ABSTRACT

Teacher trainers are key stake holders of the educational training sector. As professionals, the consistent input to enhance knowledge transfer cannot be reduced only to aptitudes acquired at initial training. Continuous professional development constitutes a crucial aspect in colleges of teacher training. In spite of this importance, the practice /policy is usually treated with levity leaving professionals not to be tuned to the dynamic demands of the teaching-learning process. It is in this context that this paper appreciates the range of professional development activities and assesses the impact they have on the teacher trainers as well as identifies the gaps and needs to the teacher trainers for a more effective professional training. The design used for this study was a case study in order to have in-depth information on the professional development activities carried out by the teacher trainers of the HTTC Bambili .The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire which comprised both open and closed ended items. Data was analysed using descriptive statistic specifically percentages and presented in chats. The findings revealed that a majority of the respondents attended professional development programmes during the last two years although they were some variations in terms of training period. Some of the professional development activities were workshop experience and teaching practice evaluation with the aid of cooperative teachers, individual research. It was also realised  these activities had very high impact on the students teachers while others had little  impact on them. The participants also indicated that although they had been participating in professional development programms, they still needed more pedagogical and psychological knowledge which would enhance the teaching–learning experience easy. This therefore means that professional development activities should be regular and commensurate to the needs of the teacher trainers.

CHAPTER ONE :INTRODUCTION

  1.1Background of the Study

 Teachers are at the core of efforts to attain educational goals and objectives at all levels. Their productivity determines the productivity of the institution (Utami et al, 2021) which depends on their professional development activities (Ali et al, 2021; Anisah et al., 2020). This has become more relevant in higher education institutions in Cameroon that are experiencing a continuous increase in student enrolment due to high rates of attendance and completion in secondary/high schools and the open-door academic policy adopted by the government of Cameroon (Mve, 2021). More so, policies on higher education institutions (HEIs) in Cameroon emphasize the professionalization of programmers (Cameroon,2001)with the main objective to adapt curricUla and related technologies to the needs of the society (Bilola et al, 2016).membership of the profession (Rakesh et Al 2013). Teachers in a society are thought to be agents of change as they are central to the delivery of quality education. Quality teachers are the greatest determinant of student achievement and their impact are greater than any other social factors, including class size, parent education, and income and language background (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, NCTAF, 1997). Teachers play an important role in shaping the future of individuals as well as of entire generations. They can also influence the economic dynamism of the country by imparting skills that translate into innovation and productivity in the workplace (Goldhaber and Anthony, 2004). To this ,Because of the current changing and challenging world, teachers should be provided with a range of skills, knowledge, attitudes and relevant educational experience through teaching practice that will enable them to foster their teaching skills. The goals of teaching practice are similar in most teacher training institutions. That makes teaching practice is a compulsory course in all the teacher training institutions in Cameroon. In three other state universities which have schools of education – Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS) for the training of secondary school teachers ( in Yaounde, Bamenda and Maroua), a period of three months is blocked for teaching practice and it is done only once until the student graduates. During this time classes are not held so that student teachers and their supervisors can concentrate on teaching practice. The block period for teaching practice is used by most universities in the world and therefore it seems to be the standard model for teaching practice even though, within this model, there are discrepancies especially with regard to the duration. Therefore, teaching practice is an important component of becoming a teacher. It grants student teachers experience in the actual teaching and learning environment (N Sibaya et Al 2003:) (Marais et Al , 2004) . During  teaching practice, a student teacher is given the opportunity to try the art of teachingis a mandatory component of teacher training.  To expose student-teachers to real life  classroom experiences under the  supervision of professional teachers. To provide the forum for student-teacher to translate educational theories and  principles into practice.To enable student-teacher discover  their own strengths and weaknesses in  classroom teaching and provide  opportunities to enable them address  their weaknesses and enrich their  strengths. To familiarize student-teachers with real  school environment as their future work  place.  To provide student-teachers with an  opportunity for further acquisition of  professional skills, competencies,  personal characteristics and experience  for full-time teaching after graduation.  To help student-teachers develop a positive attitude towards the teaching  profession.  To serve as a means of assessing the  quality of training being provided by  teacher training institutions. Teaching Practice Committee is a vital tool to programme managers. Depending on the size of  school, teaching practice committee serves as an advisory board for decisions and changes that lead to programme improvement. Membership of the teaching practice committee can be by appointment or selection. One objective way to go about is to  actually get into the real world of the teaching profession . Student teachers also get to  know the value of teaching practice where, they perceive it as ‘the crux of their preparation for the teaching profession’ since it provides for the ‘real interface’ between studenthood and membership of the profession. As a result, teaching practice creates a mixture of anticipation, anxiety, excitement and apprehension in the student teachers as they commence their teaching practice (Manion, Keith, Morrison & Cohen, 2003; Perry, 2004:4).Meier et Al 2004) For higher education to attain these objectives, there is a need for continuous professional development of the teachers to support the complex skills students need to learn to survive in the 21st century (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017), and to handle this ever-increasing population.The framework for teacher education proposes the preparation process of teachers be done in such a way that it reflects the paradigm shift from the content-based to competency-based approach in teaching and learning (TIE, 2009). Schultz (2005) provides support for the concept of day-to-day problem solving capacity development through practicum learning. The study highlighted the need for teacher preparation to support new teacher inquiry to help teacher candidates use problem solving approaches when they face the day-to-day challenges in a classroom. In recent times, the Competency Based Approach (CBA) has gained grounds in the academic world. In fact, it is no longer vogue to teach with the purpose of restoring knowledge and or applying isolated know-how. It is rather mandatory that learners are confronted with problem situations which they need to solve. Through this approach the learner will not only acquire knowledge but also use it in a meaningful way in various situations of life, work and family, social and even professional situations. In Cameroon, In order to achieve this competence objective, the school implement teaching practice in different schools where students teachers are being sent to enable them acquire professional development in their teaching field, after the experience of programs by content and objective, student teachers are expected to follow the path of the CBA( competency_based approach).

