Assessment of Gender Disparity and Years of Experience in Science Teachers’ Regularity in Attendance at Professional Workshops and Seminars in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of Science Teachers Associations (STAs) is to ensure that science teachers remain up-to-date with the latest knowledge, developments, and pedagogical skills in their field. By organizing workshops, seminars, and other intellectual meetings, STAs aim to prepare science teachers for the future challenges in their teaching careers. A recent study was conducted to investigate the influence of gender and years of teaching experience on science teachers' regularity in attending professional workshops and seminars. The study utilized an ex-post facto research design and gathered information from all 168 science teachers in the public secondary schools of Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study involved 135 science teachers who fully completed the "Teachers’ workshop and seminar participation questionnaire" (TWSPQ), yielding a high Cronbach alpha reliability index of 0.92. Analysis of the data using simple percentages, independent t-test, and 2-way ANOVA revealed that a majority of science teachers had never attended professional workshops and seminars, with only 29.6% attending regularly and 64.4% attending occasionally. Notably, none of the science teachers in Calabar Metropolis attended professional seminars very regularly, with 33.3% attending regularly, 35.6% attending occasionally, and 31.1% never attending professional seminars before. Furthermore, it was found that male science teachers were significantly more regular than their female counterparts in attending professional workshops. Additionally, the study highlighted that both gender and years of teaching experience significantly influenced the regularity of science teachers in attending professional workshops, with those having more experience being more regular. However, it was noted that there was no significant difference in the regularity of male and female science teachers at professional seminars, but the regularity increased with years of teaching experience, except for those nearing retirement. In conclusion, the study emphasized the importance of personal characteristics in determining the regularity of science teachers in attending professional workshops and seminars.