INFLUENCE OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN ABIA STATE PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of staff development programmes on teachers’ job performance in Abia State public secondary schools. Four research questions guided the study and four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Related literatures were reviewed which helped to highlight more facts necessary for building the study. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The population for this study comprised 3,233 teachers in the three education zones in Abia State. A sample of 679 teachers were chosen for the study through stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques.  A researchers-developed instrument titled: “Staff Development Questionnaire (SDQ)” and “Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ)” were used to collect data for the study. The instruments were duly validated by experts. The reliability of the instrument was determined by test-retest method using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics and it yielded a reliability coefficient of .82 which was considered highly reliable and suitable for the study. The researcher with the aid of three briefed research assistants administered and collected the instrument from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested with the use of paired sample t-test statistics at .05 level of significance. The study showed that open and distant learning programmes, workshops, seminars and conferences significantly influence teachers’ job performance to a high extent in Abia State public secondary schools. The study therefore, concluded that teachers’ open and distant learning programmes, workshops, seminars, and conferences are the staff development programmes that teachers attend that improve their teaching performance. The study in line with the findings, recommended among others, the need for teachers to go for in-service training programmes like open and distant learning, workshops, seminars, conferences since their performance are enhanced through such training programmes.