Key Words

CPD programme provides teachers' training to in-service teachers according to their needs and requirements for the enhancement of quality education. The current study aimed to find out the effect of CPD on quality education of Primary School Teachers' training programmes. The main purpose of the CPD program was to polish the pedagogical skills, content knowledge, and competencies of the respondents. The current study was quantitative and descriptive. All the Primary school teachers working at the primary level from the Lahore district were selected as population. The sample of the study was30male primary school teachers. The data were collected through a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed through SPSS 21 through frequency distribution. The findings revealed that all male teachers of the public school strongly agreed that through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program, the pedagogical skills, content knowledge, and competencies were increased of in-service teachers. It is suggested that primary school teachers should be provided CPD training for their professional development, pedagogical skills, and competency.

Key Words

Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Competencies, Pedagogical Skills, Content Knowledge, Quality Education

Introduction & Literature Review

Education facilitates learning and is used for the acquisition of knowledge with values, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. The teacher is considered the central figure of this system. In this dynamic world, knowledge has been extended in different directions. In the same way, the methods for the transformation are also changing. The teachers must be aware of these new technologies and developments within the educational field. In the Pakistani context, all education policies emphasize teacher education and especially pedagogy used for this. In all these policies, teachers have been given an important place in the educational system. In the teaching for effectiveness, subject matter knowledge and teaching techniques are demanded the commitment regarding Pakistan ideology (NEP, 1972). A teacher performs his/her role in the betterment of education (NEP, 2009). In all the education policies, quality education has been focused on and emphasized through different pedagogical practices. Quality education has been emphasized through quality teachers.

In the current scenario, regarding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aimed at education for all. In specific objectives, there are technical and vocational training for adults and youth to get jobs, for inequality in education and overall improvement for sustainable development. The fourth goal of SDGs is about quality education among all 17 Sustainable development goals. The fourth aspect is "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all". These goals were provided in 2015. Quality education is all about learning outcomes regarding different aspects such as literacy, numeracy, and life skills.

Professional development for teachers could be used to improve educational quality (Hopkins, 2015). Quality teaching is the most important aspect all over the world (Darling-Hammond, Hyler, & Gardner, 2017). To improve teachers' quality, a lot of investment is paid for the teachers' professional development (PD). These PD programs are linked to classroom practices. Regarding the concept of professional development, there are two facts. In professional development, training is not mentioned anywhere (Kennedy, 2016). Training is associated with the perspective of training for technical skills to develop competence in special behaviors (Leberman & McDonald, 2016).

The experts provide in-service training to the subordinate field staff. They also focus on pedagogy and content. This program of training may consist of formal presentations, discussions, and opportunities to try new skills and knowledge regarding experimentation of new techniques, knowledge, and skills in the educational field. In these programmes of training, educational managers and teachers are offered specialized courses for their career development. There may also be the inclusion of promotion-linked training regarding this. In the view of Malone (2016), such off-job trainings, like seeking information and various resources which help and support in planning a programme for lifelong learning related to one's work.

Having knowledge, skills, and attitudes is required to perform the duties of a specific profession. Effective teaching requires proper knowledge, skills, and a positive attitude, which are the sole requirement of teaching competencies. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes are required to fulfill a competency requirement (SBEP, 2006). modify and reinforce the professional shape of all teaching professions by reviewing the efficiency as well as the educational and academic quality of Initial Teacher Education, introducing coherent and adequately resourced systems for recruitment, selection, induction, and professional development of teaching staff based on clearly defined competencies needed at each stage of a teaching career, and increasing teacher digital competence." Report of the European Commission, 2012.The integrated approach of teacher competencies deals with specific professional actions and attitudes, knowledge, skills, and competence requirement. It is an important aspect of CPD and considered as part of the second phase of teacher's education at the university level - the early stages of teacher training.

