training Programmes on teachers’ effectiveness in Sotik Sub-County. In-service Teacher Training Programme is a mode of study undertaken by teachers who are already in the teaching profession. This programme is offered during the school holidays in April, August and December and in the evenings and weekends. The programme affects the teachers’ performance in their respective secondary schools either positively or negatively. This study was guided by five main objectives: To determine the effect of In-service Teacher Training Programme on teacher’s effectiveness on planning for instruction, on lesson content delivery, teacher’s evaluation skills, on development of Student-Teacher relationship and finally to examine the effect on their use of teaching- learning resources on their teaching. The study employed descriptive survey design. 356 teachers, 36 head teachers, one Quality Assurance and Standards Officer which formed a target population of 393 respondents. To obtain the sample size a purposive sampling was used to target teachers who have undergone or undergoing In-service Teacher Training Programme. Sub-county QASO and Head teachers whose schools had ITTP teachers were interviewed. Stratified purposive sampling was used to select two teachers per school who were observed considering gender where applicable. All teachers who had undergone and those undergoing In-service Teacher Training Programme in the sub-county secondary schools filled the questionnaire. Data was gathered by use of a questionnaire, an interview schedule, an observation guide and documentary analysis. The data was subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study was based on the model of Effective Schools by Lesothe (2001) who posited the seven correlates of effective schools that includes instructional leadership, high academic success, monitoring of students’ progress and opportunity to learn. The data analysis was done using both descriptive (means, frequencies and tables) as well as inferential statistics (correlation). A statistically significant positive relationship between the dependent variable In-service Teacher Training Programme and effective teacher planning for instruction at a coefficient of 0.571 (p=0.00˂0.05), positive relationship with teachers’ lesson content delivery at a coefficient of 0.682(r=0.682 p<0.05), positive relationship with teachers’ student evaluation at a coefficient of 0.611(r=0.611 p<0.05); positive relationship with teachers’ development of Student -Teacher relationship at a significant coefficient of 0.622(r=0.622 p<0.05) and a positive relationship with teachers’ use of Teaching-Learning resources at a significant coefficient of 0.692(r=0.692 p<0.05). The study recommend consented efforts of the Government, School Principals, Universities in ensuring proper rolling and management of the In-service Teacher Training Programme in order to benefit more teachers. Universities need to follow up their products (alumni) in the form of surveys, ITTP research and interaction and assess their performance in view of the training their alumni received. Further studies are recommended to  establish  the  sources  of  fees  for the Teachers under ITTP in the Universities and challenges thereof, which university has high number of MEd students and why as well as  which gender is of high population in ITTP and to find reasons why.

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