Joan Chidera EMEKA

This study investigates the Influence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on students' academic performance in Biology in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The purpose of this Study was to determine the extent to which Continuous Professional development programs attended by Biology teachers influence their instructional delivery and subsequently enhance their students’ academic achievement. The design adopted in this study was a quantitative descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 50 Biology teachers in the 26 public secondary schools within Oviah North-East LGA, while a purposive sample of 50 teachers was randomly selected for data collection. The standard Instrument used to gather data was a structured questionnaire which assessed teachers’ participation in CPD, the effects on their students, the challenges that limit them and recommendations and suggestions to improve CPD for Teachers. The Questionnaires was validated by two lecturers in the faculty of Education. The reliability was establish using the Cronbach alpha’s method. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages were employed to analyze the data. The Findings revealed that most Biology teachers regularly engaged in CPD activities, including workshops, online courses, and peer collaboration, and that these programs significantly improved their teaching competence. However, limited institutional support, inadequate funding, and lack of incentives were identified as challenges hindering CPD accessibility and effectiveness. Based on these findings, it is recommended that school administrators and Education policymakers invest more in CPD programmes by providing regular training opportunities, resources, and incentives to motivate teachers. Such efforts are essential in improving Biology teaching and learning experience, and fostering academic success among secondary school students.