Guskey (2002) has presented a model for teachers' change, including professional development, practices in the classrooms, belief and attitude change, and student's learning outcomes change. Quality teaching is an important aspect in academia with dispositions and knowledge as well as knowledge. The major function of teachers' professional development is to develop students' learning outcomes. Any system of Education can be influenced by effective teachers (Hudson & Hudson, 2012). So, it is essential that arrangements for teachers' professional development should be made. Different stakeholders like parents, teachers, and students are involved in the educational process and quality assurance—the above-mentioned stakeholders have different indicators for a variety of parameters to understand the role of delivering quality education.

In the National Education commission 1959, the need for teachers' professional development was mentioned clearly. CPD has been taken as "an educator-driven, flexible system where educators engage in planning learning experiences over time that results in better and better learning and life experiences for students and educators". CPD is the process by which teachers review, renew and extend their commitment as change agents to the moral purpose of teaching. CPD is also considered as those activities designed to enhance the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of students. Through Continuous Professional Development (hereafter CPD) programme, pedagogical skills of primary school teachers are enhanced accordingly needs and their current requirements. To achieve this target, QAED offers pre-service professional and academic degree courses (through elementary colleges), in-service training, promotion-linked training, face-to-face mentoring, and peer coaching. 

Mentoring is a caring and helping relationship between experienced and novice teachers. Senior teacher invests time as well as effort to meet the needs of a novice teacher. Mentoring is an approach to individualized support, which helps for the professional development of beginning teachers. Reforms in Australia suggested that mentors should be very well trained and have all types of information about successful and efficient mentoring practices. Mentors are encouraged to develop their own school-based training programs. In Washington, a study by the Public Education Network, mentoring was reported among the top five contributors to teacher satisfaction.

Capacity-building programs of QAED are facilitated through the QAED center and school-based teacher support system, and other innovative means (Ali, Yager, Hacieminoglu, & Caliskan, 2013).The success of this model of training requisite is that an absolute set of Teachers training plays its role very efficiently and effectively to enhance the quality of education through CPD in Punjab at the primary school level. Competency and proficiency are related to the quality education of primary, elementary, and high secondary school teachers. It cannot be enhanced without proper improvement in the teachers’ quality. 

Teacher training education plays an important role in equipping the teacher's new teaching skill technique and new methodology in quality education. Teachers' training provides updating of knowledge, the skills development, change in attitude and behaviour and improvement of the ability to do any task effectively and efficiently for the trainees in their respective institution accordingly. Quality is not a concrete thing, but it can be the method by using different techniques. Through quality education, we can enhance the competencies of the school teachers. The QAED (Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Education Development) provides teachers' training and professional development in different aspects in Punjab.   Through CPD, teachers enhance/improve their competencies in terms of subject knowledge, pedagogical skills as well as skills related to communication, motivation, and dedication. Through training of the employees by different institutions, quality improvement programs are implemented like Total Quality Management (TQM). This new renovated system of TQM is necessary for the employees and its all participants to know and implement values, principles, objectives, techniques, and tools for the overall progress of the program.  The quality of education not only satisfies the basic learning needs but also enriches learners' lives and their living experience as a whole (Dakar,2000). 

Through the teacher training program, teachers learn new patterns essential for the implementation of TQM. Training provides comfort and less stress through breaking previous routines. The professional development training results in participants' guidance, skill development, communication enhancement, team building, and managerial skills and strategies (Aslam, 2013). According to Yusupov et al. (2001), there are many worthwhile ways for engagement in professional learning in and out of school. Teachers are required to teach in classrooms of multicultural with great emphasis on students’ integration about their special needs to learning in the classroom and to make it effective with technology and communication and for the involvement of the parents in the schools(Ball & Cohen, 1999). The departments of professional development provide training for in-service and pre-service teachers for the enhancement of their capabilities. They are trained with different aspects of their profession to face challenges throughout their career. 

