Bridging policy and practice: A critical analysis of teacher professional development in Sierra leone

This article critically examines the implementation gap between teacher professional development (TPD) policies and classroom practices in Sierra Leone, identifying common barriers that hinder the translation of policy into improved teaching quality. The study adopts a policy analysis approach combined with a systematic review of documents, using policy implementation theory as an analytical framework. The analysis triangulates three data sources: national policy documents (National Teachers Policy 2019, Education Sector Plan 2022-2026, Teacher Service Commission frameworks), secondary literature including global pedagogical research and donor evaluations, and empirical administrative panel data from 2020-2023, analysed using regression techniques. Despite strong policy frameworks, TPD implementation faces significant gaps in institutional capacity, coordination mechanisms, and feedback systems. The Teacher Service Commission has only 23 district-level staff to oversee over 70,000 teachers. Around 74% of continuing professional development funding comes from development partners operating through parallel systems, with 41% of activities taking place without TSC oversight. Rural teachers are 47% less likely to access CPD than their urban counterparts (χ² = 12.47, p < .001), and only 8% of teachers receive classroom-based coaching. Monitoring systems remain underdeveloped, with only 6 of 16 districts able to provide complete CPD participation data. The findings shape four interconnected reform pillars: ensuring institutional coherence through unified national frameworks, providing classroom-embedded support systems including instructional coaching, aligning incentives by linking CPD to career progression, and enhancing monitoring and accountability systems. This article provides an integrated cross-institutional analysis moving beyond siloed government and donor reports, applies a theory-informed explanation of implementation persistence, synthesises global evidence with local institutional constraints, and contributes the first quantitative panel analysis of TPD implementation in Sierra Leone's post-conflict education system.