Professional Development for Hausa Language Teachers in Senior Secondary Schools: Needs and Strategies in Sokoto State

The effectiveness of Hausa language instruction at senior secondary school level is substantially determined by the professional competency and ongoing development of teachers, yet systematic investigation of teacher professional development needs in this domain is limited in the existing literature. This study examines the professional development needs of Hausa language teachers in senior secondary schools in Sokoto State and analyses existing provision against identified needs. A professional needs assessment design was employed, gathering data through structured questionnaires from 120 serving Hausa language teachers across 12 senior secondary schools in Sokoto North, Bodinga, and Tambuwal local government areas. Classroom observation of 30 teaching sessions assessed competency areas including lesson planning, interactive pedagogy, assessment design, and use of Hausa literary texts. Interviews with Sokoto State Teachers Service Commission officials and school principals assessed institutional support structures for teacher development. Findings identify significant professional development needs in areas of contemporary Hausa literature teaching, technology-enhanced language instruction, examination preparation pedagogy, and assessment design beyond conventional essay formats. Most teachers have not accessed formal continuing professional development in the past three years. Recommendations include establishment of a Hausa language teacher professional learning community in Sokoto State, annual professional development workshops facilitated by Usmanu Danfodiyo University linguistics faculty, and development of a Hausa language teacher competency framework to guide future professional development planning and performance appraisal. Keywords: Hausa language teachers, Professional development, Sokoto State, Secondary schools, Teacher competency.