The study of the effectiveness of short-term pre-service graduate teacher training

Abstract

The quality of education depends more on the quality of teachers than on any other factor. Therefore, the demand for effective and capable teachers is paramount in the ever-evolving field of education. Short-term pre-service teacher training programs would be a feasible measure to improve the quality of aspiring teachers by training them on essential skills and knowledge. Such training programs would be instrumental in enhancing teachers' confidence in their ability to motivate students in learning. However, there is a lack of data on the effectiveness of such initiatives, notably among government teachers in Sri Lanka, making it difficult to understand the strengths and weaknesses of teachers, to know what are the areas that need continual improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 30-day pre-service teacher training program held in May 2024 for graduate teachers in the Sri Jayewardenepura education zone in Sri Lanka. Experiential learning theory provided the theoretical foundation as it explains well the effectiveness of short training programs based on participants' feedback. The methods consisted of a self-administered questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 'excellent' to 5 'fair'), a cross-sectional time horizon, distribution to all the participants (92% response rate), and data analysis using descriptive statistics and an effectiveness score. Findings showed that 38% found it extremely effective, 55% effective, and 7% ineffective. Furthermore, the study identified areas for improvement in future training sessions. These findings have significant implications for enhancing teacher training programs and guiding future initiatives and will be instrumental for decision-makers at the zonal and provincial levels and at the national level in improving the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies.