Principals’ Innovative Planning Practices and Teachers’ Competence in Teacher Training Colleges in the East Region of Cameroon

Teachers’ competence remains a decisive factor in educational quality, particularly in teacher education institutions responsible for preparing future primary school teachers. This study examined the influence of principals’ innovative planning practices on teachers’ competence in Teacher Training Colleges in the East Region of Cameroon. It focused on three issues: the innovative planning practices used by principals, the strategies employed to implement innovation, and the ways principals addressed the challenges encountered during implementation. The study was anchored in Transformational Leadership Theory and Instructional Leadership Theory, both of which position school leadership as a key driver of teacher development, instructional improvement, and school effectiveness. A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Data were collected from 16 informants across four Teacher Training Colleges through semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis. The data were analysed inductively, and key response patterns were summarised using descriptive tables. The findings showed that principals used adaptive, inclusive, and techno-driven planning practices, although implementation varied substantially across colleges. Techno-driven planning was strongest in the institution with better digital infrastructure, while inclusive planning remained the weakest dimension. Principals relied mainly on persuasion, dialogue, monitoring, and practical support to implement innovation. The study concludes that innovative planning can strengthen teachers’ competence, but its effectiveness depends on leadership capacity, institutional support, and access to infrastructure and digital resources.