EFFECTS OF GENDER AND YEARS OF WORKING EXPERIENCE ON PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ HEALTH ASSESSMENT BEHAVIOUR IN IBADAN SOUTH WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE

Abstract

The average Nigerian children spend at least seven to nine hours a day
and five days in a week in schools where they face significant health
challenges resulting from daily activities and risk-taking behaviour
which may adversely affect their health and ability to learn. Previous
studies revealed poor personal hygiene practices among public primary
school pupils. This study, examined the effects of gender and years of
working experience on primary school teachers’ health assessment
behaviour in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The study adopted non-equivalent pre-test -post-test control quasi
experimental design using 2x2x2 factorial matrix. One hundred and
eighty teachers selected through multistage sampling procedure from
sixty-five public primary schools in the study area were randomly
assigned to experimental group and control group. A structured
Teachers’ Health Assessment Behaviour Questionnaire (THABQ), and a
self-structured Pupil Health Assessment form were used to collect
information from the participants was adapted, a reliability coefficient
of .76 was obtained using cronbach alpha. Study lasted for eight (8)
weeks. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the
hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. 107(59.4%) primary school teachers had
no time for health assessment of their pupils. Findings showed that
there was no significant main effect of gender on primary school
teachers’ health assessment behaviour in Oyo State (F (2,177) = 3.360,
p>.05, 2 ? =.019). There was a significant main effect of work
experience on primary school teachers’ health assessment behaviour in
Oyo state (F(2,177) = 31.022, p<.05, 2 ? =.149). Interaction effects of
work experience and gender was significant on Primary school teachers’
health assessment behaviour (F(1,175) = 17.227, p<.05, 2 ? =.003). It
was recommended that there is need for regular advocacies for
improvement and sustainable health assessment behaviour among
primary school teachers in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.