Influence of Joint Preparation of Teaching Resources on Teachers’ Professional Development in Public Secondary Schools in Dodoma City

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of joint preparation of teaching resources on teachers' professional development in public secondary schools in Dodoma City, Tanzania. The study was guided by Participatory Leadership Theory, developed by Kurt Lewin and his colleagues in 1939, which emphasizes shared decision-making, collaboration, and active involvement of all members within an organisation. The study employed a mixed research approach with a convergent parallel design, involving 82 respondents comprising 4 Heads of Schools, 2 Ward Education Officers, and 76 teachers selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from teachers, while interview guides were used to collect qualitative data from Heads of Schools and Ward Education Officers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of teachers agreed that joint preparation of teaching resources enhances their teaching skills, improves the design of teaching materials, boosts confidence in teaching, and promotes professional growth through resource sharing. The interview findings confirmed that collaborative lesson planning and teamwork, administrative support, and continuous professional learning strengthen teachers' instructional competence through mentoring, professional supervision, and collective problem-solving. However, the study established that inadequate financial resources, shortages of teaching and learning materials, teacher shortages, heavy teaching workloads, conflicting timetables, and scarce time for collaborative meetings constrained the effective implementation of joint preparation of teaching resources. The study concludes that joint preparation of teaching resources contributes substantially to teachers' professional development, but its effectiveness depends on conducive institutional conditions and administrative support. The study recommends that the government and educational authorities should allocate adequate funds for teaching and learning materials, employ enough teachers to reduce workloads, and ensure that school timetables provide sufficient time for collaborative professional activities, while Heads of Schools and Ward Education Officers should strengthen instructional leadership by promoting regular professional meetings, mentoring, and teamwork among teachers to sustain collaborative preparation of teaching resources.