Effect of Professional Development, Collaborative Learning, and Technology Integration on Teachers’ Self-Access Support Competence

This study investigated how professional development coupled with collaborative learning and technology integration influences teachers’ self-access support competence while examining the mediating role of teaching experience in Nigerian secondary schools. The research design utilized a cross-sectional methodology to collect data from 364 language teachers in secondary schools in Nigeria. Adapted questionnaires with proven reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.884-0.896) and validity were used for the study. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed significant positive relationships between professional development (β=0.131), collaborative learning (β=0.130), and technology integration (β=0.129) with teachers’ competence in self-access support. Teaching experience provided notable mediation results, yielding indirect effects ranging from 0.096 to 0.142 for all relationships. The predictive model successfully explained 66.7% of teachers’ self-access support competence while providing a high estimate of predictability (Q²=0.451). These results extended theoretical understanding by integrating social constructivist and adult learning theories in resource-limited educational contexts while providing practical insights for educational stakeholders. The originality of this study is that it conducted a systematic investigation of the dynamics of professional development in a low-tech educational setting and empirically demonstrated the essential role of classroom practice in improving teachers’ professional knowledge. These contributions have greatly enhanced the understanding of effective approaches to teacher professional development in resource-limited settings and have filled critical gaps in educational research and practice.