Teacher Professional Development and the Quality of the Methods of Teaching Science Education in Uganda

This study examined the relationship between Teacher professional development (TPD) and the quality of teaching methods used in science education. The major forms of professional development considered the major contributors to enhancing teaching methods included formal, collaborative and self-directed/ online TPD. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 150 Science Teachers and 10 Head teachers from 10 secondary schools of Fort Portal City. Quantitative data was analysed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data was grouped into themes and analysed descriptively according to the study objectives. The study revealed significantly significant and positive correlation across all three forms of teacher professional development with teaching methods improvement. However, results from multiple regression show that Formal TPD Participation is the strongest contributor to teaching methods improvement. Formalise and institutionalise teacher professional development as a core function within Uganda’s education system