Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Personalized Continuous Professional Development for College Teachers in North West, Nigeria

Background: The ineffectiveness of traditional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) models for teachers is a global challenge, often characterized by a one-size-fits-all approach that lacks relevance and sustainability. In resource-constrained contexts like Nigeria, these shortcomings are exacerbated, creating a critical gap in supporting educator growth.

Objective: This study investigated the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support personalized CPD for college teachers in Nigeria by examining the shortcomings of existing practices, assessing the receptivity to AI-driven solutions, and identifying key implementation requirements.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 61 college teachers from public colleges across Nigeria. Data collected on current CPD perceptions, AI potential, and institutional readiness were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Findings: The results revealed a significant dissatisfaction with current CPD, with over 65% of respondents finding it irrelevant, irregular, and lacking follow-up support. Conversely, there was an overwhelming receptivity (>91% agreement) to AI-enabled personalization, particularly for its perceived ability to identify learning gaps and provide timely feedback. However, a critical implementation paradox was identified: while personal device access was high (82%), foundational infrastructure was deemed critically deficient, with 83.6% rating internet reliability as poor and 73.8% indicating a lack of technical support.

Conclusion: The study concludes that while AI is perceived as a highly promising solution to personalize and enhance teacher professional development in Nigeria, its successful integration is contingent upon addressing profound infrastructural and institutional barriers. The findings necessitate a shift from purely technical solutions to the development of context-aware, socio-technical frameworks that are offline-first, hybrid, and supported by robust policy and investment in national infrastructure.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Continuous Professional Development, Teacher Education, Personalization, Nigeria, Adaptive Learning, Education Technology.