Professional Development Needs of Business Education Teachers in Senior Secondary Schools in Ondo State

This study examined the professional development needs of Business Education teachers in senior secondary schools in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Professional development is a continuous process of skills upgrading, knowledge expansion, and pedagogical renewal that enables teachers to remain effective in evolving educational contexts. With the increasing adoption of technology-driven instruction, revised curricula, and emerging business trends, Business Education teachers must continuously update their professional competencies. However, the specific development needs of teachers in Ondo State have not been formally assessed. A descriptive survey design was employed. The population comprised 320 Business Education teachers across four senatorial districts in Ondo State. A sample of 160 teachers was selected through stratified random sampling. A validated Professional Development Needs Assessment Instrument comprising 42 items was used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were computed, while chi-square was used to test the hypotheses. Findings reveal that teachers have the highest development needs in digital instructional tools, entrepreneurship pedagogy, and curriculum implementation strategies. Older teachers with more years of experience exhibited the greatest needs in technology-related competencies. The study recommends that the Ondo State Teaching Service Commission should conduct a biennial professional development needs assessment and develop targeted in-service training programmes based on the identified priorities for Business Education teachers. Keywords: professional development, business education teachers, secondary schools, Ondo State, in-service training