Impact of Policy Innovation on Human Resource Management and Governance in Nigeria’s Teacher Education System

Aims: The study examines the role of innovation and human resource management in teacher education using the triple helix model. It also seeks to identify the relationship or disconnection between government, industry, and research institutions while proposing a pragmatic approach to improve collaboration in educational settings. Study Design: An approach using quantitative technique for data collection. Place and Duration of Study: The Colleges of Education across six states in the Southwestern region of Nigeria from June 2024 to April 2025. Methodology: This study had a total of 400 participants. These included 210 registered college students and 190 lecturers. The lecturers were purposively selected because they fit one or more of the following profiles: academic staff of research institutions, academic union executives, and consultants to reputable schools. All participants were selected using purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from participants. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics Results: Out of 400 respondents, 126 were aged 18-22 years (31.5%), 84 were 23-25 years (21%), 90 were 26-28 years (22.5%), and 100 were 29 years or older (25%). The gender distribution included 195 males (48.75%) and 205 females (51.25%). Regarding professional background, 47.5% were lecturers and 52.5% were students. Descriptive statistics and t-tests showed significant disagreement with the adequacy of current teacher education policies (t = -10.742, p < 0.01). Regression analysis revealed no significant effects of governance-related variables on resource allocation (p > 0.05), but significant stakeholder perception differences (SA|A: p = 0.00525, D|SD: p = 0.01442) highlighted the importance of governance dynamics in shaping teacher education outcomes. Conclusion: The study highlights the significant disconnect between stakeholders in Nigeria's teacher education system, emphasizing the need for innovative policy reforms and better governance structures. It concludes that effective collaboration and alignment among key actors, government, industry, and research institutions, are crucial for enhancing the quality and impact of teacher education.