Teachers' professionalism and learners’ educational development in public primary schools in Uganda, a case of selected public primary schools in Kakumiro district

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of teachers' professionalism on Learners’ Educational Development in public primary schools in Kakumiro District, Uganda, aiming to assess how pedagogical competence, ethical conduct, and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) influence student skill acquisition. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research combined descriptive and correlational approaches, collecting data from a sample of 144 samples of which 119 were quantitative and 25 were qualitative samples obtained through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Data collection involved questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations, with quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses, while qualitative insights provided contextual understanding. Findings revealed that pedagogical competence had a weak but significant positive correlation with learners’ skills (r = 0.249, p = 0.006), indicating that improved teaching strategies enhance students’ skills at a low rate. Teachers' ethical conduct showed a moderate, highly significant correlation (r = 0.325, p = 0.000), emphasizing its critical role in fostering a conducive learning environment for skill development. Similarly, CPD participation was positively correlated with learners’ skills (r = 0.314, p = 0.001), underscoring the importance of ongoing teacher training. Regression analysis confirmed that pedagogical competence (β = 0.249, p = 0.006), ethical conduct (β = 0.315, p = 0.000), and CPD (β = 0.313, p = 0.001) significantly predict Learners’ Educational Development, with R-squared values indicating these factors modestly explain variations in student outcomes. The study concludes There is a significant and positive effect (r = 0.249, p = 0.006) between teachers' pedagogical competence and Learners’ Educational Development, which is at 6.2%. There is a significant and positive influence (r = 0.325, p = 0.000) between teachers' ethical conduct and Learners’ Educational Development, at 10.6%. There is a significant and positive impact (r = 0.314, p = 0.001) between teachers' Continuous Professional Development and Learners’ Educational Development, explaining 9.9% of the variance. It recommends that the ministry of education in collaboration with Kakumiro District Education Office and support from Head teachers should design and implement an ongoing professional development for teachers through workshops and mentorship programs to achieve Learners’ Educational Development. Head teachers and Teachers should adhere to professional ethics through training and self-reflection on the Teachers’ Code of Conduct and the Professional Code of Conduct which learners can emulate. The Ministry of education should work closely with CCTs and Head teachers to organize targeted CPD professional programs design policies and fund them.