Personnel development at an educational institution in Swaziland

Abstract

This dissertation examines personnel/staff development at Nazarene College of Theology (NCT) in Siteki, Swaziland. The argument developed is that an educational institution needs a personnel development programme that will continuously improve the teaching skills of its teachers/lecturers and improve their performance.

A literature study was used to investigate the historical and educational developments that occurs at NCT. Data was collected by means of two interviews. The study was limited to a small group of eight respondents since the entire staff at NCT amounted to that number.

The findings indicated that two activities, namely, continuing education and participation in academic/professional conferences are being used. The findings also revealed the limitations related to the high cost of tertiary education, personal problems, the length of time to complete a university course and a lack of adequate staff development policy. Based on these findings, brief recommendations to improve practice of staff development are suggested.