INFLUENCE OF CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS ATTENDED ON ECONOMICS TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL GROWTH IN NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of attending conferences and workshops on the professional growth of secondary school Economics teachers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The research employed an evaluation survey design.The study population consisted of 3,557 Economics teachers from 637 senior secondary schools across the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nasarawa State. A sample of 198 respondents' was selected from three LGAs using multi-stage
random sampling. Specifically, purposive random sampling was used to select 12 senior secondary schools and Economics teachers were randomly selected from each school using simple random sampling.The process of purposive random sampling involved writing the names of schools and LGAs on pieces of paper, randomly selecting the papers to determine the sampled schools and LGAs. The researchers developed a single instrument for data collection titled
“Secondary School Economics Teachers Professional Growth (SSETEPREG).”The construct validity of the SSETEPREG instrument was ensured through expert judgment by specialists in Educational Measurement and Evaluation and Economics from Nasarawa State University, Keffi. The instrument achieved a construct validity index of 0.89 based on experts' ratings.Completed questionnaires were collected and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, including means and standard deviations, to summarize the data characteristics related to Economics teachers' professional growth. Hypotheses were tested using a t-test at a significance level of 0.05.The findings of the study underscore that conferences and workshops significantly influence secondary school Economics teachers' professional growth in Nasarawa State. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the Nasarawa State Government establish long-term funding mechanisms to enable Economics teachers to participate in conferences and workshops. Additionally, the formation of localized professional learning communities for Economics teachers within the state should be supported.