Category Archives: Education

IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON TEACHERS’ PRODUCTIVITY

IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON TEACHERS’ PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZARIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study explored the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State, Nigeria. This study was set out to find out the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; determine the impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; find out the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and examine the impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. These objectives were transcribed into four research questions and four hypotheses respectively. The study employed the use of survey research design. The target population of the study was made up of 46 principals, 1183 teachers and 12 education officials from Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State. A sample size of 9 principals, 237 teachers and 2 education officials, totalling 248 respondents were used in the study. The study sample size represented 20% of the entire population drawn using random sampling technique. The instrument titled “motivation and teachers’ productivity questionnaire (MTPQ)” was used for data collection in the study. The instrument was pilot tested and reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. The data collected in study was analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study showed that regular payment of salary results in high teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; Sponsorship to undertake in-service training improve teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; promotion influences teachers’ attitude towards productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and conducive working environment go a long way to enhance teachers’ optimum productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Kaduna State Government should always try as much as possible to pay teachers’ salaries promptly and regularly. There should be regular training of teachers through workshops and refresher courses to motivate them for higher productivity.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Education is one of the vital tools for emancipating mankind, such that each society puts a lot of capital on it to ensure that the entire generation acquires the necessary skills, knowledge and the desired attitudes critical for future survival. However, owing to its value, the extent to which education is measured greatly anchors on examination scores, yet academic achievement also corresponds to teachers’ productivity. To be able to give excellent services, it is most important that teacher feel good about themselves and their jobs. In essence, motivation, commitment and engagement levels are key system for what teachers do and can motivate them to be productive as well. Motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. Motivating other people is about getting them to move in a certain direction in order to achieve a desired result (Sanusi, 2015).

Teacher motivation has become an important issue given their responsibility to impart knowledge and skills to learners. It is argued that well motivated teachers are generally more productive and can influence students’ achievement (Mertler, 1992). Motivation guide teachers’ actions and behaviours toward achievement of goals (Analoui, 2000). In work and other contexts therefore, motivation is often described as being intrinsic or extrinsic in nature (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 2000). Intrinsic motivation, deriving from within the person or from the activity itself, positively affects behaviour, performance, and well being (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, results from the attainment of externally administered rewards, including pay, material possessions, prestige, and positive evaluations among others. In contrast to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation is said to exist when behaviour is performed for its own sake rather than to obtain material or social reinforcers.

Teachers’ productivity is a concern of everybody in the society. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines productivity as ―the act or process of carrying out something or execution of an action or a repetitive act or fulfilment or implementation (Hornby, 2000). In this respect, teacher productivity connotes the teachers’ role of teaching students in class and outside the class. The key aspects of teaching involve production and use of instructional materials, teaching methods, regular assessment of students, making lesson plans, assessment of students, conduct of fieldwork, teachers’ participation in sports, attending school assembly and guidance and counselling. Therefore, teachers’ productivity is the teacher’s ability to integrate the experience, teaching methods, instructional materials, knowledge and skills in delivering subject matter to students in and outside the classroom. Teacher productivity in this study was measured by regular and early reporting at school, participation in extra-curricular activities, supervision of school activities, adequate teaching preparation (schemes of work, lesson plans), marking and general punctuality among others.

Regular payment of teacher’s salary is usually in the form of reward, bonuses, profit sharing plans, and pension plans. A lot has been said about the teachers remuneration which includes prompt payments of salaries, compensation and fringe payments, etcetera in a country like Nigeria, where the psychological needs, that is the lowest order of human needs according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are yet to be fulfilled. It is not surprising that so much importance is attached to pay rise, and benefits that will satisfy these basic needs. That is the reason why money is still the best motivator in the society (Oduwaiye, 2005). Closely connected with pay and fringe benefits is the status and prestige of teachers. Teachers in Nigeria suffer from low esteem as evidence in the low status and prestige according to them in the society. In the society where money is the only answer, which teachers do not have, they are not socially recognized and therefore recognized as their low esteem. As long as the public image is uncomplimentary and the teachers status in the society still does not match with its counterparts in other professions like medicine, law and banking are not likely to achieve the highest productive level (Oduwaiye, 2005).

Human capital investment plays significant role in addressing teachers’ productivity gaps. Reporting from a study carried out in Singapore on the influence of in-service training on employee production in state owned schools, Domack (2012) noted that the most crucial resource for organization is human capital, development through continuous training. It is advised that regular training should be encouraged to renew the employees’ vigour in undertaking tasks effectively, as this motivates individual workers to get committed to the ideals of the organization. From the works of Damian (2012) focusing on factors influencing teachers’ work performance in public institutions in the central Sangwang-China, it was discovered that teachers tend to perform well when provided with conducive working environment. The researcher also noted that the working environment, not necessarily high pay, if properly improved to satisfaction of a worker, one gets motivated and the production is high.

Promotion also motivates teachers when it is granted at certain appropriate intervals in the teaching service, as none would be happy when they are static in a system. Promotion is believed to assume many dimensions, ranging from salary up grading, attaining a higher job group or simply moved to a higher institutional administrative hierarchy (Adagala, 2011). Reporting from a study done in the public secondary schools focusing on factors influencing teachers’ job performance in the rural Obigala Village in Nigeria, Emenike (2011) observed that teachers who obtained regular promotions were more motivated to increase their levels of work performance than those who were static on their grades. Although detailed studies examining the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity are still scanty. Hence, this study examined the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The indispensable and noble profession of teaching is confronted with the problem of poor morale, low and late payment of salary, infrastructural deficit (like well-equipped laboratories, libraries etc.), incommensurate reward for the extent of work, low budget or funding of school operations, constant agitation for salary increase, incentives, and better working conditions. Therefore, this leads to poor planning and disillusionment of teachers. Also, it further translates into inefficient professional conducts and students’ underachievement in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

Optimum productivity is the desire of government and education stakeholders, but motivating teachers who are regarded as one of the ingredients to achieve greater productivity in school is usually not given the necessary attention. Many reasons are cited for this insensitive attitude of employers. For example, some management think it is a complete waste of financial resource to sponsor teachers on in-service training. Others too are of the view that it is an additional cost of production to grant promotion at certain appropriate intervals in the teaching service. To some, the right strategy to adopt in ensuring conducive working environment and prompt payment of salary is not known. This and many more are the reasons for problems associated with motivation.

Seminars, conferences and workshops to improve on teachers’ productivity have been held yet there has been deteriorating standards of professional conduct, including serious misbehaviour (in and outside of work), poor preparation of teaching materials especially lesson notes, lack of continuous student assessment and general poor professional performance. Teacher absenteeism is unacceptably high and rising, time on task is low and falling, and teaching practices are characterized by limited effort with heavy reliance on traditional teacher-centred practices. It is such a situation that prompted the researcher to conduct a study to establish how regular payment of salary, in-service training, conducive working environment and promotion would lead to an optimized teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

This study was set out to:

  1. find out the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State;
  2. determine the impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State;
  3. find out the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State; and
  4. examine the impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions were answered in the study:

  1. What is the impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  2. What impact does in-service training have on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  3. What is the impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?
  4. What impact does conducive working environment have on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H01:     There is no significant impact of regular payment of salary on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H02:     There is no significant impact of in-service training on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H03:     There is no significant impact of promotion on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

H04:     There is no significant impact of conducive working environment on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.6     Basic Assumptions

The study was based on the assumptions that:

  1. Regular payment of salary will lead to increase teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  2. In-service training impact on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  3. When teachers are promoted will lead to increase productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.
  4. Conducive working environment impact on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

1.7     Significance of the Study

Findings of this study will be of significance to the principals, curriculum planners, educators, government teachers, students, school administrators and the society at large. The study is of importance to the principals, policy makers and school administrators as it identifies major strategies to modify the behaviour of teaching staff towards their job performance. It has in particular identified strategies that will help to improve teacher morale and working conditions, at the same time counteract the factors that lower the teachers’ motivation.

The finding of the study will immensely help the teachers to be committed to their jobs thereby accomplishing their professional responsibilities. The findings of this study will also encourage the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State to enter into dialogue with the state government in order to negotiate better pay package and other incentives. Also, curriculum planners, educators, and the government would use the results of this study to improve secondary school system.

It would also bring to light the benefits one can derive from motivating employees to increase productivity. Additionally, it would educate employers on matters of how to understand human nature and to help obtain some information with regard to managing negative attitudes towards motivation for greater productivity. On the academic front, results from the study would add up to the exiting literature on employee motivation especially that regarding teachers.

The study is significance as it would enable the Zaria Education Authority and other education stakeholders use the outcome of this study for planning and evaluating impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity. Other researchers can also use the outcome for further studies and investigations. It is hoped that the findings arising from this study if successfully implemented would lead to increase in motivation and improve the level of teacher productivity. This will also translate to enhanced school/academic performance within Zaria Local Government and Kaduna State in general.

1.8     Scope of the Study

The study explored the impact of motivation on teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. The study sought the opinions of principals, teachers and education officials to ascertain whether regular payment of salary, in-service training, conducive working environment and promotion would lead to an optimized teachers’ productivity in public secondary schools in Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State. Respondents will be drawn randomly from the secondary schools within Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State.

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STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TEACHERS JOB PERFORMANCE

INFLUENCE OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON TEACHERS JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the Influence of Staff Development on Teachers Job Performance in Secondary Schools in Kaduna Metropolis Nigeria. Six (6) research questions and six hypotheses that were formulated guided the study. Related literature to the study were reviewed. The population of the study consisted of 216 class teachers, 80 principals and 60 supervisors from 227 secondary schools in Kaduna Metropolis Nigeria. The sampling techniques used was random sampling method. The instrument utilized was questionnaire coded “The Influence of Staff Development on Teachers Job Performance in secondary schools in Kaduna Metropolis. 356 copies of questionnaire was administered and 200 copies were successfully retrieved. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that teachers who participated in staff development programmes were more effective in their job performance than those who did not; in terms of knowledge of subject matter. Classroom management teaching methods and evaluation of students work. It was recommended amongst others that the Ministry of Education and State Secondary Education Board in Kaduna state should on a regular basis organize training programmes for teachers and such programmes should relate to subject contents, use of teaching aids, lesson preparation and classroom management.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Teachers in Africa had virtues and lived exemplary behaviour. Teachers training was selective, rigorous and tedious, individuals who went through teacher training institution were themselves tough. With the spread of conventional types of secondary schools, the teachers training institutions ceased to attract the more able students and in some cases the curricula were watered down the types of teachers changed in a negative direction and so did than status and societal respect for the teaching profession. During the colonial period, more schools were established, literacy campaigns increased, but education in Africa has not progressed due to decline in teaching standards hence the need for improvement. The need for improvement also affected the teachers (Obanya, 1995-6). To achieve this, teachers must be fully equipped with knowledgeable ideas and skills. Institutions of learning in Nigeria are categorized as Government founded institutions, Government grants helps in the funding of educational institutions that include profit and nonprofit making.

In all this categories of schools, government is mandated to ensure that there are qualified teachers and compliance to the rules and regulations that govern the education system.

Teachers professional training in Nigeria is largely imparted during pre-services training in training institutions for three years to earn Nigerian  Certificate in Education (NCE) level and four years at degree level specialized in a given subject area.

Lawal (2004) stated that teachers education  as well as development program for teachers are important aspects of education processes that deal with the act of acquiring skills in teaching profession, they are essential exercises that enhance subject mastery, teaching methodology and classroom management. Aswathappa (2002) in his opinion says that successful candidates placed on the jobs need training to perform their duties effectively; they need to be developed in order to enable them to grow and acquired maturity of thought and action. He further suggested that training and development programmes must contain inputs that enable the participants to gain skills learn theoretical concepts and acquired vision to look into the distance future. In addition to this he said that such programmes should impact ethical orientation emphases on attitudinal changes, stress upon decision-making and problem solving abilities.

Archibong (2002) believed that training and development refers to the imparting of specific skills, abilities and knowledge to an employee and should therefore constitute an ongoing process in any organization

Mgberkem (2004) stated that staff development programmer which he otherwise refers to as in service training or on the job training, implies a re-training given to an employee after he/she has been employed and deployed to work and has put up a number of weeks, months or years working. He added that in-service education also includes weekend courses, departmental interaction, committee findings and exchange of views on crucial educational issues. Eden (2003) stated that staff development does not only refer to teachers “in-service training, it also embodies a lot of other learning/training opportunities such as workshops, seminars, conferences, demonstration lessons, exchange visits and supervision by schooling heads.

Chukwurah (2004) added by saying that staff development also embodies short-term refresher courses, long-term refresher courses, part-time courses, distant learning in-house training and holiday sandwich programs                                                                                              

Mbipom (2000) said that staff development focuses on professional growth, therefore, the principals major function is that of facilitating maximum teacher participation in self-development and in-service educational programmes, sergrovanni and Elliot (2000) stated that staff development programmes for teachers are programmes design to help teachers to increase their capacity for knowing more about their work and to be able to use this know-how so that they can perform without direct supervision. Every successful teacher placed on the job therefore, needs to be trained and refreshed with new teaching skills, methods, techniques and professional abilities for managing classroom instruction and producing highly motivated, sensitive, conscientious and successful youths who will leave the secondary school with better educational achievement for higher education.

Moreover, in this age of information technology and usage of computer in all facet of life endeavor, the secondary school staff need development programmes to makes them aware of the usefulness of information technology in education and to be conversant with modern methods of teaching, new techniques of assessment and evaluation of students, classroom organization and management, lesson planning and presentation, co-curricular activities, preparation and utilization of instructional materials, students disciplinary actions among others.

A wide variety of re-training and development strategies are available. Griffin (1990) enumerated these strategies to include behavior modeling method, in-house talent training, and conference. Lectures,  in-service or on-the-job training, programmed instruction, interactive video (newly emerging technique using computers and video technology) workshop, seminar, vestibule training, role playing and case discussion. Aswathappa (2002) said that a multitude of methods of training are used for retraining and development and he categorized them as on-the-job and off-the-job methods. He referred to on-the-job methods as methods that are applied in the workplace while the employee is actually working; off-in-the-job methods as methods that are used away from workplace. On the-job methods according to him include orientation training, job-institution training, job rotation coaching, internship and assistantships off the job methods include vestibule, lecture, special study, films, television, conference, case-study, role-playing simulative programmed instruction seminar and workshops.

Ekanem (2005) in her study found out that secondary school teachers produced from our colleges and universities are not properly equipped for the effective implementation of the secondary school programmes. The ill-equipped teachers according to her, find it difficult to perform creditable in the classroom, they cannot defend what they claim to know and may from time to time face disgraceful situation when faced with challenges. To take care of these  inadequacies. The National Policy on Education (2004) pointed out that teachers education will continue to take cognizance of changes in methodology and in curriculum that no matter the efficiency of the pre-service training given to teachers, there will necessarily be areas of inadequacies; in-services education of teachers will therefore continue to fill those gaps.

 The role of teachers, which range from co-curricular responsibilities to instructional, counseling, administrative supervisory and curriculum development responsibilities as well as their roles as psychologist, sociologists, social workers, baby-sitters, coaches, club advisers, guardians, mother and fathers to the children left in their care for about eight hours a day, a teacher training programme in which an initial teacher training is intimately and permanently linked with regular development programmes is advocated by some educationist. For instance, Chukwurah (2004) suggested that in-service education for teachers is essential because pre-service education is inadequate for the making of a complete and fully effective teacher as well as for continued success in teaching.  Fullan (1991) explained that staff development continue to be a critical element that contributes to teacher effectiveness and improvement. Chukwurah (2004) said that education is a life-long process; no formal training in any teacher training  institution  can  fully prepare a person for professional services. This means that, the much pre-service training can do for any teacher is to expose him to existing knowledge as he progresses in his profession. Where such a desire is found wanting according to him, a teacher’s knowledge begins to stagnate and sometimes becomes outdated, his performance becomes in effective and sometimes may endanger his position too, hence Guskay (1985) stated that staff development approaches, given time and support for full implementation can and do have direct, dramatic impact on teacher’s performance.

