Statistical Competence and Career Efficiency Among Early Childhood Educators in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated statistical competence and career efficiency among early childhood educators in Lagos State, Nigeria, with a comparative focus on educators in public and private early childhood institutions. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised early childhood educators from public and private pre-primary and primary schools in Lagos State. A sample of 200 respondents — 100 from public schools and 100 from private schools — was selected using simple random sampling technique. The research instrument titled "Statistical Competence and Educator Career Efficiency Questionnaire (SCECEQ)" was used for data collection. Frequency distribution and simple percentages were used for demographic data, while descriptive statistics of means and standard deviations were used to answer research questions. The independent samples t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the level of statistical literacy between educators in public and private early childhood schools in Lagos State (t = 4.217; df = 198; p < .05); there is a significant difference in assessment practice efficiency between publicly and privately employed early childhood educators (t = 3.894; df = 198; p < .05); there is a significant difference in professional development outcomes between early childhood educators in public and private schools in Lagos State (t = 3.562; df = 198; p < .05). The study concludes that privately employed early childhood educators demonstrate significantly higher statistical competence and career efficiency than their public-school counterparts, and recommends targeted statistical training programmes for early childhood educators in the public-school system.