A Case Study on the Role of Heads of Departments in Improving Teachers’ Professional Development

Abstract

The heads of departments (HODs) in universities are educational leaders who have the most power and influence. They are responsible for smooth running of all educational activities for effective learning of students. Their one of the key responsibilities is to improve teachers’ professional development (TPD) to obtain desired objectives. The study aimed to investigate the role of the HODs in TPD. Professional development (PD) is essential for teachers to improve the quality of teaching that enables them to achieve learning outcomes. The study was conducted at Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT) Rahim Yar Khan. The objectives of the study were to investigate the role of the HODs toward TPD; and to find out the differences in the role of HODs towards TPD. A quantitative research design was adapted for the study. The population of the study consisted of all heads of departments and all faculty members of KFUEIT. A stratified sampling method was used for sampling and two strata were formulated: one for heads of departments and the other for faculty members. Twenty-five (25) HODs and One hundred fifty (150) faculty members were selected as a sample. A self-developed questionnaire for both HODs and Faculty members was used. The results showed that HODs play a significant role in improving the TPD. The perceptions of HODs and faculty members about the role of heads of departments in improving teachers’ professional development are the same.