According to public service, training policy the objective of staff development in public service is to develop a sense of service to the public among public officers and fosters a sense of team spirit cooperation. As per mops standing orders chapter 1 j-3 1991:511, Government pursues a policy of ensuring that staff development is provided in a systematic manner for all levels of staff through training programmes based on identified needs. According to chapter 4 of standing order 1991:875 training of teachers follows procedures spelt out in chapter one section J and should attend induction and at least one performance improvement/skill enhancement course in every three years. However, this is not done as stipulated and in some cases, training is occasional. The scheme of service for teachers in Nigeria stipulated the training, and retraining requirements of teachers, their career path, professional development and job description. Teachers are expected to undergo mandatory induction, short and long term training course in specific courses and other professional development activities (Esc 2008.2). Some schools in Kaduna metropolis have experienced improvement in their performance in respect to quality of doing tasks arising out of training.

Good performing schools have motivated their employees in one way or another to enhance their performance through duty assignments on rotational basis, empowerment and training others have not done any of the above. When employees are trained and developed they feel you value them as part of the organization and in return to investment in training, this improve their commitment leading to improved performance at times. While defining work behavior Bruce and Pepitone (1999) argue that work behavior consists of the drive that moves us to do what to do. Armstrong (1998) argues that work behaviour is two prolonged i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic much as intrinsic work behavior is inside us, extrinsic constitutes factors outside us. Many factors motivate staff including pay increase, rewards, promotions etc. but training of employees play a big role in capturing the commitment of workers. Work behaviour is a  concept that has been studies extensively but not much has been done in relation to training among secondary school teachers.

Work behaviour can be affected by training in various professions. The problem within teaching profession as noted   by (Coombe 1970) is that on like those in legal, financial or medical careers, teachers do not often assess skills development opportunities of their choice, they are at the mercy of bureaucracies which they perceive to be irrational, unpredictable and unresponsive. (Coombe 1997:113) teachers hence feel themselves disempowered by their system and often by their own principals. They lack professional autonomy, pride, dignity and self-esteem. These affect the way they relate to work and each at work. Teachers need recognition of teachers roles, be sustained in it and this can be achieved through staff training especially school based staff development to produce regular properly planned professional support for teachers

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The abisma poor performance of secondary school students in Kaduna state in public examination in recent times has been a matter of concern to educational stakeholders in the state. It appears as if teachers have not avail themselves the usefulness of information technology in education and conversant with modern methods of teaching new techniques of assessment and evaluation of students ,classroom organization and management, lesson planning and presentation, preparation  and utilization of instructional materials.  Inspite the claim by present and successive civilian administration have been budgeting a substantial amount of their yearly budget on education for teachers development. Therefore theirs need to examine the influence of staff development programme on teachers job performance in Kaduna metropolis as the outcome will be of guide to policy makers and educational managers. 

Kaduna state Education Board has on its staff list both professional and non-professional teachers. Most of the professional teachers have not received any form of in-service training after their pre-service training to update their skills and knowledge in a fast changing and technological driven world. Neither do the non-professional teachers, most of whom are not well versed in the art of imparting knowledge and are often found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

Education Administrators and school heads rarely organize in service training conference, seminars, refreshers courses for secondary school teachers to improve themselves in spite of their critical role in bringing about teachers effectiveness. Most teachers who undergo post qualification training do so on their own staff development programme are meant to help employees to increase their knowledge and perform their role effectively. Since the quality of any educational system depends to a great extent on its teachers, it imperative their provision are made for staff development programme for teachers to develop themselves. Given to the new educational challenges, there is a growing concern that the preparations of teachers need to be enhanced for them to be fully effective in the discharge of their duties. The problem of this study is to examine if teachers participation in staff development programmes relate to their job performance as the outcome would be of guide to educational planners and managers.

1.3     Research Questions

The following questions guided the study

  1. What are the impacts of staff development programmes on the performance of the teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?
  2. To what extent do the conferences influence job performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?
  3. To what extent do symposia influence job  performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?
  4. To what extent do seminar influence job performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?
  5. To what extent do workshop influence job performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?
  6. To what extent do mentoring influence job performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis?

1.4     Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses formulated and tested with t-test inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance guided the study.

H01:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teacher’s principals and supervisors on the influence of staff development on teacher’s job performance in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

H02:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teacher’s principals and supervisors on the impact of on job performance of teacher in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

H03:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teacher’s principals and supervisors in the impact of symposium on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

H04:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teachers principals and supervisors on the impact of seminar programmes on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

H05:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teachers’ principals and supervisors on the impact of workshop training in the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

H06:     There is no significant difference in the opinions of teachers principals and supervisors on the impact of mentoring on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis

1.5     Purpose of the Study

The study is set to achieve the following purposes:

  1. To determine the impact of in-service training on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.
  2. To examine the impact of conferences on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.
  3. To ascertain the impact of seminar on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.
  4. To assess the impact of symposia on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.
  5. To find out the impact of workshop on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.
  6. To determine the impact of mentoring on the performance of teachers in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

1.6     Significance of the Study

Based on the findings of the study, l believe that the results obtained can be used to guide management in handling information in the secondary sector of education to streamline and improve training procedures, policy formulation and implementation to appeal for support and lobbying by various stake holders to empower teachers in numerous under taking that affect their performance.

According to the conceptual framework, l expect students to benefit because if teacher get skills for bridging the performance gaps, they will be readily available to assist student in both academy and personal matters, which increases students’ performance and the teachers benefit from improvements of training because they may readily participate in decision making. Through this research, civic society buildings knowledge programmes can benefit from the pool of management knowledge and research to analyze the problems and identify practical solutions for performance improvement that can be achieved through empowerment of teachers lobbying and support in decision-making processes.

In respect to the study, the findings are useful to academicians by providing a basis of conducting further research and contributing to the body of knowledge. The finding of the study may create awareness the stakeholders   them to understand the merit and the short comings of the adequacies in the prevailing policies in respect to teachers training so that they can provide necessary assistance. I hope that the study might create public concern about teachers so that Government and non-Governmental organizational, and individuals who work for the promotion of appropriate policies can address the problem basing their solutions on vivid, concrete and correct facts about the plight of secondary school teachers. I hope the study findings create more understanding and awareness to the researcher and all people about the training of teachers in secondary schools. The study gave an insight to the researcher on how teachers can be trained to cause performance improvement and generally draw attention to the weaknesses, opportunities and anomalies.

1.7     Scope and Delimitation of the Study.

The study was conducted in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis situated in the North Western part of Nigeria. The study mainly focuses on the influence of staff development on teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Kaduna metropolis with special attention on procedures for selecting staff development programmes, forms of staff development techniques used in secondary school, teacher attitude towards the staff development programme provided in secondary school, effect of the development programmes on teachers commitment to work and the problems managers find in the effect to train employees aiming at providing means of designing appropriate policies.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

  1. Teachers have variety of ideas, perceptions and background knowledge when referring to staff development. This prior knowledge may affect the participants view and respond to the questions in the interview.
  2. Teachers may fail to respond to the questions candidly for fear that their school systems might be portrayed in a negative manner. Effects will be made to ensure that individual responses will be kept confidential.
  3. The interview may have taken place during a time in the year when the teachers had prior professional duties that made the interviews on additional burden to them.
  4. The study is limited to secondary schools within Kaduna metropolis Nigeria and the data should not be generalized to other people.

1.9     Operational Definition of Terms.

Staff Development: Staff development of teachers is a process by which teachers review, renew and extend their commitment as change to the moral purposes of teaching; and by which they acquire basic knowledge, skills, planning and practice with children, young people and colleagues through each phase of their teaching lives. It is a  process involving the generation of ideas that may be applicable to teaching, trying out these ideas, discussing in collegial contexts the viability and implications of the ideas as they emerge as potential practice, and adopting new practices that emanate from the ideas.

Teacher defines a teacher as one who (especially with young ones) builds up, instructs, trains and guides them for healthy growth and stable adult life. The teacher is also seen as a coach, he is also some who instructs others or provides activities, material and guidance that facilitate learning in either or informal situation. His job is beyond molding young lives, guiding youth, motivating students and general character training.

Teachers’ Effectiveness: Teachers’ effectiveness can also be seen as a degree to which a teacher achieves the desired effects upon students.

 

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ROLES OF PTA IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

THE ROLES OF PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (PTA) IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UMUAHIA EDUCATION ZONE, ABIA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

The involvement of parents in the conflict resolution in secondary schools is a development that seems to challenge practitioners engaged in school reform despite being a required component of many school improvement initiatives. A growing body of research such as Charles and Senter (2004), Johnson and Duffet (2003) and Iqbal, Tatlar and Zafar (2011), show that successful parent involvement improves not only student behavior and attendance but also positively affects student achievement. Despite this important observation, many schools in most countries including Nigeria continue to struggle with defining and measuring meaningful parental involvement, and many do not feel that their efforts are successful.

The findings of a survey conducted in the United States of America revealed that approximately 20 percent of new teachers and nearly one fourth of principals identify their relationships with parents as a cause of significant stress in their jobs (MetLife, 2005). There is therefore need for parents to step in through the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), and forge a good relationship between teachers and students, as this will go a long way in enhancing discipline in the schools.

The Parents Teachers Association, like the name indicates, is an association, comprising Teachers and Parents. It is obvious from the name, that such an association is formed for the welfare of children/students in mind and the welfare of the school in general. National Congress of Parents and Teachers, also National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), a child and youth advocacy volunteer group, the largest of its type in the United States, founded in 1897 in Washington D.C. (Microsoft Encarta 2007).

Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) is a voluntary and welfare organization that brings together the major stakeholders in education, which are the parents, guardians and teachers of pupils in a particular school. They help in fund-raising, maaddintenance of discipline, seeing to the welfare of the school, and creating a bound between the school, the home, and the community, between the parents and the teachers and building parent involvement at school and other activities relating to the welfare of the school, rather than the progress of individual pupils. Eze, (2008) defined P.T.A as “a membership organization for parents of students/pupils and teachers of schools. The associations are groups made up of parents, teachers and sometimes others within the school community. They provide a range of opportunities for parents or care givers to be actively involved in supporting schools, for the overall benefits of their children. The importance of PTA cannot be over emphasized, especially now that it is clear that government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of providing qualitative education for every citizen.”

PTAs may have varying aims and objectives depending on the country where they operate, but there are some universal aims and objectives that seem to cut across all regions (Iqbal et al. 2011). They are charged with the responsibility of working for the well-being of every student of the institution, in the home and in the society. They can also enhance awareness and understanding of parents to the fact that they have a vital role to play in the provision of quality education. They encourage parents‟ involvement in improving the standard of the institutions. It is also their duty to create awareness among the people involved that optimum use should be made of the educational facilities being offered by the government. PTA also aims to motivate parents especially in the rural areas, to send their children to school. It is their responsibility to find ways and means to decrease students‟ dropout ratio and teacher absenteeism in the institutions. They can achieve all these by developing a congenial and harmonious relationship between parents and teachers avoiding bureaucratic rigidity on either side (Iqbal et al. 2011). The researcher sought to find out if the PTAs in Umuahia   were carrying out the above stated roles effectively, which can enhance discipline in the students and produce good results.

The Parents Teachers Association was set up, not to take over the running of schools from the principals, or school administrators, but to complement the efforts of government and school staff, for the well-being of everybody in the school environment. Government needs to step in and improve on the modalities for improving the participation of the PTA in the administration of schools.

Teachers need not feel that the PTA is taking over their jobs, school administrators should not feel that their jobs are being taken over by the PTA; the PTA would know their limits and not interfere but allow the experts to do their jobs. With proper intervention by the government, school authorities and staff would accept the PTA, and PTA’s, help would be better taken by them.

Government should also specify the role the PTA can play, in planning, organizing, decision making, motivating staffing, budgeting etc. bearing in mind some of the suggestions already made, like the 1976 edict of the then Abia State government, section 18 (6) which state as follows:

  1. To show such intimate interest in and concern for the affairs of the school as to ensure the achievement of high moral standards and academic excellence in co-operation with the Board of Governor or the school community as the case may be.
  2. To provide an effective link between the home and the school.
  3. To assist the Board of Governors or the school committee in ensuring cordial relationship between the school and the community.
  4. To give moral and financial support to the school.
  5. The Parents Teachers Association may make representation to the authorities in the interest of the welfare and progress of the school, its pupils/students or staff but shall not otherwise directly interfere with the day to day administration of the school.

From the above it would be seen that the role of the PTA in secondary school is much, but government must come out clearly to empower especially the PTA’s of government schools. PTA helps in disciplinary matters, such as conflict resolution and by helping the school decide what proper punishment to give to earring students, how best to motivate both staff and students, bridging the gap between the home and the school, support the school financially; This could be done by the PTA helping to equip the school, make some repairs, buy some infrastructural facilities needed.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The level of discipline maintained in secondary schools will largely depend on the willingness of the school principal to enlist support from PTA members in conflict resolution (Kiumi, Bosire and Sang, 2009). In spite of existence of PTA in all public secondary schools in Umuahia Education Zone, the high prevalence of conflict and indiscipline cases among students connotes a serious disconnect between parents, teachers and students.

In teaching and learning process, individuals interact in order to realize educational objectives within schools, as such; there are various reasons for conflicts to occur within the schools. For example, a study by Msila (2012) on conflict management and leadership stated that majority of schools leaders lack understanding of their leadership roles. However, a study in Malaysia by Salleh (2013) identified insufficient resource such as finances and lack of facilities as well as heavy workload and dissatisfaction with management as some of the sources of conflicts.

Similarly, a study by Uchendu et al. (2013) conducted in Nigeria cited sources of conflicts as; inadequate facilities and funding, conflicts among staff members, conflict among students, personality factors, and role conflicts. Besides, the researchers also argued that highly ‘connected’ teachers break school rules and regulations and absent themselves from school which makes school management a problem for leaders.

The role of PTA in conflict resolution is therefore central to effective and efficient organization of school management (Ramani & Zhimin, 2010). Since conflict is natural in any organization, the resolution must rationally deal with it so as to create ways which maximize its benefits and minimize its dysfunctional consequences. To be able to develop a workable approach to conflict management, understanding the root causes of conflicts is therefore critical. This study was therefore designed to identify the role of PTA in conflict resolution in secondary schools, and to determine which strategies are used to manage and resolve such conflicts.

Conversely, the delayed attempt to remedy the situation has tremendously lowered quality and standards of education in Nigeria (DEO, 2013). This study has set out to ascertain the roles of Teachers Association (P.T.A) in conflict resolution in secondary schools.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to the roles of Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A) in conflict resolution in secondary schools in Umuahia Education Zone, Abia state.

Specifically ascertains:-

  1. The role PTA can play to help resolve conflicts in secondary schools
  2. The PTA activities used in enhancing discipline effective;
  3. How to improve the relationship between the school and the PTA;
  4. How to improve PTA participation in providing infrastructures and equipment in secondary schools.

