Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the practices and challenges of school based
teachers‟ continuous professional development in secondary schools of Kemashi Zone,
Benishangul- Gumuz Regional State. The study is used four basic research questions. The
research employed in the study was descriptive survey method, which is supplemented by
qualitative data. The sampling techniques used included purposive, availability and
simple random sampling. The sample size was 83 teachers, 14 department heads, seven
principals, seven schools „continuous professional development facilitators, four woreda
education office experts, four cluster supervisors and one zone education office expert
with the total of 120 participants out of 151 study populations. The data gathering tools
employed were questionnaire, interview as well as document analysis.The participants of
interview were principals, department heads, Continuous Proffessional Development
facilitators, cluster supervisors, woreda and zone education office experts. Questionnaire
was administered to 83 teachers of which 80 of them were properly filled and returned.
Then, the information gathered through closed-ended questionnaire was analyzed using
percentage, frequency, standard deviation, and mean score while the data gathered
through interview and open-ended questions were narrated qualitatively. Results of the
document analysis were also described. The findings indicated that the extent to which
teachers engagement in professional development activities such as mentoring, portfolio
development, conducting action research, facilitating group discussions and peer
observations, and evaluating the overall successes and failures of the implementation
processes were inadequately implemented. The school principals, professional
development facilitators, senior teachers, woreda and zone education office experts were
providing insufficient support for the teachers. The major challenges identified were, lack
of training, lack of action research, lack of fulfilling Continuous Professional
Development materials, lack of trained facilitators, insufficiency of supports provided for
teachers growth, insufficient allocation of budget, lack of peer coaching and peer
evaluation, and absence of induction program, were identified by this research as the
serious challenges of Continuous Professional Development realization in secondary
schools of Kemashi Zone. To overcome the challenges encountered, recommendationsIX
have been forwarded. These include: orienting teachers in advance with the overall
contents of the professional growth, motivating teachers to willingly take more
responsibilities in the implementation process, employing trained facilitators, and
allocation of sufficient resources to effectively achieve the intended goals. Moreover,
Woreda education office has to allocate the necessary school budget
