Investigation of Teacher Qualification Levels and Learning Outcomes in Taraba State ECDE Centres

Teacher qualifications in early childhood education are a proxy for pedagogical knowledge and practice quality, and examining their distribution and relationship to child learning outcomes in Taraba State generates evidence for workforce quality improvement in North East Nigeria. This study investigated the distribution of teacher qualifications and their relationship to children's learning outcomes in ECDE centres in Jalingo, Wukari, and Bali Local Government Areas, Taraba State. A correlational survey design was employed with 50 ECDE teachers whose qualifications were documented and whose children's learning outcomes were assessed using an adapted Early Learning Outcomes Measure. Pearson correlation and ANOVA were applied. There was a significant positive correlation between teacher qualification level and children's overall learning outcomes (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). Children taught by NCE-certified teachers scored 34 percent higher on pre-literacy assessments than those taught by unqualified teachers. Experience did not compensate for qualification deficits when controlling for education level. Only 28 percent of sampled teachers held the minimum recommended NCE qualification. The study concludes that Taraba State ECDE is operating with a significantly underqualified teaching workforce that constrains child outcomes. Recommendations include a state ECDE teacher upgrading scholarship, mandatory minimum qualification enforcement, and a specialist ECDE NCE programme at Taraba State College of Education. Keywords: teacher qualification, learning outcomes, ECDE centres, Taraba State, early childhood workforce