Description:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the existing relationship between the
nature of teaching practices in secondary schools with the trends of teachers’
continuous professional development in Magu District. The study employed a mixed
research method, in which it adopted a convergent parallel design. The area of the
study was Magu District in which data was collected through questionnaires, interviews
and document reviews. The targeted population of the study was DEO, education
quality assurers, Ward education coordinators, heads of secondary schools and
secondary school teachers. Using a purposive sampling technique, the study adopted a
sample size of 57 participants. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive
statistics method to generate frequency and percentages, through the use of Statistical
Package for Social Science (SPSS) 20 version. Thematic analysis method was used to
analyze qualitative data. The findings of the study were presented according to the
stated objectives. Hence, the findings demonstrated that, there is an existence of rare
programmes for secondary school teachers’ in-service training programmes in Magu
District. Based on the second objective, it was found that, the rare existed in-service
training programmes, had significant contributions to secondary school teachers in
Magu District. Finally, it was revealed that, there were no national, District, Ward and
school levels’ based strategies to improve the in-service training programmes for
secondary school teachers in Magu District. The study concludes that, inexistence of
reliable teachers’ continuous professional development programmes in Magu District,
is the result of lack of enough knowledge on the role of CPD programmes to teachers’
effectiveness rested on the education administrators and planners at all levels. Hence
from the presented findings, the study recommends possible initiatives to be undertaken
for strategic plans to improve the CPD programmes for secondary school teachers.