Effect of Teachers Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on Students’ English Language Competency in Day Secondary Schools in Rwanda: A Case of Gicumbi District
Authors: Mushakamba Guillaume , Hesbon Opiyo Andala 
Published: November 2024

In a day secondary school in Rwanda's Gicumbi District, the study examines the impact of teachers' continuous professional development (CPD) activities on students' English language proficiency. The research specifically examines how teachers' CPD activities can impact students' English language proficiency in a day secondary school in Gicumbi District, Rwanda. It also assesses the degree to which students' English language proficiency in a secondary school in Gicumbi District, Rwanda, is a result of teachers' CPD activities, and it establishes the connection between the impact of teachers' CPD activities and students' English language proficiency in Gicumbi District Day secondary schools. The sample size, which was determined to be 375 responders using the Yamane technique. 5911 respondents from the Mukarange, Rushaki, and Kaniga sectors of the Gicumbi district made up the study's target population. In order to collect primary and secondary data for this study, surveys, interviews, and observation methods were used. It used simple random sampling, stratified sampling, and purposive sampling to examine the data using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results for the first objective indicate that 80.0% strongly agree and 20.0% agree that collaborative activities support teachers' CPD activities; 66.8% strongly agree and 20.0% agree that teachers' CPD activities are empowered by their English-language communication with them; 60.0% strongly agree and 26.7% agree that informal discussions and conversations support teachers' CPD activities; 180.0% strongly agree and 20.0% agree that peer teaching observation indicates teachers' CPD activities; and 73.3% strongly agree and 20.0% agree that classroom action research enhances teachers' CPD activities.Regarding the second goal, 26.6 percent, or 66.7%, highly agreed that speaking abilities reveal a student's level of English language proficiency, while 40.0 percent, or 60.0%, strongly agreed that writing abilities do the same. Furthermore, 93.3% strongly agreed and 6.7% agreed that listening skills reveal a student's degree of English language ability, while 77.3% strongly agreed and 20.0 agreed that reading skills do the same. The third objective's results show that instructors' continuous professional development (CPD) efforts may greatly raise English language proficiency among their students. Let us conclude that improving academic achievement in English requires the implementation of effective teaching attitudes. The correlation was affirmative, exhibiting a p-value below 0.05. It is advised that the Ministry of Education and REB establish guidelines for ongoing professional development in schools, organize school administrators, and hire principals and facilitators with certification in CPD. Training programs should be specifically designed for teachers. In addition to participating in peer learning, head teachers ought to encourage CPD inside their departments. They ought to motivate teachers to engage in professional development exercises and acknowledge the advantages of school-based CPD in raising student performance. It is imperative for head teachers to furnish their colleagues with the requisite instruments and materials to further their professional growth.