EFFECTS OF DIRECT, DIFFUSE AND LOCAL INTERACTIONS ON TEACHERS PROFICIENCY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL BASIC SCIENCE IN OYO STATE

In Nigeria, professional development programmes for basic science teachers is inconsistent and fragmented despite its critical importance in building the teachers’ capacity. The few ones organized are mostly attended by teachers who do not care to share knowledge gain at such workshops with their colleagues. Consequently, basic science teachers’ performance fall below expectation and pupils’ achievement is low. These underscore the need to explore a procedure that will be readily available and accessible to all basic science teachers for professional development. Therefore, this study examined the effects of direct, diffuse and local interactions on teachers’ proficiency in basic science. The study adopted a 4 x 2 factorial design with pre-test and post-test control groups in quasi-experimental setting. Treatment was administered at four levels – direct, diffuse, local interactions and control and moderator variable - teachers’ experience at two levels (experienced and inexperienced). Seventy three teachers and 1,812 primary three pupils from twenty four randomly selected primary schools in three Local Government Areas of Oyo State participated in the study. Two instruments were used for data collection. The data analysis was done using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with pre-test scores serving as covariates. The results indicated that there is a significant main effect of treatment on teachers’ proficiency in basic science; teachers’ experience has no significant main and interaction effects with treatment on proficiency in basic science. The implications of this study include the use of direct, diffuse and local interactions to raise teachers’ proficiency in basic science.