A study by Brouwer & Korthagen (2005) confirmed the role of the practicum in the overall development of competent teachers. While both classroom theory and practicum experiences were found to be contributors to a new teacher’s development, the practicum in a school context was more influential than the course components of the teacher education program on the development of teaching competence. However, the nature of the practicum has also been found to matter when teacher competencies are the professional development of teachers and has also become more relevant with regard to issues of global change that affect education, which teachers are required to implement. One such change was experienced during  theCOVID-19 lockdown in Cameroon, where schools had to move from traditional face-to-face teaching to online teaching and learning (Béché, 2020). The major implementers of this emergency policy were teachers who are at the center of teaching and learning. Without adequate skills in online teaching and learning, teaching and learning will not be effective during such change. This implies that the quality of the teacher determines the quality of education delivered which is captured in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (UN, 2019). Considering the crucial role that higher education plays in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., end poverty, decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production, gender equality, healthy life style and well-being), if quality education is to be attained (Žalėnienė & Pereira, 2021), then the continuous professional development of teachers who are the major agent of transformation cannot be overemphasized.

Maithya and Akala (2014) emphasize that not just the quality, but the number of teachers is relevant to students‟performance which policy on teachers‟recruitment should examine.This is because the system may have quality teachers, but aspects such as a high student teacher ratio will negatively affect quality even if the teachers are qualified. As such, to increase the number of teachers in higher education institutions in Cameroon, the Cameroon government recruited 2,000 lecturers between 2019 and 2022 following Order No. 132/CAB/PM of 10th December 2018 to lay down the organic framework for the special recruitment of lecturers in state universities (Republic of Cameroon, 2018). This increased the teacher population from 3.2% to 8.2% (Ministry of Higher Education, 2020). In addition, other lecturers have been recruited through numerical replacement in these universities, and universities have also recruited instructors and graduate teaching assistants to assist with the teaching-learning process where appropriate. However, to sustain the productivity of these teachers, there is a need for continuous professional development to provide teachers with updated knowledge and different ways to handle challenges in the teaching-learning process (Srinivasacharlu, 2019). This is supported by Aspiration 1 of the Africa we want by 2063, which states that Africa needs well-educated and skilled citizens supported by science, technology and innovation in a knowledge society to enhance sustainable development (African Union, 2015).

It is worth mentioning that teachers in higher education institutions in Cameroon do not undergo any formal training before and after recruitment. The major consideration for recruitment is a Ph.D. degree and previous experience in teaching, research, and outreach. Having conceptual knowledge is one thing, but having the ability to transfer this knowledge is a major aspect that determines the skills acquisition and performance of learners. Also, the continuous change in pedagogy and lessons learned from the COVID-19 lockdown in Cameroon has made the continuous professional development of teachers more relevant. One of the major effects of the pandemic was low student performance due to ineffective teaching caused by inadequate knowledge of online teaching and learning (Béché, 2020; Etomes, 2022).

Previous research works on teachers‟ professional development in Cameroon have focused mostly on the professional needs of teachers, challenges, and solutions in basic and secondary education (Alemnge, 2020; Cameroon, 2021; Moulakdi & Bouchama, 2020). The few research works on higher education focused on the professional development of higher teacher trainers (Nwi, 2020; Wiysahnyuy, 2019). This necessitates research work on teacher professional development in higher education institutions in Cameroon.

Based on the background, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teaching practice on the professional development of student`s teachers in HTTC Bambili. With issues of limited resources, creating a community of learning and teaching using available organizational resources is considered optimal for the sustainable professional development of teachers

1.2  Statement of the Problem.

While teaching practice is recognized as a fundamental component of teacher education, there is a need to explore its specific effects on the professional development of student teachers. This study addresses this research gap by examining the experiences of student teachers at HTTC Bambili during their teaching practice.

1.3  Research Question

 1.3.1 Main research Question.

 What are the experiences of student teachers during teaching practice at HTTC Bambili?

1.3.2 Specific Research Question

✓How does teaching practice contribute to the development of pedagogical skills among student teachers?

✓Is timing and duration adequate for pedagogical skill development of student teachers in HTTC Bambili?

 1.4 Main Research objectives.

To evaluate the perceived impact of teaching practice on pedagogical skills development in student teachers.

To examine the effects of duration and timing on pedagogic skill development of student teachers.