Education is the bedrock of development. No nation can develop without sound education. Education has over the years been given much attention and priority in African countries, especially in Nigeria, the government at all levels, has discovered that the quality of education offered in Nigerian educational system determines the quality of development experienced. Education prepares the citizens for variety of functions within the economic, social, political, religious and other structures of the societies. It makes individuals responsive, responsible and acceptably fit in to the society. The needs for teachers to be regularly updated and developed continually to better their professional capabilities as regarding instructional delivery in their subject knowledge cannot be undermined.
Teacher professional development encompasses all changes in teaching approaches teachers can acquire towards teaching profession. All in-service professional development activities, teachers can access within the teaching profession, to develop their teaching and learning tasks towards learners improved academic performance. Professional development of teachers helps them to acquire relevant and new skills, ideas, knowledge to develop teaching and learning of their subjects. Teachers cannot rely only on the entry knowledge they start the career with, they need to experience professional growth like other professions. Their efficiency is measured or determined with learners’ academic performance. Teachers are to be regularly developed to teach effectively. Their efficiency shows from their learners’ academic performance.
For quality education to be achieved and sustained, teachers are to be exposed to effective professional development activities by the education leaders, scholars, service providers, policymakers and other stakeholders in Nigeria. Teachers’ mastery of the subjects gets improved due to skills acquired in professional development. In the training activities, experienced facilitators are used to multi-task teachers’ intelligences to problem solving skills which improve their knowledge of their subjects. Academic performance of learners in areas of departmental examination, undergraduate research projects and other academic works must be the driving force for teachers to be regularly developed. Teachers are to be exposed to various professional activities that can boost or promote development in all ramifications; Nigeria desires to be technologically developed like other developed countries and to really sustain her “giant” of Africa title. The needs for teachers’ empowerment through rigorous and well planned varieties of professional development of teachers across the profession should not be undermined. Drive for professional development of teachers in Nigerian schools will also propel other African countries to follow suit.
IN-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION
In-service education can simply be defined as the relevant courses and activities in which a serving teacher may participate to upgrade his professional knowledge, skills, and competence in the teaching profession. Therefore, it encompasses all forms of education and training given to a teacher who is already on the job of teaching and learning. It includes the entire programmes-educational social or others, in which the teacher takes vital part. It also includes all the extra education which the teacher received at different institutions by way of refresher courses and all the travels and visits which he undertakes.
In-service education is staff development which is a deliberate and continuous process involving the identification and discussion of present and anticipated needs of individual staff for furthering their job satisfaction and career prospects and of the institution for supporting its academic work and plans, and implementation of programmes of staff activities designed for the harmonious satisfaction of these needs.
In-service programs help teachers acquire or deepen their knowledge about the subject matter content, teaching skills, and assessment methods required to implement an existing or a new curriculum as well as assist them in working effectively with parents and other community members.
The need for training in education particularly for teachers is important to improve the quality of education. Teachers are crucial in implementing educational reforms in accordance with the aspiration of the National Philosophy of Education. The success of a school curriculum is closely related to its effective implementation. Teachers have to be personally aware of the school curriculum, improve and enhance the necessary skills to interpret the concept changes accurately and to implement the modified curriculum according its requirements, aims and objectives. As such, the need for in-service training or staff development programme for teachers plays an essential role in successful education reform. It also serves as a bridge between prospective and experienced educators to meet the new challenges of guiding students towards higher standards of learning and self development. In developing the professionalism status of teachers, the training program such as in-service training should not be run away from the reformation that occurs. In-service training has for many years been the driving force behind much changes that has occurred in the area of teaching and learning. As in any other profession, it is vital that teachers keep up to date on the most current concepts, thinking and research in their field. This, in turn supports in their ‘lifelong learning’ as educators, as professionals and as individuals who are responsible for the education of the next generation. Teachers play an active and vital role in the development of productive and well educated students.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.
IN-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE
The need for in-service training in schools is getting more attention for teachers to equip with new knowledge and skills for them to face new challenges and reformation in education. In-service training can enhance the professionalism of teachers who can contribute to the organization to achieve its goals. In-service training is a professional and personal educational activity for teachers to improve their efficiency, ability, knowledge and motivation in their professional work.
Professional development activities of teachers are to develop/ improve teaching responsibilities, equip them with professional capacity that ensure effective and efficient delivery of teaching and learning, which eventually lead to improved academic performance of students. Teaching as a profession, in most prominent developed countries has been seen and taken as a valid means of igniting sustainability of development in different spheres of life. Teachers are heavily invested on in these countries; there is need to sustain and improve quality education. Professional development activities are designed for teachers to equip them with necessary skills and to make them relevant and competitive in the global community. These activities are thoroughly planned, executed, implemented and evaluated by teachers themselves and also the school management teams. Teachers are to be observed while teaching to identify the teaching gaps that need to be improved upon. They are to be evaluated to determine professional activities needed and also to be evaluated after the trainings to determine the improvement or impacts of the professional development they have attended.
CONCLUSION
Education is the wheel of development. Teachers are the major stakeholders that determine or affect the quality of education; it is only the quality education that can promote necessary developments across the country. Nigerian education system is the propeller for development in all ramifications just like other developed countries; teachers are the drivers to that developmental knowledge that can be used to attain total development. Teachers who will facilitate learning should be efficient in instructional tasks delivery of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. Professional development activities are designed or aimed at effectiveness and efficiency of teachers in schools. Due to these, varied in-service professional development programmes/ activities are to be structured and designed to implement National policy of Education in Nigeria.
More so, professional development could also be well designed to introduce teachers to new curricula, new ideas, and new approaches to teaching. Their knowledge and skills can also be updated on their subject matters through collaborations of ideas, mentorship opportunities among teachers and skills acquisition and changed attitudes to arsenal all facilities in educational system which will in turn lead to an improved academic performance.