Abanobi, C.
C.
Department
of Educational Psychology
Federal
College of Education (Technical), Asaba
&
Abanobi, C.
H.
Department
of Home Economics
Federal
College of Education (Technical), Asaba\
Abstract
The study investigated teacher education in Nigeria; challenges and
way forward in the global community. Teacher education is a tool required by
teachers to acquire the requisite professional teaching skills necessary to
excel in a dynamic global community. The paper x-rayed the challenges facing
teacher education in Nigeria as well as the way forward. Based
on the laudable emphasis on teacher education, the study recommends among
others that teacher education in Nigeria should conform to international
standards; this can be achieved through the establishment of linkage programmes
between Nigerian teacher education institutions, centres and faculties with top
ranking foreign universities and bodies.
Introduction
The
success of an educational enterprise particularly in terms of quality depends
to a large extent, on the regular supply of qualified teachers. In the National
Policy on Education, the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) also asserted that
no nation can achieve economic, social and technological progress and
self-sufficiency without a good system of education to sustain its achievement.
The training and production of the manpower required for the attainment of
national objectives should be framed on the quality and quantity of teachers.
Fafunwa (1974) cited by Dienye (2011) argued that teacher education should be
basically related to every phase of development in Nigeria, for wherever one
turns, be it economic, political or social spheres of activities, one is faced
with the over-reoccurring problem of trained manpower needs but no adequate
training can take place without competent teachers to handle the programme.
It is
the education system that produces the personnel that drives the various facets
of national life; as was stated by the National Economic Empowerment and Development
Strategy (NEEDS, 2004) “the goals of wealth creation, employment generation,
poverty reduction and value reorientation can be effectively pursued, attained
and sustained only through an efficient, relevant and functional system”. However,
it is noteworthy to point out that no matter how well designed or how well
intended the visions of an education system are , they can only be actualized
by the presence of a well equipped, visionary, well trained, efficiently
committed and qualified teachers.
Teacher Education
The key
personnel in the institutions who play an important role to bring about
positive transformations in students are teachers. As stated by NCTE (1998) in
Quality Concerns in Secondary Teacher Education, ―The teacher is the most
important element in any educational program, it is the teacher who is mainly
responsible for implementation of the educational process at any stage. This
shows that it is imperative to invest in the preparation of teachers, so that
the future of a nation is secured. Dienye (2011) stated that the teacher is the
prime player in the education of students at every level, the teacher can be
described as the life wire of the education system at all levels. The teacher
can only deliver quality education to the students only if he is professionally
viable. It is well known that the quality and extent of learner achievement are
determined primarily by teacher competence, sensitivity and teacher motivation.
The importance of competent teachers to the nation‘s school system can in no
way be overemphasized. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 places demands
and expectations on the teacher, which need to be addressed by both initial and
continuing teacher education.
Teacher
education has been variously defined; The National Council for Teacher
Education as cited by Jekayinfa (n.d.) defined teacher education as a programme
of education, research and training of persons to teach from pre-primary to
higher education level. Teacher education is a programme that is related to the
development of teacher proficiency and competence that would enable and empower
the teacher to meet the requirements of the profession and face the challenges
therein. Osuji (2009) defined teacher education as professional education of
teachers towards attainment of attitudes, skills and knowledge considered
desirable so as to make them efficient and effective in their work in
accordance with the need of the society at any point in time. It is also the
training and education before service and during the service which is training
on the job. It is a process of developing skilled teaching manpower which will
enhance the provision of good and relevant education to learners by teachers at
whatever level of the education system they operate. More so, Dienye (2011)
stressed that teacher education occupies a centre stage in the whole education
enterprise. It is a conspicuous element in the totality of organized education
both in the formal and informal sub-systems. It is responsible for the
production of academically and professionally competent teachers who can
translate theories of teaching into practical teaching in the classroom. As
pointed out by UNESCO (2001), there is the need for well qualified and
competent teachers who would be able to teach more than one million children
that are still out of school. Teacher education is crucial to the realization
of the vision 2020 target of achieving education for all.
Teacher
education encompasses teaching skills, sound pedagogical theory and
professional skills. Teacher Education = Teaching Skills + Pedagogical theory +
Professional skills.
Teaching
skills would include providing training and practice in the different
techniques, approaches and strategies that would help the teachers to plan and
impart instruction, provide appropriate reinforcement and conduct effective
assessment. It includes effective classroom management skills, preparation and
use of instructional materials and communication skills.
Pedagogical
theory includes the philosophical, sociological and psychological
considerations that would enable the teachers to have a sound basis for
practicing the teaching skills in the classroom. The theory is stage specific
and is based on the needs and requirements that are characteristic of that
stage.
Professional
skills include the techniques, strategies and approaches that would help
teachers to grow in the profession and also work towards the growth of the
profession. It includes soft skills, counseling skills, interpersonal skills,
computer skills, information retrieving and management skills and above all
lifelong learning skills. An amalgamation of teaching skills, pedagogical
theory and professional skills would serve to create the right knowledge,
attitude and skills in teachers, thus promoting holistic development.
