Primary Schools Teachers’ Licensing and Relicensing Practices in South West Shewa Zone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the practice of teacher licensing and relicensing implementation for primary school teachers and to identify the challenges related to a low score in the competency exam in South West Shewa Zone. It was concerned with identifying the extent of implementing the criteria and process of teachers licensing and relicensing, the challenges observed in implementing and how teachers and school leaders perceive its importance as quality assurance and professional development. This study employed the concurrent mixed research design including both quantitative and qualitative methods by more focusing on quantitative one. A total of 522 respondents including 339 teachers sampled through multistage sampling in which simple random sampling techniques were employed and 159 school leaders sampled through comprehensive sampling from the schools’ teachers were selected; and 24 zone and woreda education office heads and experts, and Woreda and school teachers’ association representatives selected using purposive sampling techniques were participated in responding the questionnaires ant interview. Questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis were used to collect data for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviations) with the help of SPSS version 20. Based on the analysis of the data, it was found that the implementation of both criteria and process of teachers licensing and renewing according the guide and teachers’ competency exam result were found low. And also teachers’ perception regarding teachers licensing implementation was low or negatively perceived teachers licensing and relicensing. The study also found that teachers licensing and relicensing was challenging by low preparation of teachers for teachers’ competency exam, low awareness of teachers on standards and different directives of teachers licensing and high workload on teachers and also connection of teachers licensing with teachers’ career development was low. The study concluded that teachers licensing and relicensing was not implementing according to the directives and guideline established and lack of awareness of different parties was challenging the implementation of teachers licensing. Based on these findings and conclusion drown, capacitating teachers and other professionals, implementing teachers licensing and relicensing according to the directives and guidelines and facilitating the online test and assessment mechanism were suggested.