Traditional Teaching and ICT Hesitancy: Effects on Teacher Professional Development in Cameroon

Abstract

The effective integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into education is widely recognized as a catalyst for teacher professional development, reflective practice, and improved instructional quality. Despite national ICT initiatives in Cameroon, many government secondary school teachers continue to rely heavily on traditional teaching methods and display a persistent resistance to ICT use, thereby limiting their professional growth. However, limited empirical research in Cameroon has systematically examined the psychological and attitudinal barriers, beyond infrastructural constraints, that shape teachers’ ICT-related professional development. This study examined how reliance on outdated, teacher-centered pedagogies and fear of ICT tools influence teachers’ professional development in ICT pilot schools across the South West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 306 teachers through structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 12 vice principals and 12 classroom observations. Linear regression results revealed that reliance on traditional teaching methods negatively predicted professional development (R = –0.348, R² = 0.121, B = –0.276, p < .05), while fear of ICT use was also a significant negative predictor (R = –0.332, R² = 0.110, B = –0.263, p < .05). Thematic analysis of qualitative data confirmed that entrenched chalk-and-talk routines, lack of confidence, and anxiety about damaging equipment hinder teachers’ participation in ICT-related training and limit innovation. The study concludes that psychological and attitudinal barriers are as critical as infrastructural challenges to digital pedagogy. It recommends continuous, context-sensitive ICT training, peer mentoring, and supportive school leadership to foster teacher readiness for digital transformation.