Effectiveness Of District Centre for English (DCE) Training for Improving Language Proficiency of Upper Primary English Teachers

This study investigates the effectiveness of the District Centre for English (DCE) training programme in enhancing the English language proficiency of upper primary English teachers. Using a quantitative approach, the study assessed the language proficiency levels of teachers both before and after undergoing the DCE training. Percentage analysis revealed that 20% of the teachers initially exhibited a low level of English language proficiency, 64% had a moderate level, and only 16% demonstrated a high level of proficiency. To measure the impact of the DCE training, a pre-test and post-test design was employed. The calculated t-value of 12.72 for the difference between pre-test and post-test scores was found to be significant at the 0.01 level, indicating a statistically significant improvement in language proficiency following the training. This affirms the effectiveness of the DCE programme in improving English language skills among upper primary teachers. Additionally, analysis of gender differences in post-test scores showed a t-value of 0.36, which is not significant at the 0.05 level. This suggests that there is no significant difference between male and female teachers in terms of gains in language proficiency, indicating that the training was equally effective across genders. These findings underscore the value of structured language training initiatives like the DCE in building teacher capacity and improving language instruction at the primary level.