WORKPLACE INCIVILITY PREVALENCE AND GENDER DISPARITY AMONG TEACHING STAFF OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING IN DELTA STATE NIGERIA

This study aims to ascertain the WPI prevalence level and gender disparity among teaching staff of higher institutions of learning (universities, polytechnics and colleges of education) in DeltaState, Nigeria. Thus, it employs the descriptive method, adopting the ex-post-facto design. The ex-post-facto, became expedient due to the fact that the events cannot be manipulated as the have already occurred. The population of the study comprises all the state owned universities, polytechnics and colleges of education teaching staff.  The stratified random sampling technique was used to select one thousand three hundred (1,300) respondents: universities 780, polytechnics 260 and colleges of education 260.  Of the 1,300 respondents, 630 were males while 670 were females. Data were collected using structured questionnaires titled “Workplace Incivility Prevalence among Higher Institutions Teaching Staff Questionnaire (WIPHITSQ)”. The instrument was face and content validated and was subjected to reliability test deploying Cronbach’s Alpha which yielded r = 0.84.   Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean score and standard deviation to answer research questions and independent t-test for hypothesis testing. Findings showed that the prevalence level of workplace incivility among teaching staff of the various institutions of learning in Delta State is high; and that significant difference exists in terms of the level prevalence between male and female teaching staffers of these institutions, with females recording a higher level of incivility. It was therefore recommended that the managements of these institutions craft policies and procedures that inhibit WPI; and as well encourage gender friendly climate and culture within the institutions.