Why Educational Practitioners Resist Staff Development Programmes: Evidence from Binga and Hwange Districts, Zimbabwe.

This paper sought to explore the reasons why teachers and support staff resist staff development programs in the Binga District of Zimbabwe. Multiple case-studies were used. Questionnaires, Face-to-face interviews and secondary sources provided the required data. The sample of 25 primary school heads; 13secondary and High School Heads and 72 school teachers and 15 support staff revealed very interesting information. Findings pointed to disruption of school activities, unavailability of experts in some areas, lack of or poorly stocked libraries to support teachers’ research, pressure from Public Service head-counts(personnel audits), lack of consultation of subordinates before the implementation of programs, passive roles of subordinates during staff development workshops, poor timing and lack of reviews of those staff development programmes. However, teachers generally agreed that staff development workshops somehow added to their knowledge and enhanced their skills, despite the negative attitudes towards them. The study mode recommendations are to boost the role, function and effectiveness of the staff development programs.