The Rationale of the Study

The CPD program of in-service teachers and their understanding, capabilities, aptitude, and potential are increased day by day according to nature and continuous refresher courses. Through the CPD programme, different competencies of in-service primary school teachers are developed like pedagogical skill content knowledge, communication skill, ICT skill knowledge, lesson planning, classroom practices and literacy, numeracy, and finally, quality of education improved.

CPD research is very effective and useful for planners to make their planning meaningful related to teachers' developing competencies. This study may also be fruitful for educational managers administrators, in developing professional competencies in a better way. This study will also guide the curriculum developers to develop their curriculum according to the needs and actual requirements of the teachers. 




Objective of the Study

Following was the objective of the study:

1. To find out the effect of CPD on quality education of in-service Primary school teachers' training program in Punjab.




Research Questions

The following research questions were designed to meet the objective:

1. What is the primary school teachers’ perspective about pedagogical skills learnt through CPD training at QAED?

2. What is the perspective of primary school teachers about content knowledge after getting training by CPD at QAED?

3. What is the respondents’ perspective about competencies after getting training by CPD at QAED?

Methodology

It was a quantitative study in nature with a descriptive research design. To find out the objective of the study 5-point Likert type questionnaire was used—the population of the study comprised male primary school teachers of district Lahore. The sample of this study comprised 30 male primary school teachers using simple sampling techniques. The age level of respondents varied from 31 to 40 years with qualifications M. A/ M. Sc; B. Ed/M. Ed. The district Lahore was selected due to literacy rate, head office, a large number of students and teachers, minimum dropout rate, initiator of CPD program, personal availability of supervisor, program Organizers, surprise Visits, and education officers, Assistant Education officers, and QAED Heads. A five-point Likert type questionnaire was used as an instrument to take the respondents' opinions. This questionnaire was developed by the researcher himself after consulting related literature and experts' opinion. The aspects of quality education were pedagogical skills, content knowledge, and competencies. The questionnaire was designed on google forms and sent to the respondents through WhatsApp and email. After the collection of the responses through a google form, the data were compiled into groups for further statistical analysis and description. After filling the questionnaires, they were reviewed to ensure that the respondent had properly /correctly answered the question. Then, the data were compiled, and analysis was done through SPSS. Data were analysed through frequency distribution. Following are the demographic information of the respondents.




 

Table 1. Respondents based on Qualification

S. No	Qualification	N	Percentage
1.	Matric/Inter	0	0%
2.	Graduation	1	3.3%
3.	Masters	18	60.0%
4.	M.Phil/PhD	11	36.7%

The above table describes the respondents on the basis of qualification.

 

Table 2. Respondents based on Experience years

S. No	Experience in Years	N	Percentage
1.	1 to 10 years	3	10%
2.	11 to 15 years	0	0.0%
3.	16 to 20 years	17	56.7%
4.	Above 21 years	10	33.3%

The above table narrates the experience of the respondents. 

Findings of the Study

The findings of the study are discussed below.

• There was total of 30 male respondents (N=30) in the whole sample. 

• Most of the participants (N=28, 93.4%) were agreed that CPD had provided knowledge of pedagogical skills.

• The participants (N=29, 80%) agreed that they were using different teaching methods after getting training from CPD.

• All the participants agreed that they engage their students with different teaching methods learnt from CPD training.

• There were few participants (N=6, 20%) who claimed that CPD had not affected their professional development.

• Few participants (N=8, 26%) agreed that they were using their teaching styles.

• Regarding content knowledge, most of the participants (N=29, 80%) agreed that they were aware of content knowledge.

• All the respondents (N=30, 100%) were agreed that they ensured the conceptual understanding of the students.

• Few of the participants (N=2, 6.7%) claimed that they were not taking interest in their lessons.

• Few respondents (N=3, 10%) agreed that they have not got knowledge of content during CPD training at QAED.

• All teachers were agreed (N=30) with the statement that they were competent teachers.

• All participants agreed that they had learnt about knowledge, skills, and attitude during CPD training at QAED.

