ASSESSMENT OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY UPPER BASIC MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined Upper Basic Mathematics teachers‟ assessmentof Teacher Professional Development (TPD) components, which isunder Teacher Quality Improvement programme, a sub-component of Education Reform Agenda of Kwara state education sector. The key aspects of Teacher Professional Development include: Learner-centered approach;learning for all and from each other; Learning Management; Assessment; Facilitating the professional development of mentor teachers among others. The assessment was carried out at the Teacher Professional Development workshopsorganized for Upper Basic Mathematics and Scienceteachers in Kwara State. The study is a descriptive survey method. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select 300(58females and 242males) Mathematics teachers from eight local government areas of Kwara state that participated in the workshops. Researchers-designed questionnaire, validated by two experts in Mathematics education and two in Science education was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, and graphical illustrations. The analysis on teachers‟ assessment revealed that 281(93.3%) of the respondents agreed that knowing about the learners, involving learners in classroom activities, and providing opportunity for learners to brainstorm among others are important in teaching and learning Mathematics. It is recommended that all teachers should be given adequate training on the components identified as important.