International Journal of Education, Culture and Society 2017; 2(2): 69-75 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijecs doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20170202.14 Assessment of the Effectiveness of Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Programme in Meeting the Job Needs of Teachers in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria Emmanuel Okechukwu Chukwu 1 , Iormough Jonah Tarnongu 2 , Fiase Terna Mesuur 1 , Achukwu Chinyere Evangeline 1 , Chia Terkuma 3 1 School of Nursing Mkar, Gboko, Nigeria 2 School of Nursing Makurdi, Makurdi, Nigeria 3 Department of Anatomy, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria Email address: emmanwaguy42@yahoo.com (E. O. Chukwu) To cite this article: Emmanuel Okechukwu Chukwu, Iormough Jonah Tarnongu, Fiase Terna Mesuur, Achukwu Chinyere Evangeline, Chia Terkuma. Assessment of the Effectiveness of Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Programme in Meeting the Job Needs of Teachers in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. International Journal of Education, Culture and Society. Vol. 2, No. 2, 2017, pp. 69-75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20170202.14 Received: February 23, 2017; Accepted: March 11, 2017; Published: March 28, 2017 Abstract: This study was designed with an objective to assess the effectiveness of the PGDE programme in meeting the job needs of teachers in secondary schools in Gboko local government area of Benue state. A cross sectional descriptive survey design was used in the study. The instrument used for the data collection is a well-structured questionnaire consisting of 26 questionnaire items. 320 respondents were sampled from sixteen schools in Gboko using the purposive and stratified sampling techniques. The results obtained were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and variance. Findings revealed that secondary school teachers in Gboko were mainly HND holders (39%). The findings also showed that majority of the respondents were aware of the PGDE programme (both holders and non-holders of the PGDE certificate). Furthermore, the study indicated that PGDE holders were more proficient in the utilisation of teaching aids. All four hypotheses were tested and the researcher observed that there was no significant difference in knowledge of the PGDE programme among teachers who were PGDE holders and those without the certificate. The researcher noted a significant difference in the effectiveness of PGDE holders and non-holders in terms of their methodological competencies. The researcher further discovered that there existed a significant difference in the level of utilisation of teaching aids between PGDE holders and non-holders. It also revealed clearly that students understood lessons better when taught by PGDE holders than when taught by those without the certificate. The study then recommended among others that employment of teaching staff should be anchored on technical expertise while teachers without the PGDE certificate should be encouraged to acquire the certificate through sponsorship. Keywords: Assessment, Effectiveness, PGDE, Programme, Job, Needs, Teachers 1. Introduction Quality of teachers is important in any meaningful presentation of educational transactions. The concept of education cannot be properly defined or conceptualized without reference to those who impact the knowledge (Double Gist, 2013). The National Policy on Education (2004) views education as an instrument par excellence for effecting national development. An educational system is effective to the extent it makes use of the available resources to achieve its stated aims and objectives. The major objective of every school system irrespective of the level of education is to provide high quality education for learners (Whawo, 1993). In addition, the success of any educational system no doubt depends on the available methodological competence, educational qualification level, and the administrative machinery established for its implementation. In recognition of this fact, therefore, professionalism is given a major emphasis in all teaching