Role of SESEMAT led continuous professional development on mathematics teachers’ practice

Date of Award

12-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Prof. Anjum Halai

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Mweru Mwingi

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

The study aimed at exploring and understanding the role of the CPD provided the SESEMAT (on teachers’ practice). SESEMAT is the Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Program in Uganda. The results were arrived at using a questionnaire and oral interviews with four mathematics teachers, two deputy head teachers, one head teacher and one SESEMAT national trainer. Also lesson observations and document analysis were employed as data generation tools. The study is important because SESEMAT has been offering CPD over a period of time. However there is little understanding about the role of SESEMAT on teaching practice. Second I had a long standing experience of being a regional provider of CPD from the platform of SESEMAT. I wanted to understand the role of CPD on teachers’ practice and related issues and challenges. It was found that teachers highly appreciated the SESEMAT CPD as relevant to teachers ’needs. However teachers maintained that there were several contextual challenges that made it difficult to apply the learning while teaching in the classroom. Key challenges included the teachers’ failure to align in the requirements of Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB)and National Curriculum Development Centre(NCDC with SESEMAT expectations) due to the pressure for making the timely completion of syllabus. The study recommends that the continuing professional development offered by SESEMAT be in sync with the demands of the UNEB and NCDC. It is also recommended that NCDC considers revisiting the secondary mathematics curriculum so that curriculum load is reduced so that learners are able to learn mathematics conceptually within the time constraints of in the school year.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

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