Teacher
Education in Nigeria
Teacher
education was started in Nigeria by the missionaries albeit in a crude manner
when pupil teachers were trained as catechists. While missionaries made efforts
to train teachers and preachers in Eastern and Western Nigeria, teacher
training in Northern Nigeria was started by the colonial government in
Nassarawa under the leadership of Harnns Vischer who was the then Director of
Education in Northern Nigeria. Teacher training before and during the colonial
period can be described as very deficient and shallow. Recognizing the
importance of teacher education to the development of the nation, the National
Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004) clearly stated the goals
of teacher education in section 71 (a-e) that teacher education shall:
•
Produce highly motivated conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all
level of our education system
•
Encourage further the spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers
• Help
teachers to fit into the social life of the community and society at large and
enhance their commitment to national goals
•
Provide teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for
their assignment and make them adaptable to changing situations
•
Enhance teachers’ commitment to the teaching profession.
The
policy further stated that all teachers shall be professionally trained.
Teacher education programmes shall be structured to equip teachers for
effective performance of their duties. Specified programmes in the following
institutions will ensure the implementation of the goals of teacher education
if they meet the required minimum standards:
a)
Colleges of Education
b)
Faculties of Education
c)
Institutes of Education
d) National
Teachers’ Institute (NTI)
e)
Schools of Education in the Polytechnics
It is
expected that teacher education shall be continuously expanded both at the
Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree levels to cater for the
requirements of technical, business and special education.
In order
to legalize the professional status of teaching in Nigeria, government set up
the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) for the purpose of
controlling and regulating teaching in Nigeria. The council was to give
unqualified teachers the period to get qualified through some form of teacher
education. It also required newly qualified teachers to go through periods of
internship. Holders of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) were to serve
two years of internship while holders of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
degrees serve for a period of one year.
Teacher
education in Nigeria is supposed to improve at both the primary and secondary
school levels looking at the national policy guidelines. Agencies of government
responsible for policy implementation are expected to ensure provision of
quality teacher education by ensuring that only academically and professionally
qualified persons are appointed as teachers and head teachers. They are also
expected to regulate in-service training programmes for both teachers and head
teachers. In line with the recognition of the national policy on education
which stated that “no educational system can rise above the quality of its
teachers” (Dienye, 2011).
More so,
Dienye emphasized that the aims of teacher education have been broadened to
keep pace with the scientific and technological revolution. The content of
teacher education programmes has been adapted to the changing needs of society.
There is an increase in the number of teachers being trained to cope with the
population increase and universal basic education. Teacher education curriculum
has been enlarged, now including new subjects like Peace and Security Education,
Computer Education, Environmental education, and HIV/AIDS issues. Education
against contemporary issues that destabilize society like breakdown of family
values, drug abuse, sexual harassment, cultism and corruption are incorporated
in Nigerian teacher education.
Challenges
of Nigerian Teacher Education
Teacher
education in Nigeria is currently faced with many challenges as discussed by
Dienye (2011);
One
major challenge of teacher education in Nigeria has been that of quality
control in teacher education institutions. Maintaining the required standards
to ensure that quality education is given to teachers has not been completely
attainable. Some government agencies are responsible for regulating teacher
education programmes include the National Commission for Colleges of Education
(NCCE) which coordinates and regulates colleges of education ensuring that the
number of qualified lecturers and the required infrastructure for effective
running of the institutions are available. The Nigerian Universities Commission
(NUC) is the body responsible for accrediting university programmes in the
faculties and institutes of education in the universities. The National
Teachers Institute (NTI) is the body responsible for pre-service and in-service
training programmes, teachers who wish to get National Certificate of Education
(NCE) and most recently Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes.
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) is responsible for
maintaining teachers register and code of conduct for teachers.
Even
though these bodies have been given the responsibility to monitor and maintain
standards in the various schools responsible for providing teacher education,
they have not been doing their jobs the way they should. Inspections are not
being properly done. Inspections are flossed over after inducements by heads of
education institutions to get their programmes accredited. The outreach
programmes of the NTI are poorly monitored, inexperienced officers are put in
charge of their outreach centres scattered all over the country, especially in
the rural areas. Poor quality lectures are given to these students. A lot of
examination malpractices take place in these centres unchecked. Even the TRCN
has not been able to stop non educationists from teaching. The inability of
these regulatory agencies of government to perform their duties effectively is
inimical to the growth of teacher education in Nigeria.
Teacher
education in Nigeria is bedeviled with poor quality candidates. Stakeholders in
the education system have expressed concerns about the poor quality of
education graduates from most teacher training institutions and universities.
It is common knowledge that most candidates who opt to train as teachers in the
faculties of education in the universities and colleges of education do so reluctantly.