1.4     Research Questions

  1. What role does PTA play to help resolve conflicts in secondary schools?
  2. What extent are the PTA activities used in enhancing discipline effective?
  3. How can the relationship between the school and the PTA be improved?
  4. How can PTA participation in providing infrastructures and equipment in secondary schools be improved?

1.5     Scope of the Study

The Zone is made up of four local government areas with 53 public junior and senior secondary schools. The content area focuses on the role of PTA members in conflict resolution in secondary schools.

1.6     Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is classified under two groups, the theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical significance of this study is based on the system theory, while the practical significance is based on the direct beneficiaries which includes among others; the school principals, administrators, teachers and parents. It will also enable the stakeholders in education to appreciate the roles of the PTA in conflict resolution in secondary schools.

From the findings also, the importance of involving the PTA in the administration of secondary schools will be appreciated. The study might initiate more studies in different areas, on the role of the Parents Teachers Association in schools.

 

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PEER GROUPS AND STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE

THE INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUPS ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS OF KADUNA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE

ABSTRACT

The study was investigated the influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary schools of Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna state. Two research questions, two objective and two null hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study is descriptive survey, while the sample size of the study was 60 Senior Secondary Mathematics Students used in the Study were Randomly selected, while a Researcher self-developed 15-items, was used to get information from the respondents. Pilot study was conducted and split-half was used to obtain reliability coefficient of 0.69. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significant influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school in Kaduna metropolis. On the bases of figures, the researcher recommended that Students should effectively equip themselves with knowledge and technique of promoting performance in mathematics, in the secondary school student’s discussion with their peers to improve teaching and learning of mathematics.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Mathematics is a universal subject. The knowledge of it is not only necessary for successful schooling but also unavailable for human survival in everyday life. There is hardly any field of study where mathematics is not useful. The farmers, carpenters, hunters, house wives and so on. They make use of it even though they may not be aware. The importance of mathematics in it ramification cannot be overemphasized in our present scientific and technological age.

Chambers (2004) defined mathematics as an organized body of knowledge, abstract system of ideas, a useful tool a key to understanding the world, a way of thinking a deductive system and intellectual challenge, a language, an aesthetic experiences s creation of the human mind where the ability of suspect is only minor aspect. Mathematics is an essential tool for various purpose of life. Although we may not always be aware of it, we make so use of mathematics in our everyday life. In education mathematics plays an important role. It is the study of numbers, and the relationship between numbers, and various operations performed on them. It is the science of quantity, size and shape. It is also a way to communicate and analyze ideas, a tool for organizing and interpreting data and above all perhaps a method of logical reasoning unique to man.

Markarfin (2001) stated that mathematics is universal not only in the way it influence the basic sciences, applied science, engineering and technology but also, its influence on day to day activity. Odgwu (2002) explained that in recognition of usefulness of mathematics the Federal Government of Nigeria in her National Policy on Education (F R N, 2014), made mathematics a core subject to be offered at both the primary and secondary school levels of education. Peters (2001) submitted that mathematics remain the pivot on which any true science cannot succeed without going through mathematics demonstration. Aremu (1998) opine that the importance of mathematics as a necessary tool needed for the realization of national goals and objectives of our secondary school.

The success and failure of student’s performance in our secondary schools are determined by students’ interest in mathematics. Peer group are among the most influential social forces affecting adolescent behavior mundane decisions concerning clothing, hairstyle, music and entertainment to more significant decision concerning short and long-term education plans. During the formative adolescent years, peers are arguable even more important than parents, teachers, counselors and the peer influence of youth cam have long lasting consequences (Coleman, 1966). Parents recognize the importance of peer group and through their choice neighborhoods, schools and activities (Lareu et-al, 2003). Attempt to guide and direct their children’s friendship selection, in schools which can be increasingly challenging during adolescent. Peer group has always been menace in our societies, social relations and students’ performance.

Menheim (1998) claims that students throughout their school career will be grouped with their contemporaries to they will become accustomed to having the limitations and additions of each age group intensified. Taiwo (2004) wrote that the peer group outsides the home from which does not always conform with adult standard a and each child strive to abide with the ethics of the group they takes members with because rejection by the group may have negative effect on the learning of the child.

Regardless of socioeconomic status, parents wants their children’s to be surrounded by the best possible social networks, especially during adolescent period when youth are increasingly independent from parents. During these formative years evolutional goals take form, and youth make a series of decisions that shapes their educational trajectories even as their friendship network gain influence upon these decisions unfortunately the peer effects literature is lacking in two main areas. The first is that peer effect are assumed to be uniform across class, gender, race and ethnicity  is especially like to be important because adolescents are more likely to choose friends of the same racial and ethnic group (Hamm, Brown & Heck, 2005); Introducing t5the possibility that peers have differing effects by race and ethnicity. The second problem is that few studies focus on academic decisions that are directly influenced by friends, such as course or track selection and college choices, instead most studies of peer group effect focus on educational out comes that are indirectly influenced by friends, such as early cognitive development,  grades promotion and most commonly test scores ( Zimmerman, 2003). Hanushek (2003) have pointed out that if innovations to behavior form an important avenue through which peers effects outcomes, in mathematics the in ability to capture such behavior might lead to a serious underestimation of peer influences. Thus, behavior decisions may lie at the intersection between peers and performance effectively acting as a mediator through which the influence of peer passes prior to shaping students’ performance in mathematics.

The research intend to find out the level of students performance in mathematics and the problem associated with the performance of the subject as a result of peer group interaction as well as solution to the problem in the study area and even beyond are to be highlighted. There are many factors affecting performance in mathematics, peer group influence is one of the major factor especially in physical science, particularly mathematics which is consider as the mother of natural and applied science as well as technology( Morrish, 2001).

The peer group to examine here are between the ages of (15-20) years which are senior secondary school students. According to F R N, (2014) the system of education should be 9,3,4 system, which means 9 year for basic education and 3 year for senior secondary school and 4 year for higher education. In this study the researcher focus on senior secondary school students only.

Influence of peer group is strong during adolescent stage of child development as such parents are concern about the attitude and behavior of their children most especially during this time. Children behavior and attitude are change by the influence of their group especially when they reach the age of puberty children who had entered adolescent were most likely to respect what they are willing to follow within their peers on all matters whether positive or negative depending on the group interest. Also Cole (1991) made similar observations that “peer relation has an important in social development of adolescent and effect which can be positive or negative depending on the group norm and value”.

Peer group attitude have propounded influence of performance toward many values for example education in general and mathematics in particular, peer group plays a vital role in the performance of students in school, also it can be motivating factor for learning.

This study would focus its attention in finding out whether peers could affect the performance of senior secondary school mathematics students, because school are motivational influence, for example when students sense of belonging they may likely to adopt goals valued  by the schools likewise if students feel disconnected from the school they like to reject school goals. The teachers and adults can promote positive peer culture through increase awareness of adolescent social system enhance the status of peer performance in mathematics and avoid making performance in game of winners and losers.

Against this background the study is set to examine the influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school of Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The low academic performance in school has brought the need to investigate the factors influencing learning. The peer group influence is one of the factors causing low academic performance. There is need to look into peer group relationship and individual approach to learning, membership of the peer group they belong and find out how factors such as sex, age, social status or ethnicity determine their membership in a group.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to;

  1. Examine the concept and nature of peer group
  2. Find out the influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school in Kaduna metropolis.
  3. Determine the influence of peer group on male and female student’s performance in mathematics in secondary school of Kaduna metropolis.
  4. To investigate the effects of attitude of students towards mathematics
  5. To find out how teaching techniques and instructional materials would improve the lukewarm attitudes of students towards mathematics.
  6. Assess the impact of socio-economic background of students towards mathematics(Environmental factors)

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

  1. What is the influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school in Kaduna metropolis?
  2. Is there any difference in the academic performance of male and female students in mathematics in senior secondary school of Kaduna metropolis due to peer group influence?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses would be tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H01.  There is no significant influence of peer group on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school in Kaduna metropolis.

H02. There is no significant influence of peer group on male and female student’s performance in mathematics in senior secondary school of Kaduna metropolis.

1.6     Significance of the Study

The study would be of great benefits and importance not only to the schools under study but would be a great benefit to curriculum planner’s, school administrators as well as classroom teachers and implementers of educational policies.

However, the findings of this research project will be beneficial to mathematics teachers in dealing with peer groups and how to improve their academic performance meet up with their regular counterpart. Likewise parents will take advantage of the ways of encouraging their children before and during academic pursuits.

1.7     Basic Assumption of the Study

The basic assumptions of this study are as follows;

  1. Peer group influences on academic performance of mathematics students in senior secondary school in Kaduna metropolis.
  2. Male and female students’ performance in mathematics in senior secondary school of Kaduna metropolis due to peer group influence.

1.8     Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This research work is strictly delimited to Chukun local government of Kaduna state. The researcher restricted the work to SS II students because they are neither beginners nor final year students. The research data collection, findings and conclusions are within some selected secondary schools located in Kaduna metropolis. The researcher used SET as content to be used which include definition of set, types of set, notation of set and relation of set.

1.9     Operational Definition of Terms

In the course of study, some terms were used in special way. The terms are as follows;

Academic Performance: This is the level of achievement attained through effort or skills during the learning processes (theoretical and practical) and has effect on standard of education.

Influence: These are the problems which hinder the effective teaching and learning of mathematics.

Peer Group: This is the association of close friends of the same sex which are bound together by common emotional attachment and have complex social system of which they possess certain code of conduct such as dressing code.

Peer: Students of same age status in senior secondary schools of Kaduna metropolis.

 

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PERFORMANCE OF BOARDING AND DAY STUDENTS

AN ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BOARDING AND DAY STUDENTS IN BENIN METROPOLIS OF NIGERIA IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the academic performance of boarders and day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to undertake analysis of academic performance of boarding and day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria: implications for counselling specifically the study sought to investigate whether academic performance is higher among boarders than day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria, investigate sex difference in performance of both boarding and day students. Investigate whether male boarding differs from male day student in academic performance and in addition the study sought to investigate whether female boarding differ from female day students in academic performance. The study employed the descriptive research design. Thus 530 boarding 850 day students in Benin Metropolis of Nigeria and 274 were randomly sampled from a population 1380. To guide the study seven research questions and five hypotheses were raised and formulated respectively. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistic which involved mean, frequencies, t-test and simple percentage. The analysis yielded the following findings among others: that boarding students perform better in English language and mathematics than day; and male day students perform better than female day students in mathematics. However, there is no significant different in performance in English language between male and female day students; and female boarding performed better than their males counterparts in both English language and mathematics; male students in boarding schools performed better in both English language and mathematics than males day students., and female students in boarding schools performed significantly better in both English language and mathematics than their female day students. These findings were discussed and it was recommended among others, that all relevant stakeholders – parents, teachers, government and school counsellors should take special interest in encourage boarding school for both sexes; that there should adequate parental involvement in the academic activities of day students by ensuring proper study reading pattern in the children and equally monitor their activities and the kind of friends they keep. Boarding school is recommended to parents who can afford it. The school counsellors should try to focus more on day students by way of strengthening the academic activities.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTON

Background to the Study

No nation can develop despite of its natural endowment if such nation does not take seriously human capital development which could be derived through sound academic foundation that is tailored towards performance in the secondary schools. The Nigerian society places great emphasis on education because it is believed to be the only avenue for national development. However, this can only be achieved if students who are in boarding and day schools in the citadel of learning get actively involved in academic activities which will enhance their academic performance. This will, in turn, lead to the technological advancement of the nation.

In many countries of the world education is viewed as a good investment for national development. Education in Nigeria is an instrument ‘’per excellence’’ for effecting national development, which is highly valued because it is a system  expected to produce qualitative and quantitative human resource, required for any nation’s economic growth by using the right mix of input Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN,2004).  On the strength of the above new research which proves that contemporary boarding schools serve a diverse body of motivated and well-rounded students who study and live in supportive, inclusive academic communities where they learn about independence, responsibility and traditional values that help them achieve success at higher rates than private and public day schools students in the classroom and beyond.

Boarding schools generally have small class sizes that help teachers engage every student in the classroom, whose settings are often specifically designed to encourage student participation and eye contact among everyone in class. Desarrollo (2007) Boarding Schools promote socialisation and mainstreaming of poor minority children, as children from remote and rural areas or of ethnic and linguistic minorities can be introduced to new ways of living, routines, responsibilities, technologies, teachers and fellow students from outside their community.

Boarding schools are self-contained communities. Students and faculty eat together. They share relaxing times watching TV and playing games together. This is because teachers and staff in a boarding school function in place of parents. They take the place of parents literally and figuratively. They play a powerful role in shaping and guiding their young charges while they are at school. Because the students are not allowed to go home at the end of classes, they cannot avoid the strong influence teachers have on them. This is a major reason many parents send their sons and daughters off to boarding school.

In a boarding school students can develop skills that can serve them to live in a broader community.    Learning and living together with other students, boarding offer students a good opportunity to help each other with their studies during and after school hours; cooperate and respect other people’s habits and values; develop social and communication skills through interaction with other students and staff.  

UNESCO (2010) opted that Boarding schools provide a centralized location for learning and living that can be an effective link between the remote communities of origin and the larger society.  Most of the boarding students read regularly because they have scheduled time for reading in their curriculum, they sometimes use library and library books.  Independence, self-confidence and responsibility, are the characteristics of persons who have been to a boarding school, as they rely less on their parents.  

Boarding schools offer structure and discipline; as they are obligated to study according to a structured program during and after school hours; learn to respect rules, conduct duties on time, go to bed on time and rise up early.  Lack of discipline and lateness to school is also a negative characteristic of day-school, as students and teachers have less regards for rules and are less responsible, as they are more irregular and less punctual at school.

 Overcrowding in dormitories in boarding schools sometimes double the originally intended number of students being accommodated.  The problems faced by boarding students included overcrowding in the students’ hostels, many boarding school meals are frequently badly managed or badly prepared, beside the inadequacy of the diet, scarcity of water, noise from class or neighbouring classes. Other problems include lack of good lighting system, interference from friends in the same or other classes and disturbances from non human activities like mosquitoes.  Despite those problems, an average boarding student enjoys living and studying conditions, which are luxurious, compared to the hardship and squalor endured by many day students.

Academics at boarding schools operate at high standards, as students are pushed to “ask why,” thus becoming inquisitive and this enables them tackle challenging problems.  Course selections at boarding schools tend to be quite diverse, have plenty of academic performance (AP) options, and offer a wide range of topics.  Athletic and extracurricular options tend to be broad thus encouraging students to try new things.  Many boarding schools also offer opportunities to study short term courses in different countries, with counselling departments which are generally well-staffed.  Counsellors often have plenty of experience in helping students identify appropriate schools and advising them on getting admission into competitive institutions. Another situation that leads to preference for boarding schools is the case of semi-orphans or lack of good parental care for the children.

Also, monitoring and coaching of students is better in boarding schools. Often parents of students, who are illiterate, are unable to monitor the progress of their children and coach them in their studies. Furthermore, in boarding schools it is easier to monitor and coach students than in day schools, because students stay intern during and after school hours.  A lack of monitoring and support of children is a negative characteristic of day-school, especially in the case of illiteracy. Monitoring and coaching of students is very important in order to achieve good educational results. Parents play an important role in this respect, in the case of illiterate parents, monitoring and coaching by parents can be problematic, as it is difficult or highly impossible to monitor the progress of their children and to coach them, which if in a boarding school, the school can fill this gap.

Day school provides the right balance between family life and school life. The child can go to school to learn and develop social skills, but come home and have bonding time with the family. Plus, day school is much less costly than boarding school and this may play a role in your final decision as well.

