The Interplay between Teachers’ Professional Development and Job Performance with Particular Reference to Ilu Aba Bor Zone Preparatory Schools

Abstract

A corelational research design was employed to examine if a relationship exists betweenprofessional development (PD) and teachers job performance in preparatory schoolssetting, and to investigate whether the various elements of PD have independent effectson teachers’ job performance. A total of 5 preparatory schools, 80 teachers and 10educational leaders were involved in the study. Mean, standard deviation, Pearson rcorrelation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were applied for the dataanalysis. The results indicate that PD has a significant and positive relationship withteachers’ job performance in the preparatory schools, but nonetheless, a weak one.Group development is the most positive predictor of teachers’ job performance in thepreparatory schools. However action research and curriculum development showed verylow prediction on the teachers’ job performance. Lack of employer support, lack ofincentives and certification, poor quality and irrelevant PD practices were reported asmajor implementation challenges of professional development. It is recommended thatstandards of teachers job performance evaluation that includes instructional planningand delivery, assessment of learning, learning environment, professional ethics,interpersonal relations and management skills should be introduced to school system soas to make the PD practices relevant to the schools job performance. The involvement ofteachers in PD activities should be planned; and need-based and up-to-date programs(e.g. new learning technologies, innovative pedagogies) with the involvement of teachersneed to be identified and initiated. These calls for necessary support and resourcesallocation form the relevant stakeholders .