• All the respondents were agreed that they were aware of the respondents' difficulties in learning.

• All participants learnt skills through CPD training, and they claimed that they got the class effectively.

Conclusion

The main aim of the study was to find out the effect of CPD on the quality education of primary school teachers in the training program in Lahore. According to the results, most of the male teachers extracted that the different indicators of quality education (pedagogical skills, content knowledge, and competencies were developed through CPD.

Discussion

It was found that different aspects of quality education were acquired through CPD. About the perception of respondents,' there was a positive effect of CPD on quality education. According to the results, it is a good sign that CPD is used in primary schools of Punjab as it is the need of the hour for the best understanding of the 21st-century learners. In the Pakistani context, the professional development of teachers was explored in higher education (Dilshad, Hussain, & Batool, 2019). In the same way, CPD affected primary schools of Scottish regarding group work practices (Thurston, Christie, Howe, Tolmie, & Topping, 2008). The previous studies regarding CPD had a positive and significant impact on the quality education of primary schools of Ethiopia (Melesse & Gulie, 2019). These findings also are in support of different researchers like (Feiman-Nemser, Schwille, Carver, & Yusko, 1999). Most of the respondents agreed that continuous mentoring is essential for character building of the students, it enabled you to judge the individual differences among the students, CPD Programme has developed the social life skills in both; teachers and students, you arrange the activities to improve the social life of students and agreed, you are aware of the importance of human development and growth in teaching activities. The above all perception shows CPD for the enhancement of the competencies of the PSTs. Most respondents claimed that they were fully updated about the stages of the lesson plan, they followed all the stages of a lesson plan during your teaching, mentoring enabled them to use a variety of teaching styles, it enabled teachers to prepare standard and effective lesson plan, they knew the importance of evaluation and assessment in teaching,  used the modern techniques to evaluate the students, kept the record of students’ continuous assessment, mentored the students in the light of previous assessments. More respondents agreed with the statement CPD programme encourages interactive teaching, through mentoring you encourage the learner cantered teaching, learner cantered approach is better as compared to teacher cantered approach, mentoring has developed their teaching behaviour, they support and facilitate the students to work in partnership with each other, students take more interest to work in partnerships against the factor regarding the skill of interactive teaching / working in partnership. Most of the respondents claimed that they got training to develop their communicative skills, paid special attention to improve the communication skills of the students, used audio-visual aids to improve communication skills, personally motivated their students to improve their communication skills, motivated their students through rewards and badges etc., often arranged group discussions to develop the communicative skills, had multi-dimensional skills to motivate the students positively, mentoring can make an ordinary teacher to a model teacher, mentoring is changing the traditional teaching style of the teachers against the factor regarding developing competencies in the skill of communication skills/motivation and management. More respondents agreed with the statement with your skills you can change the dull student into a hardworking one, mentoring has developed your technique of asking questions, you follow the stages of questions while teaching, you motivate the students to ask the questions, mentoring has enabled you to develop reasoning and logical questions, you ask the questions to develop the interest of the students against the factor regarding developing competencies in the skill of a changing agent. According to Harris and Sass (2011), the effect of educational training was found on educators’ efficiency for the student's achievement. In the same way, King et al. (1998) explored the effect of teachers training on writing skills. The results found the highest scores for the senior students from high school. 

It was also perceived by the respondents that they constructed their questions related to their lesson plan, mentoring enabled them to handle the people responses, they used the responses for the betterment in your performance, they kept a record of peoples’ responses, mentoring has developed their skill of using whiteboard properly, it has developed their skill to manage the whiteboard in standard form, mentoring has developed their skill of using colour markers effectively, through mentoring they teach their students as a facilitator, their students enjoyed working in pairs, mentoring helped you to form activities in the light of learner cantered approach against the factor regarding developing competencies in the skill of asking the question. It is clear from the whole above findings that mentoring has a great effect on teachers’ professional development. 

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