Enhancing teachers’ professional competence through licensure tests and intervention: a study on teacher competence and student academic performance in Ethiopia

Teachers’ professional competence is an important factor that has a proven effect on student academic performance and in turn on educational quality. The study aimed at enhancing teachers’ professional competence licensure test, teachers’ competence and students’ academic performance through intervention in Ethiopia. It was an intervention study of positivistic worldview with a quantitative research approach, and quasi-experiment research design. The population consisted of 60 primary school teachers and 1440 grade 4 students. The data were collected via standardized scale test and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The intervention study revealed that, there was a correlation between teachers’ professional competence licensure tests, teachers’ professional competence, and students’ academic performance with coefficient of r = .89, P < 001. It is helpful to develop a professional development program for the job teachers and there should be curriculum modalities. Teachers’ licensure test should be prepared by responsible and accountable non -governmental agent.