ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING POLICY FOR TEACHERS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study assessed the implementation of in-service training policy for teachers in Delta State secondary schools and basic education in line with the laid down criteria. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the study. Documentary analysis research design was adopted in the study. The population for the study comprised 8 documents containing the details of teachers who applied and benefited from the in-service training policy in the state Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB) and Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Adopting the census sampling, the entire population was used for the study. The documents for data analysis were from the office of the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Delta State. These documents contained data on in-service training policy in Delta State. The documents were used to ascertain the implementation of in-service training policy for teachers in Delta State secondary schools and basic education in line with the laid down criteria. Data were analysed using frequencies and percentages to answer the research question while chi- square ( ²) statistic was used to test the null hypothesis. Findings of the study indicated that from 2019 to 2023, in-service training policy implementers did not adhere strictly to the laid down criteria. Hence, some teachers in Delta state public schools benefited from in-service training policy when they did not fulfil all the laid down criteria. Based on data from PPEB and SUBEB, it was also found out that the frequency with which in-service training policy implementers complied with the laid down criteria is greater in PPEB than in SUBEB. It was recommended among other things that Delta state ministry of Education sets-up special monitoring team which would comprise her staff to ensure strict compliance to the laid down criteria in the implementation of in-service training policy. This could lead to the success of the implementation of this policy in Delta State Secondary Schools and basic education.