ABSTRACT
This research
study examined the factors hindering effective teaching of vocational courses
in Nigerian universities. The work aims at identifying the constraints to the effective teaching of
vocational education programme in Nigerian higher institutions. It also aimed
at ascertaining the availability and use of teaching aids in teaching and
learning of vocational/technical courses in the Nigerian universities. In
the course of achieving the objectives of the study, a questionnaire was
designed and administered on students of the Ambrose Alli
University, Ekpoma. The
Likert scale response type questionnaire comprises of 20 items. And they were
scored as follows: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagreed. The
research findings showed that there
is a poor attitudinal disposition to vocational courses in Nigerian universities;
the study also found that there is a dearth of infrastructures in the Nigerian
universities. This situation coupled with the luke warm attitude of government
towards the educational sector is affecting the growth of vocational courses in
the Nigerian universities. And as such
the researchers made the following recommendations:
1.
There is need also for these
governmental agencies to organize workshops from time to time to keep
instructors abreast of the new approaches to teaching some vocational education
topics.
2.
Curriculum planners should constantly review
the contents of the VTE to see whether there are some topics that need be
deleted.
3.
There is need for equipping the
universities with audio visual and other teaching aids to aid teachers’ efforts
in teaching vocational courses and to foster understanding among students. And lecturers should be encouraged by paying
them relevant allowances as at when due.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Exactly a decade ago, there was a
deliberate attempt to draw the attention of the education community to crisis
in Nigerian educational system. The Nigerian
Academy of Education devoted its 10th
Annual Congress held at the International
Conference Center
in Abuja to
examine this problem (Badmus 1995). In the same year a former secretary to the
Minister of Education published his book titled “Crisis and Problems in
Education in Nigeria”
(Nwabueze, 1995). Since then some government parastatals and NGOs have mounted
workshops on this issue. (Badmus, 2000). A leading educationist, former
Secretary General and former President of Nigerian Academy, Ukeje (1995)
submitted that we are all involved because we are in an age of paradoxes: an
age in which our society has been terribly corrupted and contaminated, an age
in which mediocrity has triumphed over meritocracy, an age where the wrong can
be strong, an age in which indiscipline seems to be glorified and discipline
deprecated; an age in which the rich get richer, while poorer gets poorer; an
age in which there are inequalities and inequities. He concluded that it should
not be’ surprising if crises in vocational educational system become the norm
in such an age (Ukeje, 1995). Since then the Nigerian education system has been
referred to as “the Folklore Golden Hen in Action, but the hen and eggs are no
longer golden but brown” (Ajayi, 2000).
According to Ajibade (1999),
certainly, there is a need to confront challenges posed by crisis in Nigerian
education system in general and the crisis in universities in particular. There
is a growing interest in and awareness of the role and relevance of vocational
courses in the higher institutions, particularly as it enhances creativity and
innovation in the society. It is recognized that Nigeria needs to strengthen its
capacity of creativity and innovation to be able to respond effectively to the
development of the knowledge of the students (EC, 2008b) and to become more
competitive in economic and social terms (Jeffery, 2006). In March 2000, The
European Council set for Europe a strategic
goal for the next decade: “to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge
– based economy in the world”. To achieve this ambitious goal, which is part of
the Lisbon Strategy, Heads of state and Government asked for a transformation
of the European economy, and for the modernization of social welfare and
education systems. The Lisbon Strategy, a programme focusing on growth and jobs
for European competitiveness, underlines the fact that knowledge and innovation
are the EU’s most valuable assets.
When launching the renewed Lisbon objectives, the 2006 Spring European council called
for a broad – based innovation strategy for Europe
reiterating the commitment to spend more on vocational courses. It identified
education and training as one of the critical factors for a more innovation –
friendly Europe. Knowledge and innovation are
seen as the beating heart of European growth. In spring 2008, the European
Council stated that European citizens’ potential for creativity and innovation
is essential for future growth. In its conclusions, members’ states and
Commission were requested to develop evidence – based education policy relating
to creative and innovation skills; to support research on the promotion of
those skills; and to foster creativity and innovation at all levels of
education. In addition, the European Parliament gave its support, in September
2008, to the Commission proposal to designate 2009 as the “European Year of
Creativity and Innovation.” This European Year aims to raise public awareness,
spread information and promote public debate on vocational courses with
emphasis on creativity and the capacity for innovation. It also aims to
stimulate research into how to develop creative and innovation attitudes and
entrepreneurship for personal and professional development in the higher
institution. The Council of Europe emphasizes on the importance of creativity,
knowledge, flexibility and innovation in a time of rapid technological change
as they enhance citizens’ well – being and provide careers opportunities of the
students.
