Evaluating Competency Enhancement Needs of Lecturers for Quality Teaching and Learning in South-East Universities of Nigeria

Abstract

This study was a quest aimed at evaluating competency enhancement needs of lecturers for quality teaching and learning in SouthEast universities of Nigeria. Reviewed literatures revealed that there is a steady decline in the quality of university graduates; as such the researchers sought to find out possible inputs that could enhance and guarantee quality instructional delivery in our universities in particular and other tertiary institutions in general. The study adopted the survey research design and randomly sampled 372 respondents from six universities (3 federal and 3 states) who are academic staff. The results of data analysis using simple percentages and contingency Chi-square statistical analysis technique at 95% confidence interval revealed that above 90% of male and female lecturers opined that teaching staff are in dare need of competency enhancement inputs such as regular training workshops and conferences (local and international), functional ICT units for staff and students, inter and intra collaborative teaching experience amongst institutions within and outside the country for cross fertilization of ideologies and skills, and regular upgrading of teaching and learning facilities. The need for proactive funding of tertiary education was recommended. More so, the administrative echelons of higher institutions in Nigeria were encouraged to devise mechanisms of ensuring an updated pool of academic staff for qualitative pedagogical delivery.