Correlation of professional development and classroom practice in Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between professional development and classroom practice among lecturers in Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze. The study was guided by three research questions and adopted a correlational research design. The population consisted of 373 lecturers, who also served as the sample size. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Findings revealed that lecturers’ participation in professional development programmes was high (M = 3.01, SD = 0.74), while classroom practice was also high (M = 3.12, SD = 0.68). The result of the hypothesis testing showed a moderate to strong positive and significant relationship between professional development and classroom practice (r = 0.62, p < 0.05). This indicates that increased participation in professional development programmes is associated with improved classroom instructional practices among lecturers. The study concluded that professional development is a significant predictor of effective classroom practice. It was recommended that institutions should strengthen and sustain practical, relevant, and continuous professional development programmes to further enhance lecturers’ instructional effectiveness and classroom engagement.