ASSESSING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES USED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS IN SELECTED PRIVATE PRESCHOOLS IN GABORONE

Abstract

Professional development (PD) is deemed as instrumental in enhancing the skills, knowledge, and
abilities of educators in early childhood education (ECE) programs. This study assessed the PD
strategies used by early childhood educators in selected private preschools in Gaborone, Botswana.
The research aimed to identify the strategies employed, the challenges faced, and the educators'
perceptions of these strategies. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study gathered data
through interviews with six educators and three administrators from three private preschools in
Gaborone. Findings revealed that PD strategies used included both internal activities (in-house
training, mentorship, team building, and personality tests) and external activities (workshops, short
courses, first aid training, and long-term studies). The challenges identified by this study included
lack of funds, legal restrictions, inflexible work schedules, language barriers, educators' disinterest,
reluctance to attend workshops on weekends, and insufficient communication of early childhood
educators’ needs. This study expands the current knowledge on early childhood PD by bringing
insights from Botswana.