PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF MENTORING CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF CHILGA WOREDA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the mentoring practices and the problems that influence the practices in continuous professional development (CPD) program in the Secondary schools of Chilga Woreda. To this end, three research questions were formulated to identify the practice of mentoring, the support /assistance mentors render to mentees, and the challenges that hinder mentoring practices. Descriptive survey method was used in the study. For data source, 3 secondary schools, 39 mentees, were selected by simple and stratified randomly sampling respectively, 3 principals, 4 vice principal and 12 mentors were included in the study comprehensively. Questionnaire, document analysis and interview were employed for data collection the quantitative data were organized, tabulated and analyzed by using percentage, mean, standard deviation and grand mean. The major findings of the study were : design professional development plan for mentees, evaluate activities of mentees, observe class room activities of mentees, give feedback on class room observations for mentee, keep portfolios of mentees, promoting mentees to secure chances for development, takes responsibilities if mentees fail, set mentees challenging but achievable targets and set encourage mentees arranged induction courses of CPD for newly hired teachers, discussion forums with other schools, encourages and support for mentee to exercise peer evaluation on CPD practice, usually arranges discussion programs within the school to consult with other groups on CPD practices and prepares training opportunity based on mentee training needs was very low and low. Some of the challenge of mentoring CPD in relation to lack of management support, topics do not correspond with real demands of mentee, mentees are not well oriented about the significance of CPD activities, mentees have not understood the CPD training manuals, mentees were not willing and resist to implement CPD practices, lack of trained CPD facilitator in the school, less committed to implement the CPD practices and process of CPD is complex and ambiguous to apply practically low level of practice of mentoring CPD. For solving those problems the following recommendation were drown. Mentor should increase the awareness about how to mentoring CPD, the schools should develop ways of encouraging mentor and mentee and enhance Capacity building in relation with CPD.