ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHERS ' PRODUCTIVITY IN YAOUNDE, CAMEROON

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

In the field of Human Resource Management, training and development are intricately connected to organizational activities aimed at enhancing individual and group performance. Especially in light of technological advancements, training and development play a pivotal role in bolstering organizational effectiveness and enriching individuals' job experiences. Directly impacting productivity, efficiency, accuracy, and personal growth, training and development are essential for all employees to optimize their performance. However, achieving this objective necessitates the effective engagement of employees. This principle applies equally to the education sector, where teachers serve as the backbone. Furthermore, managers or principals, to make sure that members of the organizational (school), such as instructors, pupils, and principals, acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out their duties both now and in the future. Members of an organization can stay current and learn new techniques for carrying out organizational activities with the aid of training and development (teaching and learning). However, teachers can stay up to date on the newest techniques for teaching by several means, such as participating in in-service training, attending conferences, workshops, and seminars. Individuals grow via training, and the paying company gains from their increased output as well (Fagbamiye & Durusaro, 2020). On the other hand, as technology and the environment change,so an organization's goals and plans change, training and development become a continuous process that frequently necessitates learning new methods and approaches from its members. While development focuses on expanding organizational members' knowledge and abilities so that workers would be ready to take on new responsibilities and challenges, training concentrates on educating organizational members on how to perform effectively on their tasks (Jones, George & Hill, 2018). Peretomode (2021) emphasized the following factors as determinants of training: obtaining a high academic or professional qualification in school/organization hierarchy; meeting new changes in the educational system; obtaining job security; and acquiring more conceptual knowledge, skills, and competencies in both teaching and non-teaching areas. It makes sense that Whawo (2023) pointed out that, regardless of the kind of training staff members receive, it's critical to enhance their ability to teach and use instructional aids, develop cutting-edge techniques for assessing students, and, most importantly, provide them a greater understanding of the subjects they are teaching. Similar to this, Chukwu (2022)  supported the idea of in-service training for administrative staff members at all levels. He further emphasized that in order to establish an effective program of preparation and selection, there is a need to improve the quality of leadership in the educational system and in institutions that provide education. Nonetheless, according to the University of East Anglia's staff training and development policy, an institution or organization dedicated to promoting staff training and development that focuses on enhancing employees' knowledge, abilities, and awareness will increase workers' efficacy and efficiency. The ability of the organization or institution to facilitate staff development and academic relatedness is essential to its effective operation. Under the same heading, the Southern Education and Library Board on staff development and training said that it cherishes its workers and, as a result, promotes lifelong learning to help people reach their full potential and have fulfilling lives. Because of this, staff training and development are essential to providing employees with the skills, information, and abilities they need to provide high-quality services in their fields in a constantly changing and demanding environment. Training programs for service personnel are likely to come in the form of full-time, part-time, sandwich, and weekend courses offered in a variety of courses at some postsecondary institutions in Nigeria and elsewhere. As a result, a dedicated educator has many opportunities for professional growth because employers must provide training to employees on contemporary work practices in order to improve the caliber of their output (Whawo, 2003). To bolster the aforementioned, Afianmagbon (2007) pointed out that attending conferences or workshops as part of in-service training enables teachers to pick up the newest and most cutting-edge teaching techniques. But human resources has a distinct approach to training, and the credentials earned also differ. Frederick Taylor's scientific management theory for school administration holds that each position should include performance requirements so that each employee is well-versed in his or her duties (Egwunyenga, 2020). Therefore, as part of their primary education curriculum, trained staff members are introduced to a variety of teaching strategies, methodologies, lesson delivery approaches, classroom management strategies, and other elements that impact teaching and learning (Kpangban and Onwuegbu, 2022). Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to assess the impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

 In today's competitive environment, teacher training has become imperative to meet the evolving demands of the profession and enhance teachers' capabilities. Despite this need, there is a shortage of adequately trained teachers, highlighting the urgency for training initiatives. However, it falls upon management to ensure that employees possess the requisite skills, enthusiasm, and knowledge for optimal performance, thereby boosting productivity. Training and development are known to enhance knowledge, skills, and work conduct, particularly crucial in the face of growing competition and parental expectations in the education sector (Hervie & Winful, 2018). Furthermore, research indicates shortcomings in the planning, implementation, and coordination of training and development activities, leading to subpar performance and decreased productivity. Additionally, many factors have been identified as making it difficult for many teachers to perform exceptionally well and continue in their jobs. These include unfavorable working conditions, a lack of incentives and insufficient staff development and training, improper policy implementation and policy somersaulting, and a number of corrupt practices on the part of the government and other stakeholders who the government appointed to oversee the system. Similarly, these practices include the godfather syndrome among the stakeholders, the nonpayment of training allowance to the trained staff when it is due, embezzlement of funds, mismanagement, and diversion of funds. Accordingly, all educational systems rely significantly on the caliber and output of their faculty to address the escalating demands of the community. On the other hand, it seems that the caliber of teachers employed in the education sector is falling short of the expectations of the public. This is likely due to inadequate preparation and retraining programs, as well as a lack of opportunities for teachers to stay current with emerging technologies. Khan & Abdullah (2019) research work was carried out to study the impact of training and development on teachers’ productivity and performance. It is concluded that training and development is an essentially important element of human resource management for every teaching institution and there exists powerful connection between training and development and teachers’ productivity and performance.  However, with the seven independent variables used for the study, it was found that variables like skills, expertise, morale, enhancement, potential and proficiency being significant coefficient and only job knowledge was not significant. It is concluded that training and development to have profound influence on teachers’ productivity, therefore teachers need to be regularly motivated for training programs in to enhance their productivity. Based on this research it is interpreted that the teachers’ can be motivated through proper reward system and proper motivation to them as they are the vital factors to draw them towards training programs. Thus, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to assess the impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon. Specifically, the study will;

Assess the extent to which staff training and development programs contribute to enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills.

Examine teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards training and development in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Identify factors influencing teachers’ participation in staff training programs in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Examine the relationship between staff training and teachers' productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

Is there a relationship between staff training and teachers' productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon? 

What are the perceptions and attitudes of teachers in Yaounde, Cameroon, towards training and development initiatives? 

What factors influence teachers' decisions to participate in staff training programs in Yaounde, Cameroon? 

To what extent do staff training and development programs in Yaounde, Cameroon contribute to enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills? 

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Ho:  There are no significant impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Ha: There are significant impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study endeavour will offer significant perspectives to management concerning the necessity of training and development for teachers and the factors impacting their productivity. Also, organizations that seek to improve employee productivity through training and development programmes might greatly benefit from this research. Furthermore, this study will function as a valuable reference for identifying the most appropriate instructional techniques for educators. Training teachers is crucial for promoting student growth, advancing educators' professional development, and contributing to national advancement. Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to the impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

1.6 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is to assess the impact of staff training and development on teachers’ productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon. Empirically, this study will examine teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards training and development in Yaounde, Cameroon, identify factors influencing teachers’ participation in staff training programs in Yaounde, Cameroon, assess the extent to which staff training and development programs contribute to enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills and examine the relationship between staff training and teachers' productivity in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to high school teachers in Yaounde, Cameroon

1.7 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. 

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Staff training:  the tutoring or learning processes carried out for the major aim of assisting workers of a company to obtain and utilize the skills, knowledge and behavior required by that organization.

Development: is the process of growth, advancement, or progress, often in a specific area such as personal, professional, or societal development.

Teachers’ productivity: the efficiency and effectiveness with which teachers perform their duties and responsibilities in an educational setting.