EXPLORING THE GENDER INFLUENCE ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STEM TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF IN-SERVICE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Abstract

The paper evaluated the gender influence on junior secondary school STEM teachers’ perceptions of in-service professional development programs. A survey approach was employed for the study; three research questions were raised and answered in the course of the study. The population of the study comprised all STEM teachers in the Oyo metropolis, consisting of four (4) local Governments with one hundred and seventy-two (172) STEM teachers. From this population, only one hundred and forty-seven (147) turned up and participated in the in-service training organized by the researchers served as a sample for the study. A self-developed closed-ended questionnaire named STEM Teachers’ Perceptions of In-Service Professional Development Program (STPISPDP) was used as the instrument to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that the perception of STEM teachers regarding in-service professional development training is generally positive; gender differences show no significant effect on STEM teachers’ perceptions of in-service professional development training, and finally, teaching experience on perceptions of in-service professional development training reveals no significant differences among different experience levels. It was therefore suggested, among others, that a longer time/duration be allotted for in-service training, and all staff, irrespective of gender or experience level, should be mandated to attend the in-service development training.