Day schools students always grow up in an upright way and very responsible because their parents or guardians involve them in responsible activities. As we can see, some students lack good manners because they live without parents who would correct them in case they make any mistakes. These show that, when parents devote more time for their children, it leads to a healthier relationship that is mutually beneficial.

Many day schools offer coeducation facilities and this is an important requirement in terms of today’s world. Interacting with the opposite sex in the early years will enable children to be comfortable in the presence of the opposite sex when they reach a stage where they might have to work alongside them in an official environment. Children who have not had this opportunity might be shy and uncomfortable where in the company of people from the opposite sex in the future.

Most day schools encourage children to mix with the opposite sex from their early years and this builds confidence and helps in exchange of ideas between the sexes over the formative years. This is one of the most important functions performed by a day school. He added that although there may be a few boarding schools that offer coeducation, but day schools clearly outnumber the boarding schools doing this and coeducation in day schools is a much more accepted and existent structure in day schools.

Day schools are a preferred option as they are much less expensive than a boarding school. Tuition fees in day schools are cheaper. Most good quality day schools are relatively cheaper than boarding schools and this is another reason why parents opt for day schools over boarding schools. Day schools allow parents to admit students in private tuitions of their choice as well, in case their children need extra coaching. Most boarding schools have fees that are a bit exorbitant, and unless parents are willing to fund a new experience and style of education for their children, most average parents prefer day schools.

Day schools are a better option for those parents who wish to have close supervision over their children. Day schools enable constant parent-teacher contact and this enables the parents to be able to monitor the progress of their children in terms of both academics and extra curricular activities. This is also an important aspect of a day school.  Parents can provide moral guidance if they are in constant contact with their children and this is possible only if the children attend a day school.

Where children are used to the comforts at home, then they might find it difficult to survive in a boarding school. Day schools enable the children to relax a bit more than boarding schools. In a boarding school, students are required to take part in many events and many students find it difficult to deal with this schedule. Parents will be better served to opt for a day school if their children have been brought up in a relaxed atmosphere.

In case of any sickness or injury, parents can be with their children immediately if they are admitted in a day school. Some children require parents to be constantly being by their side, especially if something untoward happens. The choice between a boarding school and a day school depends on a variety of factors and especially on the maturity level of the child involved. Whatever decision parents make, it is important for them to stick to it- the kind of schooling a child receives and the experiences there eventually define the personality of the child.

The time at school is limited, and children have to do household tasks when at home, especially girls, concentration on their studies is more difficult at home.  Going to and coming from school also takes time, as they seldom read, especially during examination.   As the environment of most day students is not conducive for reading; it is in the light of this that some prefer their children to go to boarding school for proper discipline and to inculcate better reading habits.  In line with this belief, boarding schools can be seen to positively influence students’ academic performance, as this cannot be over emphasized.

The greatest problem faced by day students besides their home environment that is not conducive for reading, includes long distances to school, bad company at home, lack of proper accommodation and proper diet.

Kail, Robert and John (2007) opined that Academic Performance refers to the Grade Point Average (GPA) of the respondents obtained at the end of term. It is the method the school uses to evaluate and assess how well the students understand what has been taught and proves what they have learnt by their academic performance within the term.

Adomeh (2006) sees counselling as a set of service which is rendered by a professional counsellor to an individual or group of individual in need of such service.

Counselling is the process of establishing a relationship to identify people`s needs, design strategies and services to satisfy these needs and actively assist in carrying out plans of action to help people make informed decision, solve problems develop self awareness and leave healthier lives. Schmidt (1993).

Educational guidance is a process of help student to achieve the self understanding and self-direction necessary to make informed choices and move toward personal goals. Guidance, a uniquely American educational innovation, focuses on the complete development of individual student through a series of services designed to maximize school learning that result in academic performance of student being boarder or day. Although guidance activities are usually associated with educational professionals known as counsellors, educational guidance is actually a cooperative enterprise, involving the participation of teachers, administrators, other educational specialists, and parents.

The purpose of the act is to indentify students with outstanding abilities, to encourage them to seek higher education, assist them in following studies best suited to their abilities.   

Guidance Program is organized as a series of services. One service is academic planning. Counsellor assists students with curriculum and individual courses selection. The program also is designed to help students who have academic difficulties.

Student’s appraisal is another counselling function. Standardized tests are administered to assist in appropriate academic placement, to assess academic achievement, to identify individual aptitudes, to explore vocational interest, and to examine personal characteristics. Test is used also to identify gifted students and those with special learning problems. College counselling centre assist students with academi, vocational or personal problems.

Urban and Daad (2007) examine the characteristics of boarding and day schools and how it contribute in a positive way and what characteristics

Contribute in a negative way to the academic performance of the students. Also the positive and negative effects related to the features of boarding and day schools and contextual and situational factors influence the academic performance of the students.

Day school  provides instruction during the day to students who go home at the end of the school day, in contrast with a boarding school, in which students live  on the campus full time, going home for holidays and special occasions. Day schools may be public or private in nature, and can be run in accordance with a wide variety of missions. Many children spend at least some time in a day school during the course of their educations. Some day schools run literally all day, providing instruction from the early morning to the evening.

Other day schools may run on a relatively short schedule, from early morning to early afternoon, but provide students with optional activities and classes which can be taken after school, potentially allowing students to stay all day for activities. Parents of day students can become more involved in helping their children improve their academic performance by providing encouragement, arranging for appropriate study time and space, extra lessons at home by a lesson teacher employed, reducing their wards house chores in order to create time for reading, modelling desired behaviour (such as reading for pleasure), monitoring homework, and actively tutoring their children at home. Far distance is an important situation that leads to preference for boarding schools.

Urban and Daad (2007) agrees that many day-schools also offer more than schooling, like food and clothing. But in the case of boarding schools this aid is usually more extensive (including housing). This ‘full aid’ can stimulate parents to send their children to school, though boarding school is quite expensive and it’s met for those who parents/guardian can afford it. This aid also indirectly contributes to good educational results. Learning with an empty stomach is difficult.

Ebenuwa- Okoh (2010) agrees that on the other hand, preference is given to day-schools if there is a possibility to attend or establish a school nearby. Distance to school is often caused by a shortage of schools, caused by lack of funding.  Day-schools are cheaper, therefore more schools (close to home) can be established. Day school provides the right balance between family life and school life. The child can go to school to learn and develop social skills, but come home and have bonding time with the family.

The Counselling implication to schools is that the school counsellor should be able to maximal learning and interested in academic performance of students. Counselling as the third arm of educational programme (i.e. Instruction, administration and guidance) the counselling in the Nigeria education system has become a reality. One point of note is that counselling psychologist should give considerable attention to the importance of school type (Co-educational) sex (male and female) of students in boarding and day schools as it bring about difference in academic performance of the students. The school counsellor in this area should give cognisance to counselling of students irrespective of their sex and their parents in relation to academic performance. This may be a good way to improving students academic performances. Also counsellor should be able to counsel the boarding or day students so as they may know why they are in the type of school.

From whatever angle one looks at boarding and day students academic performance at school, certain factors such as sex, school type and environment, bring differences in academic performance. Therefore, Teachers, school counsellors, parents and government are unanimous in wanting children to learn. Boarding and day schools make that learning possible.

In Benin Metropolis, therefore, the importance of academic performance of boarding and day students cannot be over looked. The stronger the relationship, especially between boarding and day school on which is prefer the higher the likelihood for stakeholder in deciding which to send their children to. There has been previous studies  carried out  in kwara state secondary school  to compare students academic performance of  boarding and day students in English language and mathematics, there had not be too many studies in analysis of academic performance of co-educational (boarding and day in the same school) in Benin metropolis of Nigeria. It is against this background therefore that the present study seeks to investigate and fill the gap.     

Statement of the Problem

The whole system of education revolves round the academic performance of students, though various other outcomes are also expected from the system. Thus, a lot of time and effort of the schools are used for helping students to achieve better in their scholastic endeavours. Boarding or day school in the system has become an index for measuring student’s academic performance in the educational process in this highly competitive world. The choice to make by stakeholders in the educational sector, governments, educationists, parents, principals, teachers, guardians etc. is been considered critical in the society and it has been observed by the researchers in recent times, certain factors are responsible for the academic performance of boarders and day students that leads to the research on the analysis of boarding and day student academic performance.    

Moreover, despite many researches on analysis of academic performance in the few decades there is still much to be done. Researches in the area of analysis of academic performance have focused mainly on secondary school students. Deforges & Abouchaar,(2003) and most especially in areas of academic performance.

Secondary education is the foundation for all students anywhere in the world, it is necessary to consider the analysis of academic performance of boarding and day students at this level.  Since some school structures that are boarding also have day students that attend the institution by day and return off-campus to their families in the evenings. The advantages and disadvantages to both school settings, is a further consideration when making choices about the child’s academic performance whether to choose a day or boarding school for them to attend. Also, literature has shown that there are differences in academic performance of boarding/day students as manifested in their examination.

Other factors responsible for academic performance of boarding and day students are Sex and environment of the students etc. There is the need for parents to know  which of their children either male or female to send to boarding or day secondary school, the  questions that come to mind then are; Which of the sex perform better in day school  and which sex perform better in boarding school? To what extent does boarding school have positive or negative influence on the student’s academic performance?  To what extent does day secondary school have positive or negative influence on the students’ academic performance? These questions constitute the gap in knowledge that the study intend to fill.

Purpose of   Study

The purpose of this study   was to undertake analysis of academic performance of boarding and day students in Benin Metropolis of Nigeria: implications for counselling. Specifically, the study sought to:

  1. Investigate whether academic performance is higher among boarders than day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria.
  2. Investigate sex differences in academic performance of both boarding and day students.
  3. Investigate whether male boarding differ from male day students in academic performance.
  4. Investigate whether female boarding differ from female day students in academic performance.

Research Questions

  1. Is there any difference in academic Performance between boarding and day students in Benin Metropolis?
  2. Is there any difference in academic Performance between male and female students in Day school in Benin Metropolis?
  3. Is there any difference in academic Performance between male and female students in Boarding school in Benin Metropolis?
  4. Is there any difference in academic performance between male boarding and male day students in Benin Metropolis?
  5. Is there any difference in academic Performance between female boarding and female day students in Benin Metropolis?

Hypotheses

H01: There is no significant difference in academic performance boarding and day students in Benin Metropolis.   

H02: There is no significant difference in academic performance between male and female day students in Benin Metropolis.

 H03: There is no significant difference in academic performance between Boarding  and day students in Benin Metropolis.  

H04: There is no significant difference in academic performance between male boarding and male day students.

H05: There is no significant difference in academic performance between female boarding and female day students.

Significance of the study

The finding of this study will be beneficial to stakeholders in the educational system such as parents, boarding and day students, psychologists, school counsellors, educators, researchers and government. The study would be of great assistance to Benin metropolis in particular and Nigeria in general and contribute to existing literatures.

The finding of the study will be of benefit to students on which type of school to attend whether boarding or day especially those who have opportunity to make choices. The school authority will be convinced to organised a seminar where students, parents, teachers, school counsellors, psychologist, researchers and government officials will be there, issue like boarding and day co-educational school type and its benefits, benefit of both sex and their academic performance, the worth and disadvantages of both school type will be discussed, the students will be acquainted with the right information concerning boarding and day schools and co-educational. They will be provided with the merit and demerit of being a boarder or day student and  their academic performances.

The study will assist parents to know whether to send their children to boarding or day school; it will afford them the benefit of the structure of both types of schools.   It will equally assist parents to know which sex perform better in boarding than day school. It will also assist parents to know whether to send their male or female children to boarding or day school; Parents having be informed through seminar such information or the awareness may help parents to monitor the activities of their children at home in order to regulate  the following(Watching of films, Television, Playing of games, Football  the use of smart phones texting/chatting/pinging. it will equally help them reduce time spent on domestic house chores,  and friend (idle time), monitor study patterns of their children, school assignment to allow  for proper concentration ,thereby  creating the enabling environment for learning. The release of such information to parents/guardians will also help them engage their children meaningfully and help utilizing their time better than what they are doing now.

At the PTA (Parents Teacher Association) Meetings you can also request opportunity to talk to the parents concerning the findings of the study. The summary of the findings can be distributed to the counsellors of schools affected to cut and paste on the school notice board within the schools where students can go to read and benefit.

The finding of the study it will assist the school counsellor/psychologists to enlighten the community about enormous advantage associated with boarding and day school that is co-educational know how best to counsel boarders or day students on how their study/reading pattern should be in order to excel academically, with the information the counsellor will be able to advised students to have a reading time-table and stick to it.

The findings of this research work may also be beneficial to educational institutions. The results can be utilized to develop school programmes. It will assist the educators to know the benefit of both type of schools.

It is also hoped that the findings of this study will help potential future researchers in  Nigeria in the  of literature review as it will serve as one of the empirical studies in the field of analysis of academic performance of boarding and day students in Benin metropolis of Nigeria. And it will enable future researchers to replicate this study in other parts of the country if the work will be published online, so that it will be made available for other researchers and assist the government in Educational planning, policies and provision of infrastructures for boarding and Day schools.

Scope of the Study

This study covered all private schools that operate a structure of boarding and day Secondary Schools (Co-Educational) in Benin Metropolis, with the exclusion of public Secondary Schools. The schools in this research work were mainly Nosakhare Model Educational Centre, Word of Faith group of School, St Mary British International High School and Baptist High School. Schools like ICC, Presentation High School, University Preparation Secondary School were excluded because they operate purely boarding  and are either boys or girls. But the ones used were boarding and day in the same school and mixed.  

This study  covered school type (boarding and Day) the sex of the students in boarding and day schools and their academic performance in English Language and Mathematics, it also cover the academic performance among private secondary school students, specifically students in SS I on their academic records. They only have JSS III standardised results computed for this work.

Limitations of the Study

The limitation of the study was that, only privately owned schools were used for this study while public boarding and day schools were excluded. The reasons  being that, no public school is co-educational in nature that is having boarding and day school together and schools in rural and urban area could not be used because the discrepancy is much, the environment, the infrastructure, the teachers and learning materials are not all the same. This is an obvious limitation. The population and the sample size for this study did not represent the totality of students in the secondary schools in Edo State because the study was restricted to only boarding and day school(Co-educational) in Benin Metropolis of Nigeria.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are identified by the researcher as important to the understanding of the study:

Boarding (or Residential) Schools – are in this research defined as schools where students stay internally during the school week (and sometimes during the weekend/ holidays). Boarding Schools have dormitory facilities and facilities for eating, studying and recreational activities. Usually there is accommodation for supporting and/ or teaching staff as well.

Day-Schools – are defined as schools that students attend during the school day. Children stay in school during school hours. Often, there are facilities to take lunch at school as well. Furthermore, extra-curricular programs can be offered in and/ or by the school outside school hours.

Academic Performance: This refers to the performance that falls within specified standard. The specified standard is usually called pass mark and the pass mark is score above average which students are considered having passed and below which students are considered having failed.

Metropolis: it represents a city.

Co-Educational: A school with boarding and day students in the same school.

