Academic Staff Development Dreams and Realities: The Case of Haramaya University
Keywords:
Staff Development, Professional Development (PD), Professional competencies
Abstract
This study targeted to analyzing the existing gap between dreams about professional development programs and the implementation practices at Haramaya University. The study attempted to unveil the effect of the various professional development endeavors on instructors‟ professional competencies and the difference it brought on the processes of university training and education system as whole. A case study of qualitative and quantitative methods, a mixed method, was employed. In an attempt to attain the objectives of the study, data were collected from instructors, professional development program coordinators and academic program leaders using questionnaires, interview, and document analysis. The result indicates that instructors and academic leaders did not have orientation about professional development. Although respondents recognized the relevance of activities in the training sessions to instructors‟ classroom practices, the implementation of professional development encountered challenges in terms of resource allocation, provision of support and proper time consideration. Moreover, the role of instructors in preparation of materials and institutionalization of the professional development program was less regarded. There were no established practices to make a tracer study for making a follow-up of those participants who had involved in the professional development training. In general, it is concluded that in the present system of the professional development initiative, there is a visible gap between dreams and implementing realities.
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References
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George, J.M. and Lubben,F.(2002). Facilitating Teachers Professional Growth Through their Involvement in Creating Context Based Materials in Science. International Journal of African Economies, 8, 65-106. Gordon, Stephen (2004). Professional Development for School Improvement: Empowering Learning Communities. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2007). Supervision and Instructional Leadership: A developmental approach (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Guskey, T. (2000). Evaluating professional development. California. Corwin Press. Guskey, T. R. (1986). Staff Development and the Process of Teacher Change. Educational Researcher, 15(5), 5-12. Henke, R. et al., (2000). Progress through the Teacher Pipeline: 1992-93 College Graduate and Elementary/Secondary School Teaching as of 1997. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Hord, S. M. (2004). Professional Learning Communities: An Overview. In S.M. Hord (ed.), Learning together, leading together: Changing schools through profession Learning Communities. New York: Teachers College press, 5-14. King, Helen (2004). Continuing Professional Development in Higher Education: What do academics do? Planet, 13, December 2004, 26-29. Kremer-Hayon, L., et al (1993) (Ed). Teacher Professional Development: A multiple Perspective approach. Amsterdam: Swets & Zeiltlinger B.V. Leu, E. (2004). The Patterns and Purposes of Localized Teacher Professional Development Programs. Academy for Educational Development. Livneh, C., & Livneh, H. (1999). Continuing professional education among educators: Predictions of participation in learning activities. Adult Education Quarterly, 49, 91–106. Loucks-Horsley, S. (1998). The role of teacher and learning in systemic reform: a focus on professional development. Journal of Science Educator, 7(1), 1-6. Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass. Minale A. (2006). Evaluating Professional Development of Teacher Educators in Ethiopia: A Case Study of the Higher Diploma Program at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Master Thesis. Enschede: University of Twente. MOE(2003). Hand Book of TESO. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Smith, C., & Gillespie, M (2007). How Teachers Change: A study of professional development in adult education (NCSALL Rep. No. 25). Boston: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. Spinney, D., & Jordan, D. (2004). Higher Diploma Program for Teacher Educators Handbook. Addis Ababa: Ministry of Education.
Steinert, Y. (2008). Faculty development- A Brief Introduction. Retrieved on September 30, 2012 from www.amee.org/.../Introduction%20to%20Medical%20Education%20- %20Steinert Sultana, S. et al. (2010). Continuous Professional Development -An Issue in Tertiary Education, Bangladesh. Candidate Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow, 10(9). Temesgen, M. (2006). Design and development of an online professional development Program for teacher educators in Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Master Thesis. Enschede: University of Twente. Tesfaye, S. (2010). Adult and Continuing Education in Post-Secondary Institutions in Ethiopia: Policy, Practice, and Challenges. European Journal of Social Sciences.13 (1), 118-126. Teshome Y. (2004). The Status and Challenges of Ethiopian Higher Education System: Contribution to Development. Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education, 1(1), 1-20. Visscher, A.J. & Coe, R. (eds.) (2002). School Improvement through Performance Feedback. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers.
Westwood, P. (2006). Teaching and learning difficulties: Cross-curricular perspectives. Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research. Wheldall, K. (2006). Positive uses of behaviorism. In D. M. McInerney and V. McInerney, Educational psychology: Constructing learning, 176–179. Frenchs Forrest: Pearson Education Australia. Wossenu Y.(2009). Yekefitegna Tmihrt Tequamat Memhiran Yepedagogy Siltena,Yesira-chana ena Yesira Afetsatsem Gimgema. Forum for social Studies, 95-129 Yilfashewa Seyoum (2011). Invigorating Quality through Professional Development Programs in Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions: Implications for Curriculum Enactment at Haramaya University. International Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 1(4), 380-404. Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th ed.). Los Angeles, California: Sage Publications. Zinn, L. F. & Caffarela, R. S. (1999). Professional Development for Faculty: A Conceptual Framework of Barriers. Innovative Higher Education, 23(4).
Published
2013-06-01
Section
Articles