PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS AND JOB PRODUCTIVITY DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN URBAN-RURAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL ISLAMIC STUDIES TEACHERS JOB PRODUCTIVITY IN KWARA STATE

Abstract
This study examined professional development (PD) pathways and job productivity differentials among urban and rural senior secondary school Islamic Studies teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated teachers’ participation in four PD pathways: in-service training, workshops and seminars, conferences, and certification or further education, and their relationship with four productivity indicators: instructional effectiveness, classroom management, professionalism, and student outcomes. Guided by Human Capital Theory, the study employed a descriptive survey design with correlational elements. A sample of 210 teachers and 150 principals was drawn through multistage and proportional procedures across the three senatorial districts. Data were collected using validated instruments (reliability coefficient = 0.81) and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression at the 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that urban teachers participated more frequently in all PD pathways and demonstrated significantly higher productivity across all indicators compared to rural teachers. A significant moderate positive correlation (r = .462, p < .001) existed between PD participation and job productivity. PD pathways predicted job productivity more strongly among urban teachers (R² = .36) than rural teachers (R² = .24), with workshops and seminars emerging as the strongest predictors in both contexts. The study concludes that unequal access to professional development reinforces productivity gaps between urban and rural teachers. It recommends that the Kwara State Ministry of Education implement mobile PD units and satellite training centres for rural schools, establish location-sensitive PD policies with dedicated funding for rural teacher participation, and integrate targeted Islamic Studies PD programmes into state-level teacher development plans.

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