Factors Associated with the Proportion of Pair or Groupwork After Implementation of Enhanced School Based Continuing Professional Development: A Cross-Sectional Study for Primary Schools in Parts of Central Province of Zambia

Pair or group work is a teaching practice where learners work in pairs or small groups to complete an activity. While opinions vary on ideal group size, evidence favours grouping learners in sets of three to five. Pair or groupwork usually makes learners to feel more comfortable practising, learning and talking in pairs or small groups as compared to standing in front of the whole class on their own. This encourages learners to get involved and if pairing is properly done, it can help even the slow learners to feel more confident which eventually improves the learning outcomes. The results of this study showed that primary schools in peri-urban areas led by female head teachers reported a relatively higher use of pair or group work, at approximately 30.3%, compared to 27.7% in schools led by male head teachers. The results further revealed that, degree holders with more experience either in the teaching profession or at their current school reported the highest mean use of pair or group work, at 34.1%, followed by diploma holders at 30.4% and certificate holders at 26.5%. Finally, the correlation results indicated a weak association of 5.9% between the proportion of pair or group work and a teacher’s total years of service. A slightly stronger correlation of 11.7% was found between the number of years a teacher had remained at the same school and their likelihood of using pair or group work. The strongest, though still weak, correlation was 17.5%, observed between the number of Teacher Group Meetings (TGMs) conducted at a school and the use of pair or group work