Abstract:
This mixed-methods study sought to provide robust empirical insights into the relationship between alternative approaches to staff development initiatives and students' academic performance within the network of public secondary schools in Kanungu District, Uganda over a six-year period. As ongoing training and skills upgrading of educational personnel is a key policy lever that can enhance pedagogical effectiveness and learning outcomes, understanding the differential impacts according to implementation models is of paramount importance, especially in under-resourced remote regions like Kanungu confronting pronounced educational challenges. However, limited comprehensive evidence has systematically evaluated such differentiated effects to inform evidence-based optimization of developmental budgets. To address these knowledge gaps, annual examination performance data spanning 2014 to 2019 covering all 20 secondary institutions in Kanungu District were compiled from the Uganda National Examinations Board records and merged with an exhaustive census survey of each school's exposure to diverse teacher development interventions over the same timeframe. Utilizing panel regression techniques controlling for student and school characteristics, quantitative analysis isolated the unique influence of fluctuating staff training intensities and modalities on average subject pass rates. In-depth qualitative interviews with instructors and administrators further elucidated contextual transitions and perspectives. The rigorous mixed research design afforded novel empirical evidence highlighting relatively higher impact, sustainability-oriented models emphasizing practical skills enhancement through prolonged sequenced programs anchored at the institutional level. Notably, students' academic performance demonstrated a moderately strong positive correlation (r = 0.582) with employee performance reviews that was statistically significant (p = 0.000 < 0.01). The significance value (p = 0.000) was lower than the chosen alpha level (? = 0.01) allowed us to reject the null hypothesis that there was no correlation between the variables in the population Findings illuminated pathways towards accelerating educational progression through optimized, low-cost strategies magnifying human capital capabilities - with potential for transformative scaled replication given supportive implementation of tailored solutions amid pressing resource constraints confronting Uganda's remote borderlands.
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