This study developed a scale for measuring University Lecturers’ attitude towards teaching profession in Southwest, Nigeria. The study specifically determined the reliability of the attitudinal scale (AS). It also examined determined the validity of the attitudinal scale (AS). It furthers examined whether the attitudinal scale (AS) discriminate between lecturers from different faculties in the universities in Southwest. The descriptive research design of the survey type was used in this study. The population for the study consisted of 18,967 university lecturers in Southwest. A sample of 300 University lecturers were selected through multistage sampling procedure. The research instrument used in collecting data for this study was a self-developed attitudinal scale (AS). The 40 items generated were administered to University lecturers on a four point continuum. Their responses were subjected to factor analysis and item total correlation which helped to reduce the items to 16. A 16-items instrument named “University Lecturers’ Attitudinal Scale” was finally produced. This was administered on the selected sample for the study. Analyses of the data were presented under descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics were analyzed by the use mean and standard deviation while the inferential testing were done using Cronbach’s coefficient of alpha reliability, Item Total Correlation Analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Shecfes’ Post Hoc Analysis. The finding of the study revealed that the attitudinal scale is reliable and valid, and there was a significant difference in the ratings of University Lecturers from different faculties on the attitudinal scale. It was concluded that the 16-items on attitudinal scale developed in this study is reliable and valid and can therefore be used to adequately measure lecturers’ attitude towards teaching profession. Based on the findings of this study, it was therefore recommended that lecturers should develop positive attitude towards teaching profession so as to enhance teaching quality, they should also develop positive view of teaching profession in other to have superiority complex. Lecturers in other faculties who do not have their background in faculty Education should enroll for post graduate diploma in Education
Keywords: Development, Measurement, attitude, rating scale, teaching profession
