Teacher learning from continuing professional development (CPD) participation: A sociocultural perspective

Recently, there have been calls for understanding how teachers’ professional development translates into effective practice and the challenges involved. This study responds to these calls by examining Ghanaian teachers' engagements in CPD activities, unpacking the process of their learning and knowledge contextualization in real classroom situations. Framed within the sociocultural theory, the study collected data from 16 Junior High School teachers (JHSs) in the Central region using in-depth interviews and non-participant observations. The findings reveal three pathways to teachers’ learning as part of their professional development: (1) formal participation in continuing education, (2) non-formal CPD forms, particularly the workshops and in-service training, and (3) teachers’ self-initiated informal learning activities. The findings further reveal that learning from these CPD activities was not automatic but a mediating process through teachers’ critical reflection, agency, and social interaction. This process of learning from CPD follows a circuitous path of five stages, influenced by teachers' context of practice, depicted in a CPD learning cycle. The study recommends that CPD activities provide realistic learning experiences, enabling teachers to contextualize and implement new knowledge in real classroom situations.