A PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACH TO ASSESSING UNIVERSITY LECTURERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Teaching quality is widely recognized as a critical determinant of student learning, often outweighing socio-economic factors in influencing academic outcomes. Effective lecturers are central to fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students, equipping them to thrive in a knowledge-based society. Given the pivotal role of lecturers as nation-builders, the quality of teaching today directly impacts the competence of future citizens and educators. Despite this, measuring lecturers’ perceptions of their profession remains underexplored, limiting efforts to enhance teaching effectiveness. This study aims to develop a reliable and valid attitude scale to assess university lecturers’ perceptions of the teaching profession in Southwest Nigeria. The proposed instrument will provide educators, administrators, and policymakers with a standardized tool to understand and improve teaching quality, ultimately contributing to the preparation of competent, skilled graduates capable of sustaining national development.