There is widespread agreem ent that professional developm ent (PD ) is the best possib le answer to m eeting the com plex challenges in education system s. Studies on educational effectiveness identif y the link between quality teachers and their P D . Th e purpose of this exploratory study was to determ ine the perceptions of N igerian delegates from independent schools of the effectiveness of a training program m e conducted b y academ ic staff at the U niversity of South Africa (U nisa). A m

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... ixed-m ethod approach was adopted in two sim ilar workshops. In M arch (2008) (Phase 1), quantitative data were collected and, in O ctober 2008 (Phase 2), qualitative data were collected. The results reveal delegates' experiences of the quality of the presentations, the content and learning experience, the extent to whic h the expectations of the delegates were m et, the application possib ility and relevance of the workshops to educational practice and the needs experienced in N igerian schools and recom m endations f or f uture workshops.