Informal CPD practices by TVET teachers in Kenya

Abstract

The literature on Kenya's TVET teachers' paints a depressing picture of teachers infrequently participate in Continuing Professional Development. It is, however, possible that due to the demands of their work, teachers choose to participate in informal CPD because it is more flexible and less expensive. Unfortunately, the literature on informal CPD in Kenya is scant. According to the adult learning literature, this article presents the initial findings of a study investigating the everyday CPD practices of TVET teachers in Kenya. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach involving a questionnaire survey that profiled the learning practices of 40 TVET teachers from three Technical Training Institutes in the Nairobi metropolitan area. Collaborative learning practices were found to be infrequently practised, while individual and self-paced learning is more common. TVET teachers were desirous of learning methods that give them control over their knowledge, with a positive correlation seen between the frequency of using a particular way and how helpful the form is perceived to be. The everyday use of informal learning practices was attributed to the organisational culture within the TVET institutes and the over-emphasis on formal learning by professional and career guidelines. It is recommended that professional and career policies are reviewed to recognise and reward informal learning.