Primary and Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) Teachers Perception of Their Teaching Effectiveness and Monitoring Challenges in Plateau State

This study examined primary and early childhood care education (ECCE) teachers' perceptions of teaching effectiveness and monitoring challenges in Plateau State, Nigeria. Using a survey design, 100 teachers were selected through stratified random sampling across the 17 Local Government Areas. Data was collected using the "Teacher Effectiveness Assessment Questionnaire (TEAQ)," a five-point Likert scale instrument based on the Nigerian Professional Standards for Teachers framework. The study was anchored on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory to understand teacher development through observation, feedback, and collaborative support systems. Results revealed that teachers perceived their content knowledge and curriculum implementation as good (mean = 3.48) but showed neutral ratings for teaching strategies (3.34), classroom management (3.41), assessment and feedback (3.43), and professional conduct and development (3.21). Key challenges identified included very low ICT integration in teaching (mean = 2.26), limited familiarity with Nigerian Professional Standards for Teachers (2.58), and difficulties with large class sizes affecting individual student assessment (3.51). The monitoring system showed significant deficiencies with moderate frequency/quality ratings (3.25) and low feedback mechanisms (2.49), primarily due to inadequate funding, transportation constraints, and punitive rather than developmental approaches. The study reveals a striking finding: just 30% of teacher’s exhibit high effectiveness in their roles, highlighting a significant gap between urban and rural schools.