Organizing school-based teacher professional development: Insights from Ghana

Teacher professional development (TPD) that takes place in schools over time and enables collaboration, the practice of new approaches, and reflection is known to be effective when teachers have access to new ideas, support in implementing them in their context, and the opportunities to take risks and reflect. However, TPD too often takes the form of 'one-off' lectures or seminars away from the workplace, which fail to model the sort of pedagogy being promoted.

In Ghana, recent policies have embraced the importance of school-based TPD and teachers are required to attend regular 'professional learning communities' (PLCs) to discuss educational issues. Although the new policy is being implemented, many questions are arising: How should meetings be organised? What should teachers do during these meetings? Who facilitates the meetings? What does effective facilitation involve? How do teachers gain access to new ideas and approaches to try? A study published online on August 28, 2026 in ECNU Review of Education addresses these questions.

The University of Cape Coast (UCC), in partnership with The Open University (OU), UK (one of the world's leading producers of high-quality open-access resources), worked with ten schools over a six-week period. UCC tutors selected a free online course developed as part of the OU's Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) program, which they judged to meet the needs of teachers in the schools with whom they regularly work. The course, Inclusive Teaching and Learning (OLCreate: PUB_8849_1.0 Inclusive Teaching and Learning), takes the position that ‘inclusive teaching' is everyone's responsibility, not just that of those supporting students with special needs, and provides practical strategies to help teachers adopt more inclusive approaches, benefiting all learners. The course is available on teachers' mobile phones and involves around two hours of engagement a week, at a time which suits them. Crucially, the course content provided relevant material for teachers to discuss and practical strategies to try.

Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Researchers from UCC introduced the course and visited the schools to observe PLCs and interview teachers about their experiences.

Findings show that the content of the course was appreciated by teachers and considered relevant to their needs, but that support was needed to access all the content successfully. Although smart phones are widely available, using them for professional purposes and online study is not well understood.

The quality of teachers' engagement during the PLC depended on the facilitator's approach. Too many facilitators undertook a lecture-based approach, leaving insufficient time for discussion and the sharing of experiences. The training of facilitators in modelling participatory approaches is crucial to the success of PLCs. Teachers need to feel that the time spent in these meetings, often after school, is worthwhile and makes their job easier. This is more likely when they have opportunities to discuss, ask questions, and receive practical advice.

"We realized that in class, there are lots of learners with different disabilities that are always there, not only the physical ones that you see, but some have their disabilities that are not seen, which you should all consider as a teacher in a class," one teacher commented.

Schools need autonomy in how they organise meetings so that the timing and duration suit teachers' needs. Rather than having the government prescribe an approach and the content, the focus should be on establishing the principles of effective collaboration and providing, or supporting schools in identifying, high-quality open content that focuses on practice and supports PLCs.