MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ PRACTICE OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) IN GEDEO ZONE

The study was conducted to assess mathematics teachers' practice of continuous professional development. The subject of study was first cycle junior schools Mathematics teachers in Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia. In Gedeo Zone there are eight Woredas. Among eight Woredas three of them selected by random sample method. Parameters of population for this study were all first cycle junior schools mathematics teachers in each selected junior schools. Sampled respondent of teachers were from each total population of junior schools following random sampling based on probability proportional to size of the number of the junior schools in the three woredas. Participated mathematics teachers were selected without considering sex and age. There were 72 mathematics teachers of sampled junior schools were participated for this study. The design selected for this study is quantitative study in the view of mathematics teachers' practice of continuous professional development. The tools used to collect the data for this study were questionnaires in the form of likert scale. The results of questionnaires of likert scale items regarding questions for mathematics teachers concerning implementation of CPD is 2.61 (mean) which indicate that almost once in a semester. Most teachers are carrying out sixty hours of CPD on paper but, they have limitation on engaging CPD throughout their careers, mainly consulting with others and putting CPD into practice in the classroom. Even there is a significance difference (Sig 0.00) in implementing CPD among Woredas). School principals should be responsible for regularly monitoring the effectiveness of the changes to teaching and learning, ensuring the quality of engagement of teachers in CPD activities, monitoring and assessing the content of individual professional portfolios' and giving constructive feedback.