Vocational courses have been at the
centre of the African Europe agenda for a long time, and it is one of the three
key policy areas for the revised Lisbon
strategy (EC, 2005). Creativity, a relatively new concept for EU policy –
making has been recognized as the “infinite source of innovation” (EC, 2008c),
and therefore indispensable for an innovation shift. Innovation is perceived as
the major input for long – term economic growth (EC, 2008c) and for the market
to thrive (Aho, 2006). Vocational courses foster creativity and this is a skill
which enables individuals to find new solutions, to see things in a different
perspective and to generate and evaluate new ideas. Such innovative and
creative capacity can only be harnessed to full advantage if it is widely
disseminated throughout the European population (EC, 2008a); especially in
times of economic crisis, skills need to be improved in order to enhance
employability and, as a consequence economic growth. Transversal skills, such
as problem – solving, self – management or analytical skills are the backbones
of new skills for new jobs (Victor, D.E, 2008d). Political, business and social
leaders will therefore have to commit by creating an innovative Europe as there is urgent need for a paradigm change
(Aho, 2006). The provision of new basic skills has been identified as a
priority from pre – socialization era to post – retirement era (Jeffery, A.J.
2006).
The European Commission (EC, 2008c)
links vocational courses sees them as essential skills to be developed in the
context of lifelong learning. Creativity concerns all fields of human activity
and it can be developed at all levels of education. Creativity in turn spurs
innovative and entrepreneurial courses. In the same background paper on
lifelong learning for creativity and innovation, the European Commission
(2008c) maintains that education and training are necessary for future
innovation, but at the same time innovation is needed to improve education and
training. In order to achieve this, learner – centred pedagogies and lecturers’
empowerment and support are seen as key enabling factors for innovative institutions
to promote creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The study also
recognizes the potential that ICT have for fostering change. The Nigerian
Governments presently are taking part in the debate about Education and
Training (vocational educational) to meet the challenges of the 21st
century, though member states are tackling the issue in different ways
(Jeffery, 2006). To explore these themes, the Federal government has launched a
study in collaboration with NUC on the role of creativity and innovation in
compulsory education. The study aims to review if and how the various states
are implementing creativity and innovation in their educational policies, to
what extent are they supporting them and whether practices reflect these policy
priorities. In universities education in particular. Four maladjustments known
to set off crisis in part or the entire educational system are:
1. The gap between educational demand and supply;
2
. The
anachrotic provision for staffing and managing educational system.
3
. The misfit
between the content of education and the real educational needs of students and
society; and
4
. The menacing
gap between educational resource requirement and resource available (Coombs,
1968: 19).
It is in the light of these that this
study intends to explore on the factors affecting the effective teaching of
vocational courses in Nigerian universities
1.2
Statement of the Problem
For Nigeria to excel technologically
there is the need for the effective teaching of vocational education program in
the higher institutions. In spite of the importance of vocational education to
the development of both students and the society at large, there is no much
emphasis placed on the effective management of vocational education programs in
Nigeria.
The frequent occurrence of low students’ participation in vocational
educational courses has been a great concern to all well meaning students,
institutions and industries. It is in the light of the above, that the present
study was carried out to ascertain if there are factors responsible for the
ineffective teaching of vocational education in the higher institutions. There
as a general thinking by the public and students alike that vocational
education is meant for dull and never do well students academically (Afe, 1993 and
Oke 2007).
The Government and most Nigerians are lovers and
crazy about paper qualifications. They love white – collar jobs and hate to
work with their hands. Fafunwa (1991) tried to assure the public that
vocational education do not imply that the students would become carpenters and
masons but that it would develop in them that zeal for vocational activities
which is most likely to encourage inventiveness, invocation and perseverance in
its beneficiaries. Consequently, funds are needed to procure the required
instructional materials, equipment and provision of the necessary facilities.
In cases when funds are made available, it is either embezzled or
misappropriated. According to a former Minister of state in Education,
Batagarawa (2001), the low pace of vocational education in Nigeria is due to
the fact that it is expensive develop and sustain partly because of its high
resources requirement. Closely related to the above problem, is the unhealthy
perception or discrimination against vocational graduates. This discrimination
is virtually visible amongst graduates of vocational institutions and
university graduates. Up till now, the former is being managed by National
Board for Technical Education while the latter is under the supervision of
National Universities Commission. Nigeria is in dare need of
economic, political and technological and vocational advancement. And there is
no gain saying that no nation can rise above the quality of her lecturers, the
chief propagator of any form of education Bello (2004) unequivocally pointed it
out that “a lot of measurers are put in place by the various governments to
improve the standard of vocational education in general, but problem still lies
in the provision of qualified lecturers.” It is obvious that the quality of the
graduates of vocational is largely dependent on the quality of their lecturers.
The vocational lecturer is expected to have a sound knowledge of his course (a
master of his course) and must have a good experience in the word of work for
which he is preparing his students.