ABSTRACT

This study focused on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); and training and development of academic staff of Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. The objective of the study focused on impact of scholarship from TETFund on academic staff development in Imo State University; impact of TETFund sponsored conferences on academic staff development in Imo State University; impact of academic staff development on teaching practice in Imo State University. Survey research design was used and questionnaire (rating scale) served as the instrument of data collection. The population of this study is made up of academic staff that have benefited from the TETFund in Imo State University Owerri. A total of four hundred and forty eight (448) academic staff benefited from TETFund (2011-2015). From that, a sample of 211 were selected from the population, using Taro Yamane’s method. Data were analyzed using simple percentage and bar charts. The hypotheses were analyzed using simple linear regression with IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 20.0. The result revealed that tertiary education trust fund has positive significant impact on academic staff development in Imo State University. Specifically, it was found that there is significant impact of scholarship from TETFund on academic staff development in Imo State University, there is significant impact of TETFund sponsored conferences on academic staff development in Imo State University and there is significant impact of academic staff development on teaching practice in Imo State University. Based on the findings, it was recommended that bureaucratic bottlenecks connected with TETFund should be removed to promote easy access for academic staff in Nigerian public universities. Also, there should be no discrimination in the disbursement of TETFund benefits like scholarship, and conferences to academic staff in the universities.