 

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EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALIFICATIONS, REMUNERATION, TRAINING AND JOB EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the relationship between qualifications, remuneration, training and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. In carrying out this study therefore, five research questions were raised out of which one was answered descriptively while four hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the correlational research design. The population of the study was made up of 3321 teachers in public junior secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. The multistage sampling technique was adopted for the study. A sample of 332 teachers was used which comprised 10% of the population. However, the principals were also used as respondents for the study to ascertain the job effectiveness of teachers. The copies of the questionnaires were used for the data collection and were titled: Teacher Job Effectiveness Questionnaire (TJEQ) and Teacher Qualification, Remuneration, Training and Job Effectiveness Questionnaire (TQRTJEQ). The instruments for the study were validated by the researchers’ supervisors and two other experts in Education. The test re-test reliability method was adopted for this study and the reliability coefficients of 0.87 and 0.79 were obtained. The data collected were analysed using frequencies, percentages, chi-square and regression analysis. The findings of the study showed that teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State were fairly effective in their job, qualifications had no significant relationship with job effectiveness of teachers, remuneration and training had significant relationship with job effectiveness of teachers and that training mostly predicted job effectiveness of teachers. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Government should ensure that remuneration packages such as leave bonuses, car loans, housing loans, health insurance scheme among others, are provided to teachers in order to enhance their job effectiveness in schools and that in-service training programmes like coaching, mentoring, computer based training, discussion session should be regularly organized by the school administrators for teachers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

It is a common saying that education is the key to national development and that teachers hold the key to it. The success of the educational system is what the teacher makes out of it. Education is so powerful that it can “heal and kill”, it can build up or tear apart, it can lift up or impoverish. This however would depend on the type of education and particularly on the teacher who is the hub of the education process. It is therefore expected that only the intellectually promising, morally stable and qualified teachers are needed in teaching the learners.

Teachers constitute an important factor in the implementation of the school curriculum. For the goals of the education to be achieved, the role of the teacher can not be underplayed. Teachers as principal agents of change must be effective for the goals of education to be achieved. Effectiveness means producing the desired result. Teacher effectiveness is therefore used broadly, to mean the collection of characteristics, competencies, and behaviours of teachers at all educational levels that enable students to reach desired outcomes, which may include the attainment of specific learning objectives as well as broader goals such as being able to solve problems, think critically, work collaboratively, and become effective citizens.

According to Okolie cited in Oviawe (2016), effective teaching may include high level of creativity in analyzing, synthesizing and presenting knowledge in new and effective ways. It instills in the learners the ability to be analytical, intellectually curious, culturally aware, employable and capable of leadership. Teacher effectiveness involves a set of teaching behaviours which are especially employed in bringing about desired changes in students’ learning. Teacher job effectiveness in this study therefore, relates to how well teachers perform in their duties as outlined in their scheme of service, such as lesson plan/note preparation, lesson presentation, punctuality and regularity at lessons, lesson evaluation, classroom management, marking of students’ classroom work, among others. The job effectiveness of teachers could be measured against their routine job roles in schools. Hence, teacher job effectiveness could be said to mean doing the right thing at the appropriate time in terms of designed job roles.

There are identifiable characteristics of teachers that are predictive of their success in the classroom. Wayne & Young (2003) identified teachers’ characteristics that are predictive of their success in the classroom. These include among others, qualifications, remuneration, good conditions of service, adequate and quality infrastructure, instructional materials, training, equipped libraries and laboratories. However, this study only considered qualifications, training and remuneration as predictors of teacher job effectiveness.

One of the identifiable characteristics of teacher job effectiveness is qualification of teachers. Improving teacher quality is at the forefront of concern among education stakeholders and policy makers. The qualification of teachers is a key predictor of the overall outcome of the educational system. The quality of education of a nation to a large extent is determined by the quality of her teachers. The academic qualifications of teachers in secondary schools remain a priority concern to administrators because it determines their effectiveness (Abe & Adu, 2013). The success or failure of any nation depends largely on the quality of its educational system. This in turn depends on the quality of her teachers.

Qualification is most often viewed from two perspectives, academic qualification and professional qualification. Academically qualified teachers refer to those that are not certificated in education. Meanwhile, it is expected that anybody going into the teaching profession should have a qualification in education. Teachers with such qualifications as NCE, B.Ed,  B.Sc/B.A. Ed, M.Ed etc could therefore be regarded as professionally qualified teachers.

Another identifiable characteristic that could predict the job effectiveness of teachers is training. In order to ensure there is effectiveness in the system, teachers have to undergo training from time to time. Teaching as a profession demands continuous development of knowledge and ability through training programmes. Staff training has been accepted as an effective method of increasing the knowledge and skills of teachers in order to enable them teach more effectively. According to Lawal (2004), staff training programmes for teachers are important aspects of education process that deals with the art of acquiring skills in the teaching profession. They are essential practices that enhance subject mastery, teaching methodology and classroom management.

The objective of training is that it ensures the promotion of professional growth, helps to improve pedagogical skills, keeps teachers abreast with new knowledge, meets particular needs, such as curriculum development and orientation, helps in leadership responsibility, helps new teachers to adjust to teaching field, helps to promote mutual respect among teachers and recognizes the need for modern teaching methods (Madumere-Obike, 2007). Training programme in an organisation is a process by which people are taught with skills and equipped with the necessary knowledge or attitude to enable them to carry out their responsibilities to the required standard in the present job and to undertake greater and more demanding roles for effective job performance.

Organisations are facing many challenges which are related to economic needs, social needs and technological needs. The world has gone digital and technology is fast growing and it is expected that every sector of the economy especially education sub-sector key into this technological age. As such, training programme plays an important part in overcoming these challenges and in catering for the needs of the education sector as an organisation. The need for training in education, particularly for teachers, is important because it helps to improve the quality of the education system. Such training programmes include workshops, conferences, seminars, induction and orientation for new staff, refresher courses and so on. Training provided for serving teachers according to Ogunu and Omoike (2006) include job rotation, coaching, mentoring, formal lectures, visit or tours, and computer based training which are classified as on-the-job training while conferences, seminars, workshops and additional formal training in Colleges and Universities especially the sandwich programme undertaken by teachers during the holidays are regarded as off-the-job training. The effectiveness of teachers to a large extent, could be enhanced by the training received while on the job because such training keep them updated with current global trends in education.

One of the characteristics that could also predict teacher job effectiveness is remuneration. Remuneration of teachers is an important aspect of the school life as it often time determines the motivational behaviour of teachers. Teachers’ remuneration covers such aspects as salaries, wages, allowances, fringe benefits, leave benefits among others. Although, teachers are seen as the manufacturers in the education sector, the live wire of any educational institution and the most important catalyst for man’s intellectual development, yet their welfare and condition of service in the society are to some extent neglected. The title, ‘Teachers’, in the colonial days can open a lot of doors to the bearer (Edem cited in Egwu, 2015). Egwu explained that though the attention to the teaching job was never drawn by monetary involvement or teachers being classified as the rich, but teachers in the past were not wallowing in poverty in the society, since they were thankfully appreciated by their employers and voluntary organisations.

Unfortunately, the teaching profession which used to be prestigious is presently seen by many teachers as stepping stone to other lucrative jobs. Observation shows that the sudden change in the economy of Nigeria as a result of the fall in oil revenue created financial constraints in every sector especially in education. Owing to the short fall in the prices of oil which is the main source of revenue for Nigeria, education sector has continued to receive poor allocation from the federal government annual budget. As a result of this, education sector has continued to dwindle, resulting to the neglect of teachers especially in the regular and prompt payment of salaries and the provision of adequate infrastructure.

Owing to these ugly situations, teachers abandon their official duties to engage in non-school activities in order to make ends meet; and most often, embark on strike arising from non payments of salaries, fringe benefits and other entitlements. It is only believed that to make the teachers to be effective in schools, there may be need to reverse this situation by encouraging teachers through better salaries paid as and when due, and enhanced welfare conditions such as car loans, housing loan scheme, health insurance, among others. 

It is often believed that money helps to stimulate job efforts. This is particularly true of most of the developing countries where physiological needs of most workers are yet to be satisfied. Money is instrumental in achieving workers’ desired needs and in obtaining higher order needs such as recognition in the society and in buying essential and luxury goods and services that make for comfortable life. One major reason people work is to earn income in monetary terms. Salaries tend to have a large motivating effect on workers, especially teachers. It is not the increase in salary that only matters but also its prompt and regular payment.

This is why Fabiyi cited in Akande (2014) concluded that, of all conditions of service, salary is the best predictor of teacher’s performance and productivity. The researcher’s study expressed that job that offered higher salary would attract more and better qualified personnel than any other that offered a lower pay. It further added that salaries of teachers were inadequate to the extent that it became difficult for them to meet the basic necessities of life. Teachers’ salaries when compared with other employees with the same qualifications and experience in other sectors of the economy such as Banking and Health can be described as inadequate. In Edo State for instance, the salary of secondary school teachers is relatively low compared with professionals in other sectors of the economy such as financial institutions and oil and gas. Although the State Government recently on 1st of May, 2016 announced increment in salary of workers from N18, 000 to N25, 000 minimum wage, the impact on teachers, may not be significant taking into cognizance the rate of increase in prices of goods and services emanating from hike in pump price of petrol and exchange rate of Dollar to Naira. To this end, teacher qualification, training and remuneration are considered key variables that could determine teacher effectiveness in secondary schools.

The level of teacher job effectiveness in secondary schools is important to this study. The state of readiness of teachers in discharging their assigned duties needs to be measured to ascertain their level of effectiveness that is, whether they are very effective, averagely effective, fairly effective or not effective through proper assessment by the school principals. It is often widely acclaimed by stakeholders of the education sector that teachers are not performing to expectation in their assigned roles of lesson plan and note preparation, lesson evaluation, punctuality and regularity at lessons, examination invigilation, marking of students’ examination scripts, completion of scheme of work, among others. Whether teachers are effective in these tasks are issues of serious concern to the researcher. The principals as the supervisors are to oversee the activities of teachers and other workers in the school system to ensure that they conform to the generally accepted principles and practices of the systems especially in the discharge of assigned tasks. As such, principals’ are used to measure the level of teachers’ job effectiveness in schools. It was on this note that this study investigated the relationship between qualifications, remunerations, training and job effectiveness of teachers.

Statement of the Problem

The issue of low quality products from the educational sector has continued to be a source of worries to stakeholders in education over the years. It is observed that many secondary school products in Nigeria are poor in reading, writing, computational and vocational skills. Academic performance of students over the years seems to be low both in internal and external examinations and it is believed that effective utilisation of teachers influences academic performance.  Many teachers in secondary schools seem to show lukewarm attitude to teaching. Some of them may only attend to the students during the classroom teaching session and may not have extra time to advise and counsel the students on school related issues and other personal and emotional needs that could interfere with their education. Some could give assignments which may never be marked while others give notes to students to copy with or without explanations. All these practices could be linked to the effectiveness of teachers. The end result of this could be half-baked secondary school graduates that may not be able to further their educational pursuit, or even be employable because they could lack the requisite knowledge and skill to function in the labour market.

Remuneration of teachers which covers salaries, wages, allowances, leave bonuses, holidays and tours, fringe benefits among others serve as motivation to teachers. However, the welfare and condition of service of teachers in the society are to some extent neglected. This is why Akande (2014) reported in a finding that salaries are the best predictor of teachers’ job effectiveness. Researchers like Osibanjo, Adeniji, Falola and Heirsmac (2014) and Adu, Akinloye and Adu (2015) found that proper remuneration of staff acts as motivating factor to their job performance and effectiveness. When these are absent, there is the likelihood that job effectiveness of teachers could be low. It is however observed that teachers are not satisfied with the level of remuneration received at the secondary school level most especially in the areas of salaries and fringe benefits when compared to staff in other sectors of the economy with same or similar qualifications. This could therefore constitute a source of dissatisfaction which could lead to low morale and invariably low effectiveness.

It is worrisome that the teaching profession which used to be prestigious is presently seen by many teachers as stepping stone to other lucrative jobs. Observation shows that the sudden change in the economy of Nigeria as a result of the fall in oil revenue created financial constraints in every sector especially education. As a result of this, education sector has continued to receive poor allocation, resulting to the neglect of teachers especially in the regular and prompt payment of salaries and the provision of adequate infrastructure. For instance, only 7.92%, 7.40% and 7.04% of the total national budget were allocated to education in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. Owing to these ugly situations, teachers could abandon their official duties to engage in non-school activities in order to make ends meet; or embark on strike arising from non payments of salaries, fringe benefits and other entitlements.  

Teachers in secondary schools are expected to perform their assigned duties and they should do so at the right time. Whether the teachers are actually effective in the performance of their assigned duties is a fundamental issue that puzzles the minds of many researchers. The job effectiveness of teachers over time is questioned by many stakeholders of the education sector due to the poor quality of secondary school graduates produced yearly. For teachers to be seen as effective, it must be reflected in the overall output of the learners. In this case, it could be questioned if teachers effectiveness is influenced by their qualifications, remuneration and training. Hence, a knowledge gap exists. It was this gap in knowledge this study sought to fill.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between qualification, remuneration, training and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to:

  1. ascertain the level of job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State;
  2. find out if any relationship exists between qualification and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State;
  3. find out if any relationship exists between remuneration and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State;
  4. ascertain if any relationship exists between training and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State;
  5. find out which of the variables among qualification, remuneration and training most significantly predict job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State.

Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study.

  1. What is the level of job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State?
  2. Is there any relationship between qualification and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State?
  3. Is there any relationship between remuneration and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State?
  4. Is there any relationship between training and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State?
  5. Which of the three variables of qualifications, training and remuneration most significantly predict job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

  1. There is no significant relationship between qualification and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State.
  2. There is no significant relationship between remuneration and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State.
  3. There is no significant relationship between training and job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State.
  4. Qualification, remuneration and training do not significantly predict job effectiveness of teachers in public secondary schools in Edo State on equal basis.

Significance of the Study

The study would be of benefit to policy makers in education, teachers, principals, students and the public. The finding of this study would be of benefit to policy makers in education because they could routinely access the qualification and level of job effectiveness of teachers and on the basis of their discovery, plan in-service training programmes for teachers to enhance their job effectiveness. This would in no doubt help to improve on the quality of the education sector. They would also see the need to inform the government of the dissatisfaction of the present status of teachers in terms of salaries and other fringe benefits so that proper packages can be arranged for them to enhance their motivation.

The teachers would benefit from the finding of this study by being provided with in-service training programmes to help them to upgrade themselves in the modern methods of teaching; in this way, their job effectiveness may be enhanced. Better pay gives motivation and when teachers are well remunerated, they might have the inner satisfaction which might increase their job effectiveness in schools. This could lead to improved instructional practices which might invariably lead to improved students’ academic performance in schools. When students’ academic performance is improved, there is the likelihood that the goals of the education system could be realized.

The principals of schools would equally benefit from the findings of this study because having teachers with better salaries and adequate training; there is the likelihood of having well motivated and dedicated staff to work with. This would help ease the instructional supervisory task of the school administrators (principals) in secondary schools. The public would also benefit from the finding of this study as more qualified graduates might be released into the society to be engaged into the labour force. This would go a long way in boosting the economic development of the country because the economy relies on the education sector for its development.

Scope of the Study

The content of this study covered teacher qualifications, remuneration and training in relations to teacher job effectiveness in public junior secondary schools in Edo State. Teacher effectiveness covers among others, teachers’ commitment to duties of lesson plan/note preparation, lesson presentation, marking of students’ register, preparation and administration of test/examination and marking of scripts and classroom management. The study was limited to teachers of public junior secondary schools in Edo State.

Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined as used in this study.

Effectiveness: This simply means doing the right thing. It also means producing the right result with available resources to the organization. Effectiveness is a measure of the appropriateness of the goals an organization is pursuing and the degree to which the organization achieves those goals. Meanwhile, efficiency is the extent to which an organization minimizes amount of input resources (labour, materials and time) available to it to produce a given output of goods. However, performance is the measure of how effective and efficient resources are put to use to achieve organizational goals.

