Professional Development
Professional development has been the avenue that schools have adopted to train teachers and provide collaborative efforts (Coldwell, 2017). For many teachers, professional development opportunities have been instrumental in offering training and instructional strategies and a place where they can share experiences and draw from other teachers’ strengths (Robutti et al., 2016).
In a study conducted by Buabeng and Akuamoah-Boateng, (2019), the researchers examined the practice of TAI (teaching as inquiry) and its implications for teaching and learning in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. Teaching as inquiry can be defined as a component of effective pedagogy that significantly impacts learning outcomes.
Previous studies had shown that teachers and their curriculum developers who worked together to examine the implications of evidence of student achievement for their teaching had higher achieving students (Timperly & Wiseman, 2003; Timperly & Parr, 2004). This prompted the researchers to conduct a study that promoted teachers learning about their practices through teaching as inquiry.
Using a descriptive survey design for the study, Buabeng and Akuamoah-Boateng, (2019) sampled 160 primary school teachers from three circuits within the Cape Coast Metropolis used a questionnaire and interview guide for data collection methods. Data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas the interview data were transcribed and presented by doing thematic analysis. The study focuses on addressing four research questions:
- What is the level of knowledge of teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis about TAI?
- What practices of school teachers in Cape Coast Metropolis are synchronized with TAI?
- What challenges do school teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis face in undertaking TAI?
- What is the impact of teaching as an inquiry on the outcomes of teaching and learning in the Cape Coast Metropolis?
