Continuous professional development processes and tutors social construction of knowledge in public teachers training colleges in Central Kenya

Abstract

In the wake of educational reforms globally, teachers are expected to upgrade themselves. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers is key tool that would keep them abreast with the demands of teaching and learning activities in the 21stcentury. The social construction of knowledge has to do with how teachers’ interactions through CPD training enhance their creation of knowledge. The purpose of this paper was to find out how tutors in public primary diploma teacher training colleges socially construct knowledge through different CPD training processes. Thisstudy was conducted in Murang’a and Kamwenja Teachers’ Training Colleges of Central Kenya. It adopted a qualitative approach Research instruments used were in-depth interview schedules for tutors and principals, key informants, and focus group discussions for tutors. The sample size for the study consisted of 38 participants; two principals, 30 tutors, and six key informants from the Ministry of Education. Tutors were selected through a proportionate random sampling while the principals and key informants were purposively sampled. Piloting was done at one Teachers' College. Qualitative data was analyzed and reported in narrative form. Although findings indicated that several processes are employed in CPD training such as collaboration, mentoring, reflection, team teaching, peer to peer observations. Collaboration was identified as the most preferred form. The study concluded that collaboration is a key ingredient for CPD training, especially when compounded by other supportive factors such as common context and environment to further the process. The study recommended that there is a need to devise more inclusive and tutor-friendly CPD training processes that are based on needs analysis.