Job Effectiveness: This is concerned with the commitment of teachers to their duties, producing actual results in terms of their job roles or duties. Job effectiveness was measured on four point scale of very effective, averagely effective, fairly effective and not effective.

Teachers’ Qualifications: Teachers’ qualification as used in this study refers to both academic and professional qualifications. Teachers with academic qualification refer to those who have no qualification in education. Such academic qualifications include OND, HND, B.Sc, B.A, PGD, M.Sc, LLB, LLM, Ph.D etc. Teachers with professional qualification are those with qualifications in education such as NCE, B.Ed, B.Sc Ed, B.A. Ed, PGDE, M.Ed, and Ph.D in education.

Teacher Remuneration: This is the payment or rewards for services rendered to teachers by their employers (government). It comprises salaries and fringe benefits.

Teacher Training: This is related to the training acquired by teachers after they have been employed into the teaching profession. It comprises on-the-job training and off-the-job training. It constitutes teacher professional development.

On-the-Job Training:   This is related to training programmes made available to teachers to learn a specific skill to improve on practice. They include among others job rotation, coaching, mentoring, formal lectures, visit or tours, and computer based training. They are usually in-house. In this study, the following are listed as on-the-job training: job rotation, mentoring, computer based training, formal lectures and coaching among others.

Off-the-Job Training: Off-the-job training on the other hand is the training provided outside the normal working hours that usually takes place in training schools, conferences, seminars, workshops and additional formal training in colleges and Universities especially the Sandwich programme undertaken by teachers during the holidays. These training are provided for teachers to learn specific skills.

 

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THE EFFECT OF PRINCIPAL’S LEADERSHIP STYLE

THE EFFECT OF PRINCIPAL’S LEADERSHIP STYLE IN ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ABSTRACT

This study is design to find out the effect of principal leadership style in achieving effective administration in secondary schools in Enugu East local Government Area of Enugu state. The purpose of this research work is to identify the effect of principal leadership style on school-community relationship and also to identify whether principal leadership styles affect the student’s academic performance in secondary school in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The researcher adopts a descriptive survey research design approach in which three research questions were formulated. The population of the study consisted of 378 respondent from eighteen (18) government secondary schools in Enugu East Local Government Area, out of which (8) schools were randomly sampled for the study. From the (8) sampled schools, random sampling was also used to sample 160 teachers and 8 principals. Questionnaire of four point rating scales was used as the method of data collection. The instrument was adequately validated by three experts in measurement and evaluation. Data collected were analysis using means score; the study revealed that principal’s leadership style effects secondary schools administration in Enugu East Local Government Area. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: respect, love and praises should be made top priority in secondary schools. Those leaders should understand the individual strengths and weaknesses. That the principal should always leads by example; by coming to school early, dresses well, admits when they make mistakes and make those people around them better.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The issue of leadership style is considered a major and basic concern for all organizations and institutions in various countries. It has been widely accepted that the administrators in all type of organization in the modern world has a significant effect on the people under them. Different countries around the world have been attempting to highlight and stress the concept of effective leadership styles in various ways in their daily organizational activities, programs and performance. In Nigeria, there is a rapid and increasing awareness in various sectors and fields including the educational institutions such as Universities, Colleges, Secondary Schools etc, on the impart of effective leadership styles. In the country secondary schools administrators are called principals. They are responsible for the three ‘Ps’ in the schools system, the People, the Programme and the Plant. Halpin (2001) pointed out the need to conduct research on the leadership styles are associated with administrative effectiveness. With this knowledge a better job can be done in training future administrators.

The word leadership has been used in various aspects of human endeavour such as politics, businesses, academics, social works, etc.  Previous views about leadership show it as personal ability. Messick and Kramer (2004) argued that the degree to which the individual exhibits leadership traits depends not only on his characteristics and personal abilities, but also on the characteristics of the situation and environment in which he finds himself. Since human beings could become members of an organization in other to achieve certain personal objectives, the extent to which they are active members depends on how they are convinced that their membership will enable them to achieve their predetermined objectives.

The leadership capacity needed to develop a supporting culture is both attention demanding and complex. According to Sackney and Walker (2006) school principals need skills in group process facilitation, communication, conflict negotiation, inquiry and data management.

Principals function as managers and instructional leaders. They have the primary responsibility of accomplishing the nation’s aims and objectives of Secondary Education as stipulated in the National Policy on Education (NPE). In doing this, they play a number of important roles among which is providing effective leadership in secondary schools aimed at enhancing better job performance of teachers and in essence promoting students’ academic achievements in schools.

The role of a principal in relation to school administration is a topic that has been subjected to close investigation.

In the secondary school situation, the principle is the leader. His role involves managing the students and staff personnel in a way that will maximize learning outcome. How the teachers will perform their roles which depend on how they see the school principal as a leader, and how they perceive and relate to the school climate.

In this case quality leadership styles performed by a principal are considered as the most important tool for achieving and determining the excellence and success of a school performance especially pertaining to students’ performance in curricula and co-curricular activities. The principal has always been looked upon as a leader. Complex organizations such as schools need principals with leadership characteristics to play an active role in steering the organization towards excellence. According to Beare, Brian and Millikan (2002), outstanding leadership has invariably emerged as key characteristics of outstanding schools. There is no doubt that those seeking quality in education must ensure its presence and the development of potential leaders must be given high priority.

In contemporary affairs, governments or companies that prosper are said to enjoy good leadership whereas in those that fail, the leaders are to be blamed and held accountable. Getting a job well done requires good leadership and management of available resources.

Leadership in any organization especially secondary schools implies the action and interaction with persons and things with a view to attaining a specific objective. This is the ability, to plan, control, direct and co-ordinate the activities of school involving both human and material resources for the achievement of school goals. It is a process through which persons or groups intentionally influence others in the attainment of group goals. This concept can be enlarged to involve not only the willingness to work but also the willingness to work with zeal and confidence Ashibogwu (2008).

As Adeyemi and Bolarinwa (2013) remark, that it is the functional behaviour of a leader in relation with subordinates to facilitate the accomplishment of group goals. These views are however contrary to the arguments made by Akerele (2009) who defines leadership as a projected feeling from one individual (the leader) towards goal setting and goal achievement. The impact of this discourse on leadership points to the fact that any meaningful and sustainable definition of leadership must contain certain elements such as group to be led which must have a set of laid down objectives and a conscious effort to influence the behaviour of such groups. At the same time, there must be a willingness of subordinates to carry out the action of the leader.

In his day to day leadership role, the principal constantly interacts with the teachers. He is supposed to guide, assist and direct the teachers to achieve the aim of the organization. He sets the environment in which the staff and the students work. In studying the behavior of the principals, what matters so much is not how the principals see their own performance but how the teachers perceive their principal and the school climate. It is this perception that will largely influence the teacher’s attitude to work. For the teacher, the school climate could be facilitative or alienative.

Effective principal provides strong leadership, establish violent-free school climate conducive to learning, emphasize the important of basic skills to staff and students, install an expectation for high achievement in the school and monitor the teaching process as well as student’s achievement.

Thus, how the teachers perceive the principals could to a large extent affect their attitude to their job and, by implicating the school environment. It is suggested that successful principals combine an effective influence mode with influence activities to provide the consents and constraints within their schools that affect the way teachers manage their classroom and the achievement of students. 

Statement of the Problem

One of the greatest complaints against Enugu State school system especially Enugu East local government area is the high incidence of failure of her students in both internal and external examinations. In schools settings, there is unrest arising from several petitions against the principals by some communities. Investigations nearly always reveal that these petitions are masterminded by some teacher in various affected schools.

Teachers tend to be apathetic to work as they exhibit lateness and truancy in the school. Among the students, there is high incidence of malingering, truancy, examination malpractice and other mal-adjusted behaviors. That these problems tend to pervade our schools raise serious questions as to the type of leadership style being exhibited by the principal in our secondary schools.

School principal are generally expected to establish a good measure of rapport with their teachers. A good degree of rapport between the principal and his teachers generally creates a facilitative climate which engenders confidence, trust, mutual respect, love and dedication to duty.

The problem become all the more glaring when one reflects on the criteria adopted by the Enugu state Government especially in Enugu East Local government In the selection of principals. In Enugu state schools system, appointment of principals is based on seniority without regard to adequate training in administration or administrative experience. This made it possible to study the leadership style of secondary school principals in Enugu State as they really exist. It is such an objective assessment that would be used in making appropriate recommendations for improvement of techniques adopted in the appointment of principals. Since the principal is the pivot on which the activities of the school revolves for good or for bad, studying the leadership style of our secondary School principal as they interact with the teachers and the assessment of the impact of such interaction becomes necessary. Since the general complaints tend to indicate that the climate of the preponderance of our schools is alienative, the problem then is whether there are any relationships between the leadership style of the principals and the organizational climate of the schools.

This atmosphere of constant misunderstanding will infinitely hamper the job performance of the teachers. The teachers are supposed to be dedicated to their duties; they know the rules and regulations of the organization. They are supposed to come to school early, teach their subjects and even be involved in other extra-curricular activities if the atmosphere is conducive. But the opposite is the case with a principal who is not friendly. The teachers are forced to show nonchalant attitude to work. This therefore attracts the attention of the researcher to look into how the leadership styles of principals have helped or discourage teachers from putting in their best.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to critically investigate the effect of principal’s leadership style in achieving effective administration in secondary schools in Enugu East Local Government Area.

Specifically, this study will attempt to:

(a)     Identify the effect of principals, leadership style on school community relation.   

(b)     Find out the effect of leadership style on staff personnel administration.

(c)      Identify whether principal leadership styles affect the student’s academic performance in secondary school.

Significance of the Study

 The researcher hopes that the result of this research work shall be beneficial to the following: The Principals, Teachers, Students and the Society at large.

The principals:  Educational administrators like the principals, vice principals and head masters will gain immensely from this study because it will points outs both good and bad leadership styles and a way the principals will achieve effective administration in secondary schools.

The principal as the head of the school authority should be example to other teachers and student. For example the principal should always be at school on time which will enable the teacher and student to emulate the attitude of the principal.

With the help of this research work the principal will see the needs of coming to school early, which will help teachers and even the student to emulate the punctuality of the principal.

It is generally assumed that the success of a school depends on the leader behavior to a considerable extent, on the leadership style projected by its principal who has much effect on the teacher in the dissemination of knowledge to students. A school will succeed and make progress under the good leadership of the principal. On the other hand, it will fail and degenerate under poor or bad leadership.

The teachers: The study will be significant to the teachers because any leadership style adopted or projected by the principal whether good or bad will immensely affects the teacher’s job performances and the dissemination of knowledge to students. A good degree of rapport between the principal and his teachers will generally creates a facilitative climate which engenders confidence, trust, mutual respect, love and dedication to duty.

The students: This study will be most significant to secondary school students because the students and youths are seen as leaders of tomorrow, and whatever they see is what they learn. When good or bad leadership style is projected by the principal to teachers or the students it will surely reflect to their academic achievements/ performance.

The society: The study will also be of great value to the society since the principal sees the school as an organization designed to serve the needs of the society and individuals that make it up. The content will help to advice the society on the effect of bad principal’s leadership style and the benefit of the good principal’s leadership styles as well.

Scope of the Study

The geographical scope of the study will be limited to eight (8) Secondary Schools in Enugu East Local Government Area.

The study covers the five administrative task areas, in Enugu East namely:

  • Academic and Instructional Management
  • Staff personnel Administration
  • Student personnel administration
  • Physical and financial management
  • School community relationship

Research Questions

The following questions are formulated to guide the study:

  1. To what extent does the principal’s leadership style affects school-community relationship?
  2. What influence do school locations have on leadership style of school principals?
  3. To what extent does the principal’s leadership style affects teachers and student’s educational achievement/ job performance.                   

 

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RURAL WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION

A STUDY OF RURAL WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN KADUNA STATE OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes, effects and possible solutions to the low participation of rural women in education using Kaduna State as its focus. This was prompted by the increase in the illiteracy level of the rural women and its implication for national development. The specific objectives of the study include: An investigation into the extent of rural women participation in planning their education, cultural/community restrictions and other factors that have contributed to the low participation of rural women in education. Also investigated are the influence of low participation of the rural women on national development and the strategies for improving their participation in education. The study generally aimed at improving rural women participation in education through participatory planning that can emerge with a relevant curriculum for women education. Two thousand and sixty nine (2069) respondents made up of 1,600 rural women and 469 literacy facilitators from the 19 rural local governments of Kaduna State were randomly selected for the study. The questionnaire was used in gathering data for the study. The analysis of data was on the causes and effects of low participation in education on national development and the strategies for improving participation in education. These were statistically tested using the means, standard deviations and the t-test for significance in the differences in the mean ratings of respondents as presented in the five hypotheses.   The  results  largely  showed  non-significant  differences. Consequently, the null hypotheses were accepted. The specific findings include: rural women were not involved in planning literacy programs meant for them. Cultural restrictions and other factors such as poverty, the non- chalant attitude of women towards education, inadequate funding, the frequent change in government and frequent revision of policies on education have also contributed to the low participation of women in education. It was discovered that the low participation of women in education has limited their contribution to national development. This is made manifest in their inadequate development of skills needed for development, limited participation in the process of governance, and inability to take up some job opportunities. Recognizing the implication of this for educational planning, a careful strategy that aims at meeting the needs of the rural women was identified. The study therefore proposed a participatory planned education for rural women using the principle of Participatory Rural Appraisal.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Rural women play important role in improving general aspects of rural life. However, in most developing countries, women (and even more so, rural women) are still an under-privileged group with an inferior social status (Okojie, 1983; National Population Commission, 1999). Within the rural sector, Okojie (1983), sees the largest group of the poor as comprising the millions of women (including girls) who by their work in the fields produce a large part of the food consumed in the country, yet are disadvantaged in many areas. A closer examination of the situation of rural women through this study will seek to reveal the low participation of rural women in education and the disadvantages of females in most rural sectors. Nevertheless, rural women’s participation in the socio-economic development of their country in recent years has become a topic of major concern hence, the need for it to be treated as a goal in its own right (International Labour Organization,1990; Olorude, 1995).

Although women’s participation in the socio-economic development of the country is receiving attention throughout the world, majority of them still live in rural areas, un-educated, living in abject poverty and deprivation (National Population Commission, 1999). This demands that their continued illiteracy has to be looked into and ways of bringing them out have to be devised.  If  these women produce a large part of our food, they indeed need to be educated to enable them know more about modern equipment that can help them carry out their farming and other important activities within the rural areas.

This becomes important as it has been found that education can enhance productivity and the ability of rural women so as to contribute to the national economy (Nwabueze, 1995). This researcher is of the view that rural women would be in a better position to use technologically developed equipment that may enhance their productivity if educated. This is because education’s concern is being modernized towards integration with the national economy (Rahman,1981).

Akangbou (1983) maintains that education is no longer an isolated industry from the national economy. Every system of education is supposed to be geared towards the development of its national economy and every segment of the society, including rural women should be equipped with education and training to enable it contribute to the national economy. Kaduna State of Nigeria is desirous to develop the ability of every member of the society (including rural women) to enhance their productivity and contribution to the development of the nation.

