IMPACT OF DIGITAL MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS IN OSUN STATE

Abstract

The quick progress of digital technologies has changed educational systems across the globe, making new ways for teacher professional development. This study looked into how digital mentoring affects the professional development of secondary school teachers in Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used to collect data from a proportionally stratified sample of 200 teachers taken from a population of 6,850, using a validated questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82. The results showed that digital mentoring had a notable positive effect on teachers' instructional improvement, technological competence, and overall professional growth. In particular, 87.5% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that digital mentoring improved lesson planning and instructional delivery, with an aggregate mean of 3.22 and a standard deviation of 0.70. Likewise, 87.5% indicated enhanced technological competence with an aggregate mean of 3.24 and a standard deviation of 0.69, and 87.5% recognised greater overall professional development with an aggregate mean of 3.29 and a standard deviation of 0.65. However, moderate challenges were found, including limited internet access with 70% agreement, lack of digital devices with 65% agreement, insufficient training and support with 70% agreement, and workload issues with 72.5% agreement. Linear regression analysis indicated that digital mentoring had a significant positive effect on professional development with a B value of 0.575 and a p value of less than 0.05, explaining 27% of the variance with an R² of 0.27, F value of 74.89, and a p value of less than 0.05. The study concludes that digital mentoring is an effective method for improving teachers' competence, instructional practices, and technological skills. It suggests implementing structured digital mentoring programmes, investing in digital infrastructure, and providing regular training to maximise the benefits of digital mentoring for teachers in Osun State and similar educational settings.