Continuing Professional Development for Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Teachers

A Case Study of Anambra State

Abstract

The continuing professional development of science teachers is very critical, especially in a world that has been invaded by science and technology. New technologies emerge on daily basis and these bring in a great deal of changes in the techniques of teaching and learning science. It is therefore imperative that teachers' knowledge, abilities, and skills should be constantly updated to meet the demands of this era in human development. This study is a descriptive survey on the current status of continuing professional development of science, technology, and mathematics (STM) teachers in Anambra State. Three research questions were posed. The result revealed that despite the fact that STM teachers' perception of continuing professional development was positive; the actual status of continuing professional development among them, was abysmally poor due to some obstacles, which include non-sponsorship of teachers to conferences /workshops by the relevant agencies and non-involvement of STM teachers in activities of professional associations. This has serious implications for the teaching and learning of STM in the state.