The Nigerian government having realised the benefit of education to its citizens emphasized the “equalization of opportunities” as one of the goals of the national policy on education  (National Policy on Education, 2004). This means that there should be availability of an appropriate education for all citizens. It has however been discovered that a large segment of the Nigerian society (3,992,744 which represents about 44%) are still illiterates (National Population Commission,1999). This may be due to ignorance on the benefits of education, non-availability of an appropriate education, or through lack of opportunity to be educated (Okojie,1983; Olaide,1990 Nwabueze,1995). The case of the rural women is even more glaring as statistics shows that out of the 22,949,499 rural women in Nigeria, about 14,67,722 do not participate in any form of education. This means that it is only about 38.7% of rural women that are educated (National Population Comission,1999).

The goal of “education for all” has been pursued vigorously by the government through the introduction of different programmes such as the Universal Primary Education in 1976 and the Universal Basic Education in 1999. The introduction of the National Mass Literacy campaign in 1982 and the different adult education programmes are examples of Federal government’s efforts to achieve “education for all” as a deliberate national policy (Nwabueze,1995). Other programmes such as the Better Life for Rural Women by Mariam Babangida in 1986 and the Family Support Programme by Mariam Abacha in 1994, were introduced at various times to enable development hitherto concentrated in the urban areas to filter down to the rural women. However, the level of participation of rural women in such programmes in Kaduna State was not encouraging. The Kaduna State Agency for Mass Literacy (2003) statistics shows that out of the about 1,360,224 rural women in the 19 designated rural local governments used for this study, about 60% do not participate in any form of literacy programme. The few women who enroll do not complete the programme for one reason or the other. There is a need to properly investigate the factors responsible for this.

Similarly, Nwabueze (1995) states that various women groups such as the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) and Women In Nigeria (WIN) have tried to affect positively, the lives of women over the years. These groups have used different methods to educate the women. Though their ideologies and attitudes may differ, one thing that binds them together is their determination to create better awareness among women in order to improve their status and effectiveness in nation development. These measures according to Ijere (1996) and Nagee (1997) greatly enhanced the awareness of women generally but did not filter down to the rural women (Okojie, 1983).

This study starts with the basic assumptions that, “Education for all” philosophy promised in our system of education has not properly benefited the rural women and it is doubtful whether the current Nigerian system of education meets the needs of the rural women (Ijere, 1992; Okojie, 1983; Agu, 1983; Olurode, 1995). The changes that education is meant to bring, such as economic efficiency, social and political achievements are not seen on the women. A lot of them still suffer one form of oppression or the other. They suffer from poverty and are in most cases un-rewarded for their labour.

The study would establish whether the rural women would be motivated to take to education if the planners had, through interaction with the women, discovered their views, opinions, why they do certain things and why they do not do certain things, time most appropriate for their education, and under what situation, etcetera (Bown & Okedara, 1981).

It is doubtful whether the educational planners took the psychology of the rural women into consideration before planning literacy programmes for them. This is because, the only way to get access to the psychology of the rural dwellers, according to Carey (1997) is to involve them in planning programmes meant for them. However, records of rural women’s participation in educational planning are hard to come by (Enyi,1995). Consequently, rural women in Kaduna State are still not responding to modern education as anticipated (Kaduna State Agency for Mass Literacy,2003). They see education programmes as something being forced down on them. This is evidenced in the record of their low participation in literacy programmes. For instance, out of the 160,960 females who enrolled for basic literacy programmes between 1990 to 2005, only 45,228 completed the programme for certification (Appendix B1). This calls for a study in Kaduna State to investigate the position of Caldwell and Caldwell (1987) who have argued that, though institutional and legal barriers to women’s access to education have been substantially reduced the world over, deep-rooted cultural beliefs and social habits that sustain gender inequality have a prolonged effect.

Some previous studies such as the studies of Idachaba (1980) Ijere (1996), The World Bank (1996) and Connel (1997) have been directed towards participation of rural dwellers in education programmes. However, none of these studies actually emphasized women’s participation in educational planning. For instance, the study of Idachaba (1980), was directed towards the participation of rural dwellers in agricultural education. This study dealt mainly with extension education (in agriculture) without emphasizing the participation of rural women in literacy education planning. Similarly, Ijere (1996) actually emphasized rural women’s participation in community development programmes and not education per se. Besides, the study of Connel, (1997) dealt with participation of rural dwellers in development programmes but without specific reference to women and their education. The study of IAWA (1997) simply concentrated on the participation of rural dwellers in development programmes without specific reference to women participation, which forms the central theme of this study. The present study therefore, hopes to ascertain why there is low participation of rural women in literacy education; the extent of involvement of the women in planning their literacy programmes, other factors affecting participation and the strategies that could be used to improve women participation in education in Kaduna State.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

 The Federal Government of Nigeria recognises the role of education in nation building. To this end, the National Policy on Education (2004) maintains that, equalization of educational opportunities for all citizens is a sure way of realizing national growth and development through education.

It has been established that, a larger percentage of Nigerians (45,061,106) are rural dwellers (Appendix C1). This figure is about 60% of the total Population of Nigeria, which are 71,556,875 (National Population Commission, 1999). Government’s efforts to harness the activities of these rural dwellers in order to attain development are being intensified. The National Population Commission (1999) maintains that a larger part of the rural area (22,949,499) is dominated by rural women. This figure represents more than 50% of rural dwellers in Nigeria. The National Population Commission (1999) puts the figure of illiterate rural women at about 14,67,722million (62%).

Having realized the importance of education to citizens, government introduced the National Literacy campaign in 1982 and other adult literacy programs (Okojie 1983; Nwabueze, 1995; and Olaide,1990). Unfortunately, statistics on the Literacy Programmes reveal that out of the 1,360,224 rural women from the 19 rural local governments used for this study, about 60% do not participate in any kind of education (Kaduna State Agency for Mass Education,2003). This illiteracy rate is high compared to that of the men, which is 36%. The National Population Commission puts the total population of men in Kaduna state as at the 1991 census at 1,613,115 while their literate population was 1,046,418 (64%). This low participation of the rural women in education is raising very serious concern as the changes that education is meant to bring, such as economic efficiency and cultural changes have not been seen in the women. Thus, education has not properly benefited the rural women and it is doubtful whether this system of education meets the needs of the rural women.

It would be established through this study whether other contributive factors such as restrictions imposed both by the communities and the society as a whole at the rural level have accounted for this low participation of the rural women in education. Boyle’s study (1992) in Pakistan shows that when rural women were allowed to participate in planning programmes that concerns them, they participated more in such programmes. To what extent therefore do rural women participate in planning their education? This study would attempt to establish the causes, effects and possible solutions to the low participation of rural women in education in Kaduna state.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine why there is low participation of rural women in literacy education in Kaduna State of Nigeria. The specific objectives the study would want to achieve are as follows:

  1. To investigate the extent of involvement of rural women in the planning of their education.
  2. To identify community restrictions that contributes to the low participation of the rural women in adult literacy
  3. To investigate   the   other   factors   responsible   for   the   low participation of the rural women in education
  4. To assess the effect of the low participation in literacy education on national development.
  5. To examine and suggest strategies for encouraging rural women’s participation in literacy education.

1.4     Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions:

  1. To what extent are the rural women involved in the planning of their education?
  2. What community   restrictions   have   contributed   to   the   low participation of the rural women in literacy education?
  3. What other factors are responsible for the low participation of the rural women in education?
  4. What are the effects of the low participation in literacy education by rural women on national development?
  5. What strategies can be employed to encourage rural women’s participation in literacy education?

1.5     Hypotheses

The following hypotheses will be tested in the course of the investigation:

  1. There is no significant difference between the rural women in Kaduna North and South in the mean ratings of their responses regarding the extent of their involvement in the planning of their
  2. There is no significant difference between the rural women in Kaduna North and South in the mean ratings of their responses with respect to the community restrictions that have contributed to their low level of participation in literacy education.
  3. There is no significant difference between the rural women in Kaduna North and South in the mean ratings of their responses on the other factors responsible for their low participation in literacy education
  4. There is no significant difference between the rural women in Kaduna North and South in the mean ratings of their responses regarding the effects of their low participation in education on national development
  5. There is no significant difference between programme facilitators and rural women in Kaduna Sate in the mean ratings of their responses with respect to the strategies for encouraging rural women’s participation in literacy education.

1.6     Theoretical Framework

It is important to identify a well-articulated and relevant theory that will under gird the study. The principle on participation upon which this study is based is the collaborative decision making (community based methods) of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and SARAR (self-esteem, associative strengths, resourcefulness, action planning and responsibility) by the World Bank (1996). SARAR is geared towards the training of local trainers/facilitators, builds on local knowledge and strengthens local capacity to assess, prioritize, plan, create, organise and evaluate (World Bank, 1996). The principle of SARAR is related to this study in that this study intends to use the local knowledge of the rural women to strengthen their capacity to enable them participate in planning programs that concern them.

The Concept of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA): Participatory Rural Appraisal is a label given to a growing family of participatory approaches and methods that emphasize local knowledge and enable local people to do their own appraisal, analysis, and planning (Adnan,1992). Participatory Rural Appraisal uses group animation and exercises to facilitate information sharing, analysis, and action among stakeholders (USAID, 1998). Although originally developed for use in rural areas, Participatory Rural Appraisal has been employed successfully in a variety of settings. As professionals have become more aware of errors, myths, and the misfit between the reality they construct and the reality others experienced, some have sought and developed new approaches and methods in their work known as participatory approaches (Pretty, 1994). Participatory Rural Appraisal has three foundations or pillars (IAWA, 1997). These pillars are:

  1. The behaviour and attitudes of outsiders who facilitate, not dominate community development programme planning.
  2. The methods which shift the normal belief from closed to open, from individual to group, from verbal to visual and from measuring to comparing and;
  3. Partnership and sharing of information experience and training between insiders and outsiders, and between

The use of Participatory Rural Appraisal to the present study is that, it will enable development practitioners, government officials (educational planners), and local people to work together on context-appropriate programmes. Its essence is to enable local people to share, enhance and analyse their knowledge of life and conditions, to plan, act, monitor and evaluate their own work. It has been found to work in many fields; and the desire is to see how applicable it could be in bringing rural women into participation in planning their education.

Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA): The Rapid Rural Appraisal forms a large part of the participatory rural appraisal approach. This emerged in the late 1970s when more discoveries were made of the fact that rural dwellers (including women were not completely ignorant). They knew about native laws, guidelines and principles that guided their communities before the advent of modern education. Rapid Rural Appraisal has three main origins. These are:

  1. Dissatisfaction with the biases, especially the anti-poverty biases of rural development tourism, the phenomenon of the brief rural visits by the urban-based professionals. This hides the worst poverty and deprivation because the outsiders were always diplomatic (not wishing to cause offence by asking to meet poor people (including rural women) or see their conditions.
  2. Disillusion with the normal process of questionnaire, survey and their results. These were inaccurate and The reports were boring, misleading and difficult to use.
  3. More cost-effective methods of learning was This was helped by professionals recognising that rural people were themselves knowledgeable on many subjects which touch their lives. What became known as indigenous technique (IIK) was then increasingly seen to have richness and value for practical purpose. It contributed the following to Participatory Rural Appraisal: A reversal of learning, learning rapidly and progressively, optimising trade off, triangulation, and seeking diversity.

Through this principle, the planner would discover the indigenous knowledge, richness and value that would improve participation of rural women, thereby reducing the level of illiteracy (Pretty, 1994). By the middle of 1990s, activities of Participatory Rural Appraisal were practiced in not less than 100 countries and there were over 30, mainly national PRA related networks (The World Bank,1996). Many countries have held national PRA conferences and its applications had become numerous in all fields of learning and development. Non -governmental Organisations, Government, Banks, Training Institutes and universities have used PRA successfully (IAWA, 1997).

The study is related to these principles, in that it would make it easier for educational planners who are committed to emerge with a suitable education system for the rural women, to collaborate with a broad range of these women, and other stakeholders such as local leaders, husbands, communities, change- agents/facilitators, in the selection, design and implementation of an education plan for rural development.

1.7     Significance of the Study

The findings of this study would benefit the planners and facilitators of women education. The government, policy makers, community leaders, the rural women and the society will also benefit. The benefits to the planners include the increase in knowledge of the way of life of the women (their psychology) through interaction with the rural women, which would bring about an appropriate curriculum for rural women education. This would also improve the planner’s strategy in planning rural education.

The skills of the facilitators in this field, especially teachers and instructors should improve if the strategies discussed in the study (The PRA and SARAR) are properly adopted. The government should also benefit in that, it would be brought nearer to the community making it easier for the interpretation and implementation of policies to the rural women. The government through the discoveries of this research would be able to modify and supplement the existing mode of life by supplying programmes, which would require to be incorporated to improve the culture of the rural women for their living. When the government is brought nearer to the community it may even convince the community to release their resources to support education programmes.

Rural women would benefit by having an improved socialization process, sharing of norms among unlike groups, they would be more aware of the benefit of education and it would make it easier for them to communicate their needs to the government. The women would even perform their domestic roles better. Through this research, the need for equity would be fulfilled, while the socio -economic gaps in the society would be covered because rural women would now perform their roles better than what it is now, thereby leading to an improved national development. Above all, women would have the opportunity to be involved in the planning process, which would emerge with an appropriate curriculum for their education.

The objectives of this study therefore, extends beyond participation of the women in education planning. It encompasses improved education, which would eventually lead to improved and increased productivity, and then higher incomes for the target groups, as well as minimum acceptable levels of foods, shelter and health. The study would bring to focus the relevance of rural women’s education, the relevance of participation and its effect on national development.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

The study is restricted to rural women’s participation in literacy education in Kaduna State with specific reference to rural women in Kaduna North and South. The literacy programmes are: basic Literacy, post-Literacy, functional education, Girl-Child education and Quaranic education. The choice of Kaduna State is due to the fact that it is one of the educationally less developed states of the federation striving to improve literacy rate among the citizens. The rural women and their programme facilitators constitute the target population. The rural women in the State are in the good position to explain their level of participation in education. The literacy facilitators are also useful because they handle the literacy programmes and have good perspectives of the problems encountered by the rural women. The Questionnaire was administered on the sample of the population, consisting of rural women and programme facilitators in all the 19 rural local government areas of the State. Findings will be generalised to cover the whole of Kaduna State.

1.8     Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined for the purpose of this study:-

Rural Women: This refers to the women mostly found in the villages. They work mostly in fields, gardens and farms to produce a large part of the food consumed in villages and urban areas. Rural women for the purpose of this study are women found in small homestead, villages and hamlets. The educated women that lives in rural areas but carry out their activities in urban areas do not form part of this study.

Participating in Educational Planning:. This is the process of getting rural women involved in making decisions concerning their education.

Participation in Education:. This is the act of getting rural women to enroll in education programmes.

Development:. It is an act of bringing about a change in the structure of the society in all dimensions in order to have a society with equality and equity for all. Development should emphasize the human aspect just as it does to the provision of tangible things.

Education:. This is the inculcation of knowledge to an individual or a group of people. Education here covers all forms of education such as formal, informal and non-formal education. The curriculum should have specific objectives relating to rural areas. This means different curriculum for rural women still within school age, and older women whose curriculum should be geared towards occupation, job training, community living and development.

Education for Rural Development:. This has to do with the inculcation of knowledge that would bring about the desired skill, which would bring positive change to the society. It is the education that seeks to promote knowledge and development of skills that would contribute to nation building.

Kaduna North and South:. This is a classification of women in Kaduna state according to their geographical and cultural differences. Kaduna state is found in the north central part of Nigeria. Differences in religious, social characteristics, and community backgrounds are put into consideration in discussing the rural women in this study.