Most candidates see teacher education as the last option when they fail to
secure admission into other courses of their choice. The result is that such
students do not commit their time to the programme but want to get the degrees
to look for greener pastures. Besides, admitting poor students into education
programmes also affects the final output. Poor quality candidates will make
poor quality teachers. Undeserving candidates who indulge in examination
malpractices to gain admission may not be amenable to learning because they are
ill prepared for rigorous academic work. The result is poor quality teachers.
Teacher
education suffers from poor enrolment. The poor condition of service over the
years has made teaching very unattractive to the best brains in the country.
There is nothing to entice and retain the best brains in the profession. The
low social status of teaching in Nigeria has made it very unattractive to younger
ones. The problem of attrition in the teaching profession is a huge challenge
to teacher education in Nigeria.
Teacher
education in Nigeria suffers from gender imbalance; teaching is generally seen
as a female dominated profession, especially at the primary and secondary
school levels. It is alarmingly becoming so, even at the tertiary level. A lot
of talent and resource is lost due to reluctance of males to enroll in teacher
education programmes. Ibidapo (2007) pointed out the relationship between loud
motivation of teachers and brain drain in the education sector; he noted that cases
of absenteeism, apathy and lack of commitment in school are results of poor
conditions of service. The challenge of globalization is an impediment to
Nigerian teacher education; when the world is driven by information and
communication technology (ICT), most institutions that provide teacher
education do not have the technology and personnel to train teachers who can
teach students using the latest cutting edge gadgets of modern science and
technology. Training and retraining of teachers to cope with the dynamic trend
in education through acquisition of competency in multimedia which will help
facilitate interactive communication among individuals. ICT enables teachers to
use the web and this process expands the teachers’ horizon as it keeps them abreast
of new trends in education. The absence of ICT facilities in most teacher
training institution has a negative impact on the quality of both the teacher
education and education in general.
The
Nigerian education has always experienced very poor funding. According to
Briggs (2010), the federal government has never been able to get to the 26%
budgetary allocation stipulated by UNESCO to education the highest being 6.4%
of the budgetary allocation to the education sector. The result is an education
sector bedeviled with industrial actions due to non provision of the
infrastructure required to provide quality education in teacher training
institutions. Lifelong teacher education model is almost non-existent in
Nigerian teacher education programmes. There is the need for lifelong education
for teachers. This includes vertical integration- education throughout life.
Teacher education should include inculcating in the teachers the attitude of
continuous learning. Fadina (2004) emphasized the need for more in-service and
on the job training to help raise the quality of teachers in Nigeria. In the
same vein Olude (2004) saw in-service training as a lifelong education process
for the improvement of teacher education in Nigeria. In–service training for
teachers is not given the attention it deserves because teachers do not get
sponsorship.
Government
has always paid lip-service for implementation of policies that will promote
the quality of teacher education in Nigeria as stipulated in the national
policy. Teacher education in Nigeria also suffers from the problem of poorly
trained teachers due to the problem of examination malpractice. Student
teachers who cheat their way through training programmes will naturally get
into the system as half-baked and poor quality teachers. This trend has
continued to ruin the Nigerian Teacher education progress in the globalized
world.
The way
forward for Teacher Education in Nigeria
For
Nigeria to remain relevant in the comity of nations, the quality of its
education must be seen to be at the same level as the developed nations, teacher education at all levels must be geared
towards producing a crop of well motivated teachers to participate in the
developmental revolution which is sweeping through Nigeria in recent times.
Without well trained teachers to help educate the masses, the various economic
reforms (NEEDS, SEEDS, LEEDS, and NAPEP), and even other socio-political and
economic reforms will not make any impact in the developmental process. An
improvement on the quality of teacher education will ensure that teachers are
equipped with the specialized knowledge and capability to achieve the nation’s
educational goals which is an efficient, relevant and functional education
system.
Conclusion
The
quality of education of any nation depends on the quality of its teachers;
efforts should be made by government to employ all modern methods available in
teacher education to produce qualified teachers. This will ensure a high quality
education system which will compete positively in the global community.
Recommendations
To
enhance quality of teacher education in Nigeria, the study recommends the
following;
i.
teacher education programmes should be subjected
to proper supervision by the appropriate bodies to ensure the achievement of
goals in line with the standard benchmark for achievement of quality teacher
education to equip teachers in the delivery of cutting-edge knowledge required
for survival in globalized world
ii. the
period of students’ teaching practice should be extended to enhance professional
preparation of the teachers. Also, the possibility of a probation system of
prospective teachers should be considered on its own merits for the production
of competent teachers.
iii. government
should award scholarship to student teachers as incentive. Exceptional students
with cumulative grade points of 4.5 and above should be encouraged by awarding
them free university education so long as their grades do not drop.
iv. The
government and curriculum planners should ensure that the teacher trainers in
our teacher education institutes are themselves professionals. Also, the
professionals in teacher education should regularly organize seminars and
workshops to update teachers on the new methods in teaching at various school
levels and
v. the
government should increase the funding of the teacher education institutions by
providing modern facilities especially in the area of ICT should be made
available by the government to enhance the quality of teacher education in
Nigeria at various school levels
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O. (2007). The challenge of teacher
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