Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate teachers' professional development views and
perceived importance and practice of the on-going CPD training. A descriptive survey
design and qualitative method were used Questionnaire and interviews were applied as
data gathering instruments. In the study, experienced teachers in Debremarkos town
were selected through purposive and stratified sampling methods and six teachers for the
interview were selected through snowball sampling technique. Mean scores, percentages,
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independent and correlated t-test techniques were used to analyze quantitative data; and
thematic narration was used to analyze qualitative data. The result disclosed that
teachers' beliefs for professional development is that of constructivism and are found
highly valuing learning from their own experience. It was also found that teachers feel
more than competent in expected knowledge and skill competences although they feel less
competent in skill than knowledge domains when the two compared. The study also
disclosed that teachers view school- based training as an appropriate approach to their
professional development but they give low value for the ongoing CPD and practice in
the CPD training. Teachers are found divided in their reasons of participation in the
CPD training yet the potential contribution of CPD training to improve learning
teaching was found to be dominant reason of their participation. The result also revealed
that teachers' perception to CPD was highly correlated to their corresponding practice
in the CPD training. Significant difference was observed in perception and practice of
the CPD bmong different levels of qualification. Teachers' divided opinion on the
relevance· of CPD to their practice and their perception as something imposed by
external agencies call for appropriate awareness raising or alignment of the CPD
program. Besides, teachers' relatively low self-evaluated competence in skill
perspectives, low utilization of inquiry based models, and unmet training needs could
give the direction and focus of future ofi- the- job professional development trainings.