DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE IMPACT OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME ON GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION
ABSTRACT
The study was designed to develop and validate an instrument for measuring teachers’ perception of the impact of Universal Basic Education programme on the girl-child education in Nsukka education zone of Enugu State. The influence of gender and school location was also determined. Four research questions were posed and two null hypotheses were formulated in line with the specific objectives of the study. Instrumentation research design was used for the study. The population for the study comprised 2065 primary school teachers in Nsukka education zone of Enugu State. Sample size of 412 primary school teachers was used for the study. The sample was obtained using multi-stage sampling technique. Teachers’ Perception Questionnaire which was developed by the researcher using various steps in instrument validation was used for the study. The developed instrument (TPQ) contained 36 items divided into three clusters. The instrument was validated by four experts, three from Department of Science Education (Measurement and Evaluation) and one from Universal Basic Education Board. The instrument was trial tested to determine the reliability using primary school teachers in Obollo education zone of Enugu State who are not part of the study, but share the same characteristics with the sampled subjects. An overall reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained using Cronbach alpha method. The data obtained for the study were analyzed using factor analysis in answering research question one, while research question two was answered using Cronbach alpha method. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research question three and four while t-test was used to test the formulated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed, among others things, that out of 36 items developed and subjected to factor analysis, 29 items survived the factor analysis and were accepted as valid items; the overall reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained for the 29 items that survived the factor loading. This obtained value of 0.83 indicates that the reliability of the instrument is high and reliable; there was no significant difference in the mean scores of male and female teachers in the developed instrument; location was not a significant factor on the items of the instrument (TPQ). Based on these findings of the study, the researcher recommended, among others, that curriculum designers should make use of TPQ to enable them to identify and consider the different socio- cultural bases of society in effort to redesign the UBE programme to suit the socio-cultural base of the Girl-Child. This could enhance the education of the Girl-Child in schools and TPQ should be used by the Federal Government to enhance the education of Girl-Child through UBE progrmme.