 

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Comparison of JSS Academic Performance

Comparison of Junior Secondary School Academic Performance in internal and External Examination in Social Studies in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

The parameter or yardstick in the measurement or determine into of one’s achievement, success or failure on an assigned duty, specific task, education and or, in a business Endeavour is by the evaluation of his/her performance in their various subjects of study in Nigeria is a thing of long time origin.  And the appraisal of student’s performance in social studies is not an exemption.  The importance of social studies as a subject taught in secondary school in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized.  It is in this vain that many researchers have studied our school system to identify the various means, channel and or, procedure of impeaching knowledge to our students especially through social studies.

This performance of students is a far cry based on the expected success of institutions of these kinds or nature.  A lot of reasons has been adduced for this inspite of the preparedness of teachers of those schools to deliver.  Some of the students absent themselves from schools for a long time.  This affects their performance because they have lost touch of the essence of regular practice and continuity in social studies.

Secondly, the students do not avail themselves with the use of books which supposed to enhance their performance this is further caused by poor reading habit of some of them and loads of domestic work which their parents engaged them in.

Learning has been so much associated with the school that some people almost think that learning goes on only in schools. This view of learning has been greatly reinforced by such reference to schools as institutions of learning and to Universities, Polytechnics and College of Education as institutions of higher learning (Okoye, 1987). There is no doubting the fact that much learning goes on in school. The school is particularly and specifically arranged so as to facilitate effective learning. Unfortunately the poor condition of our schools, particularly the secondary schools today in the nation raises a lot of anxiety. A cursory look at these schools in spite of government efforts reveals schools dominated by dilapidated buildings, school void of good furniture and equipment, schools where instructional materials are either not provided or are inadequate; school that are under-staffed; schools, where teachers’ salaries and allowances are not promptly paid, schools that have not been inspected for the last 15 years; schools where there are no discipline among other things.

The government, and especially the parents are very much concerned with the quality and volume of learning acquired by their children, wards and citizens as this is related to the quality and quantity of the contribution which the individual can make to his immediate family, community and the nation as a whole. (Thorndike, 1931).

Several studies by Sociologist, Psychologists and Educationists showed that the type of schools a learner attends has profound influence on his academic achievement. For instance, Bibby and Peil (1974) noted that children who attended private secondary schools performed better both internal and external examination than pupils in public secondary schools. This view is also supported by Lioyd (1966) as he contended further that the public schools which saw education as good thing, tended to leave the question of educational success or failure in the hands of the public and their parents. This implies that the business of education is not taken with all the seriousness it demands in the public schools. This of course is what may be regarded as the general apathy of the citizenry to government’s owned business or property. A situation that has resulted in lackadaisical attitude of government’s workers, including teachers in the public schools tend to believe that an intelligent child would succeed automatically at school without any active assistance coming from them.

In a study jointly carried out by the Federal Government of Nigeria, UNICEF and UNESCO in 1977 to monitor the learning achievement of secondary school students throughout the Federation, it was shown that most of the private schools had means in the three areas tested higher than the national means and that of their public counterpart.

Similarly, Yoloye (1998) while assessing the situation of education in Niger State compared the quality of education in five states of the federation namely, River, Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Bayelsa. He compared performance between urban and rural schools; private and public schools, as well as between male and female secondary school students. He concluded that while Niger State comes last in almost all the sub-sector analyzed, the only cheering exception is in the private schools where it performed better both in internal and external examinaton than other states and indeed exceeded the grand mean. He did not give reasons for low or high achievement.

The study therefore sought to find out if there is any difference in students’ academic attainment in internal and external social studies examination in  junior secondary schools in the said local government council areas in the study. It also highlighted the causes of such differences in academic achievement and suggested measures to rectify the differences so discovered.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Academic performance of students in the Social Studies internal and external Examination has received much attention of late in the Nigerian educational system. At the beginning of every academic year when results are released, educational stakeholders raise a lot of concerns about the falling performance of students. In Nigeria, junior secondary Schools are three times better in internal examination than external examination. Schools provide quality education, have good supervision, high parental commitment, motivation and good methodology leading to the commitment of students in their education but the students do not have confidence enough while writing external examination and this could be as a result of strange face of the supervisor whom they are not familiar with, then this research work consider it more important to compare the relative academic performance of the junior secondary school student in both internal and external Social Studies Examination in Warri South Local Government Area.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

  1. To examine the academic performance of student`s by comparing the Social Studies internal and external Examination result of some selected secondary Schools in the said area.
  2. To investigate the factors accounting for the student’s performance in the Social Studies Examination in secondary Schools.
  3. To find ways to improve the academic performance in our secondary Schools.

1.4     Research Questions

Answers were provided to the following questions in this research work:

  1. Will there be any difference in academic performance between internal and external social studies examination in Warri South?
  2. What variables are responsible for this difference(s) in this said Town?
  3. What measures can be put in place to improve the situation?

1.5     Statement of Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a tentative statement linking two or more variable in a correlation to establish a relationship that, further subjection to test will confirm such relationship as either positive or negative. The following are the two hypotheses that are to be tested.                  

H0: Social Studies student does not perform significantly better in internal examination than external examination.           

H1: Social Studies student perform significantly better in internal examination than external examination.  

1.6     Scope of the Study

 This research work is aimed at the comparison of junior secondary school academic performance in internal and external examination in social studies in Warri south local government area. Due to current emphasis on education in the country by the government and in order to reduce the country’s academic degradation, in solving this problem, this study focused attention on this comparison and to suggest possible solution to the problem.

1.7     Limitation of the Study

The study is on the comparison of junior secondary school academic performance in internal and external examination in social studies in warri south local government area. This study is limited to government secondary schools in Delta State.

Despite the limited scope of this study certain constraints were encountered during the research of this project.  Some of the constraints experienced by the researcher were given below:

  1. Time: This was a major constraint on the researcher during the period of the work. Considering the limited time given for this study, there was not much time to give this research the needed attention.
  2. Finance: Owing to the financial difficulty prevalent in the country and it’s resultant prices of commodities, transportation fares, research materials etc. The researcher did not find it easy meeting all his financial obligations.
  3. Information Constraints: Nigerian researchers have never had it easy when it comes to obtaining necessary information relevant to their area of study from private and even government schools. The staffs in all these schools are finding it difficult to reveal their internal operations. The primary information was collected through face-to-face interview getting the published materials on this topic meant going from one library to other which was not easy.

Although these problems placed limitations on the study, but it did not prevent the researcher from carrying out a detailed and comprehensive research work on the subject matter.

1.8     Definition of Key Terms                                         

To make a research work such as this comprehensive to even an average reader, it became every important to define some salient features involved in the theme. These salient terms are defined as follows:

Curricular: It is the aggregate of courses of study given in a school, college, university, etc

Performance: Accomplishing or achievement of specific goals, objectives or set mark in any academic Endeavour. It is one of the most common criteria of evaluating effectiveness of schools.

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.

Education: Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred from one person to another

Students Attitude: this refers to the opinions or feelings that students usually have about their studies.

Teaching: Teaching is simply referred to as the activities of educating or instructing.

Qualified Teacher: For this study a teacher who holds the following certificate is assumed to be qualified: NCE, B.Ed., B.Sc. (Ed), B.Sc. and PGDE

Innovation: is a way of changing and adapting for the purpose of attaining certain goals and aspirations

Challenges:  Challenges is seen as a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength

 

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ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION

IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION ON DISABLED  STUDENTS IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to critically examine the Impact of Entrepreneurial Education on Disabled Students in Enugu Metropolis. The study adopted a descriptive survey design in which four research questions were posed. The population of the study consisted of 9,583 disabled persons in Enugu North and Enugu East local governments of Enugu State. Simple random sampling procedure was used in selecting three (3) special education centres to represent other six (6) special education centres in Enugu Metropolis that was sampled in the study. Fourteen (14) teachers and one hundred and twenty (120) students were equally selected randomly from each of the three-special education centres making a total number of 402 respondents. A questionnaire of four-point rating scale was used as instrument for data collection. Mean statistics was used to analyze data relative to research questions with a cut-off mean score of 2.5 and percentages were used, 50% and above indicates acceptance and below represents rejected. That formed the standard for accepting or rejecting any item on the questionnaires. The result of the analyses reveals that they (disabled) face challenges when starting a business/ venture and this hinders them from becoming effective in the labour market. Challenges such as access to start-up capital, consumer discrimination which is the highest of them all, lack of confidence/ limited aspirations, training is not always tailored to individual needs and therefore of limited value to particular recipients. However already existing policy tools are not effective and efficient as the case maybe. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the stakeholders, government and other related/concerned bodies should encourage the special needs students by providing the necessary assistive technologies. Parent/guardians of special needs students should encourage these ones and make them feel wanted in the society instead of segregating them.

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of Study

Worldwide, the prevalence of disability is argued to be growing, with population ageing and increasing incidence of chronic health conditions (World Health Organisation/World Bank 2011). Disability affects a wide range of socio-economic outcomes, including labour market participation, but also other factors that shape participation including education, information and transport.

The WHO (2013) (World Health Organisation) describes disability as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. The impairment being a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation being a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing task or action; while a participation restriction is termed a problem experienced by an individual’s involvement in life situations. Disability is thus not just a health problem, but a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he/she lives. Impairment can occur from/ at birth or any time over the course of an individual’s life, either permanently or temporarily.

As pertains to its causes, explanations abound from the mystical to the empirically researched complex happenings that only genetics can provide as is the case in Systemic Lupus Erythematosis. Mugo (2010) states that traditional and spiritual beliefs play an important role in framing up comprehensions of disability in Africa. Many communities attribute disability to witchcraft, curses or conditions afflicted by bad omen and spirits with the resulting effect being that of fear and pity towards the PWD (Persons living with Disability)leading to their isolation/discrimination.

In actual schooled sense, the causes of disability are as numerous as they are indiscriminate; encompassing everyday happen-stances like road accidents, diseases as trachoma, war injuries, and work place injuries amongst others. This being the case, it should come as a sobering realization that we are all potential candidate or already might be albeit without symptom as is the case with genetically acquired degenerative diseases. With this in mind, it should bear more on our expertise, for us in academia to pay more attention to matters of disability.

The convention on the Rights of Persons Living with Disability, an initiative of the United Nations, as quoted in the WHO website, states that around 10% of the World’s population or roughly 650 million persons live with known disability. This undisputedly constitutes the world’s largest and most widespread minority and with continued trends of rapid population growth and advances in modern medicine, posits the WHO, these figures can only rise.

The first ever world report on disability (2000) co-authored by the World Bank group and WHO holds that PWD (Persons living with Disability) generally face higher rates of poverty and are afforded fewer economic opportunities compared to persons without disability. The figures are that 20% of the world‘s poorest are disabled and living in the developing countries. This sad state of affairs can find part explanation in the ostracization of PWD from mainstream social-economic life by society.

Disabled people tend to be concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paid occupations (Meager and Higgins 2011). Low participation rates are costly for the individuals concerned in terms of economic and psychological well-being, for governments in terms of lost output and tax revenues, and increased welfare payments, and for the society in terms of the impact of social exclusion and discrimination on civic participation and public life.

However, one possible solution to problems of low participation rates lies in the potential for disabled people to become self employed or to start and run their own businesses. The relevance of entrepreneurship education to humanity and economic growth cannot be overemphasized considering its developmental incentives in the well being of an individual and promotion of economic activities. Entrepreneurship education could take the form of technical education, business education, computer application, fine and applied arts among others.

Entrepreneurship is not just skill acquisition for acquisition sake; it is an acquisition of skills and ideas for the sake of creating employment for one’s self and also others (Garba 2010). Therefore the need for entrepreneurial education to be incorporated into special needs education curriculum for this category of persons becomes a salient issue. This is because entrepreneurship education will help unlock their potentials and pave way for their financial independence and sustainability in the face of the large scale unemployment in Nigeria.

1.2     Statement of Problem

Education in Nigeria is devoid of the element crucial to averting the surging rate of unemployment with persons with impairment/ disability in the country, therefore the breeding of psychological dependence on direct access to money.

However despite the efforts by tertiary institutions in teaching various skills and trades, coupled with learning aimed at imparting knowledge and understanding of the potential rewards for business establishment, unemployment abounds among the young: Hungra et al (2011). Brijlal (2011) asserts that only a small percentage of graduates became entrepreneurs after college.

In a bid to explain this phenomenon of poor transition rates into enterprise by graduates, numerous studies have been undertaken all over the world, with many focusing on entrepreneurial intention studies as a possible avenue for explanation of this lack of entrepreneurial behavior.  This focus has been so popular with researchers as intentions are said to be the best predictors of planned behavior.

As evidence in literature, the emphasis has been on studying entrepreneurial intent in ̒ ̒normal able-bodied persons. A clear-cut case of marginalization in academic research and knowledge against PWD in the society. This research seek to address the impact of entrepreneurial education on disabled students.

1.3     Purpose of Study

Overall, the purpose of this study is to help address a broad research question for which entrepreneurship education assessment literature has so far provided only tentative insight; whether and to what extent entrepreneurship training programs and studies help to create additional or more successful entrepreneurs. This includes:

  1. To examine the level of self employment activities among people with disabilities.
  2. To assess the challenges the disabled people face when starting a business/venture.
  3. To determine the extent to which policy support/tools on disabled are available to help them become more entrepreneurial.
  4. To ascertain the extent to which disabled students/persons benefits from entrepreneurial education.

1.4     Scope of Study

The study assessed the impact of entrepreneurial education on disabled students. The assessment was done by; the challenges faced by disabled students when starting a business, examining the level of self employment activities of people with disability, the extent to which policy tools on disabled are available and the benefits of entrepreneurial education to the disabled using Enugu metropolis as a case study.

1.5    Significance of the Study

In the introduction of Adam Smith’s world renowned book on economics, titled ‘The Wealth Of Nations’, by Alan Krueger (2003) , it is stated that the propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another is common to all men, and is to be found in no other race of animals, from communistic societies to prisoner-of-war camps. Constraints can be imposed on a market, or even for the sake and purpose of this paper, disability can occur or be the case! But the rise of the market seems virtually unavoidable.

PWD in society have been marginalized long enough more so in academic research on matters of entrepreneurship. The subject of entrepreneurial intent has been researched on high and low, but empirically sound research on the same focusing on the disabled population is extremely hard to come by in literature.

Significantly, the findings of this study will aid shape the direction taken by governmental policy makers on coming up with curriculums and strategies in special needs schools which better address the entrepreneurial needs of PWD and better inform the economic empowerment programmers geared towards their emancipation by the state after college.

The research findings will also serve the parents or guardians of these students especially in guidance of career choice. Thus equipping them with foresight on how to prepare to be of best moral and material support to the soon to be granduands.

The findings will encourage teachers and students to develop skills and competencies in technologies for teaching and learning of entrepreneurship in schools. From the findings, it will further help teachers enhance their teaching skills and strategies. The teachers will use the results collected from the study to reform the content and method of teaching. The results of the study will also be of great importance to disabled students, it will improve their academic performances, job readiness, enhance their social psychological development (self-esteem, ego development, self-efficacy); and perceived improved health status etc.

Finally non state actors who are a crucial social economic development agents will benefit greatly from the findings of this study. Based on the same these actors can better formulate programmes and strategies on how to economically empower the students after college.

1.6    Research Questions

  1. What is the level of self-employment activities among people with disabilities?
  2. What barriers do people with disabilities face when starting a business/ venture?
  3. What are the policy tools/ support available to help those with disabilities become more entrepreneurial?
  4. What are the benefits of entrepreneurship for people with disabilities?

 

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