Attitudinal differences towards Teaching Profession of Undergraduates and Postgraduate Students in Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State Nigeria

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess attitudinal differences towards teaching profession of undergraduates and postgraduate students in federal university of Kashere, Gombe State Nigeria. Five research objectives and research questions was set to achieved the main objectives. The study adopted a comparative descriptive survey design, the target population for the study were all 200 level – 400 level Biology Education students and all M.Ed. Sample size for the study is 301, the data collection was through on-campus distribution of the questionnaires among B.Ed. and M.Ed. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) to summarize the attitudes of the groups and inferential statistics (e.g., independent sample t-tests and ANOVA) to compare attitudes between the groups. The significance level will be set at 0.05. The data analysis and interpretation of findings from the questionnaire responses, the major findings include: Differences in Attitudes Between Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students (Table 4.3) The independent t-test results showed a statistically significant difference between undergraduate and postgraduate students (t = 2.31, p = 0.021). Postgraduate students (M = 4.15, SD = 0.85) exhibited more positive attitudes than undergraduate students (M = 3.89, SD = 0.92). Many undergraduates students expressed uncertainty about career confidence in teaching (M = 3.12, SD = 1.05). The study emphasizes the importance of policy interventions, improved teacher training, better financial incentives, and career growth opportunities to enhance the attractiveness of teaching. Addressing these challenges could improve students’ willingness to pursue teaching and ultimately strengthen the education sector in Nigeria. The teaching profession remains a cornerstone of national development, yet negative perceptions driven by financial constraints, poor working conditions, and gender disparities must be addressed.