ABSTRACT
The study assessed the adequacy of resources for vocational education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. Five objectives, five research questions and two hypotheses were raised. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 640 respondents (6 principals and 634 teachers) from technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. A sample size of 246 respondents (6 principals and 240 teachers) participated in the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw the sample size. Two instruments titled "Adequacy of Resources Inventory Check-list (ARIC)" and "Adequacy of Resources Questionnaire (ARQ)" were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by three experts, from College of Education, two from Educational Management and one from Measurement and Evaluation from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Reliability of the instruments were established using Split-half reliability and Cronbach alpha reliability method. ARIC and ARQ yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.98 and 0.97. Data from 246 completed copies of ARIC and ARQ were used for analysis. Percentage was used to answer research questions 1-3, while Mean and Standard deviation were used to answer research questions 4 and 5. Hypotheses were tested using t-test at 0.05 level of significant. Results showed that there is adequate teaching staff, whereas workshops and instructional facilities were not adequate. There were no significant difference between the mean responses of principals and teachers on the adequacy of funding for teaching and learning in technical secondary schools. There were resource challenges experienced in vocational education in Akwa Ibom State technical secondary schools. It was recommended that government should provide adequate workshops and instructional facilities for effective implementation of vocational education programme.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of contents vi
List
of tables ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 7
1.3
Purpose of the Study 8
1.4
Research Questions 9
1.5
Hypotheses 9
1.6 Significance of the Study 10
1.7 Scope of the Study 11
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 12
2.1 Conceptual
Framework
12
2.1.1 Concept of
vocational and technical education 12
2.1.2 Vocational education programmes in Nigeria 16
2.1.3 Funding of
vocational education programme 19
2.1.4 The
prospect of vocational education in Nigeria 22
2.1.5
The need for vocational education 25
2.1.6
Educational policies and vocational education 26
2.1.7
Challenges facing vocational education in Nigeria 28
2.1.8
Strategies for improving vocational education programme in Nigeria 32
2.1.9 Concept of
resources in education 37
2.1.10 Adequacy of
resources for vocational education 41
2.1.11
Adequacy of qualified teaching staff for effective vocational education 42
2.1.12 Adequacy of instructional
facilities for vocational education programme 45
2.2
Theoretical Framework 49
2.2.1 Theory
of resource allocation (D. A. Norman and D. G. Bobrow, 1975) 49
2.2.2 Human
capital theory (smith's, 1776) 50
2.2.3 Theory of learning performance (D. S. Taylor,
ND) 51
2.3
Empirical Studies 53
2.4 Summary
of Related Literature 57
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
59
3.1 Design of the Study 59
3.2
Area of the Study 59
3.3 Population of the Study 60
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 60
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 60
3.6 Validation of the Instruments 61
3.7
Reliability of the Instruments 61
3.8
Method of Data Collection 62
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 62
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION 63
4.1 Discussion of
the Findings 69
4.1.1 Adequacy of
teaching staff for effective vocational education 70
4.1.2 Adequacy of
functional workshops 70
4.1.3 Adequacy of
instructional facilities for practical 71
4.1.4 Adequacy of funding for teaching and
learning 72
4.1.5 Resource challenges experienced in
vocational education 73
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 75
5.1 Summary 75
5.2 Conclusion 76
5.3 Educational
Implication of the Findings 77
5.4 Limitation of
the Study 78
5.5
Recommendations 78
5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies 79
References 80
Appendices
LIST OF TABLES
4.1: The ratio rating on the adequacy of
teaching staff for
vocational education in technical
secondary schools in Akwa Ibom
State.
63
4.2: Percentage
on the adequacy of workshops in Akwa Ibom
State technical secondary schools 64
4.3: Percentage on the adequacy of
instructional facilities for vocational
education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. 65
4.4: The Mean and standard deviation
rating of the responses of teachers
and principals on how adequate are the
funding for vocational
education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. 66
4.5: The
t-test Analysis on the difference between the mean responses of
the teachers and principals on the adequacy of funding for vocational
education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. 67
4.6: The Mean and standard deviation rating
of the principals and
teachers responses on the challenges experienced in vocational
education in Akwa Ibom State technical secondary schools. 68
4.7: The t-test analysis of the difference between
the mean responses
of the teachers and principals on the resource challenges experienced in vocational education in
Akwa Ibom State technical secondary
schools 69
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE
STUDY
Education is not a privilege, it is
the right of every individual. It unlocks the development of personal and
national potentials of citizens of a country and the world at large. According
to Balogun (2010), education is the light without which the world would be in
darkness. It is the basis for scientific and technological breakthrough which
has made it an immense priority all over the world. Currently, emphasis is
shifting away from the general education that encourages mere acquisition of
certificates to skill based education which centers more on what one can do and
the ability to apply the requisite
skills in a real work environment. Atchoarena (2004) posited that the debate on the knowledge economy has
drawn more attention of governments to vocational education.
Vocational education is an aspect of education
designed to prepare students for industry, agriculture, commerce and home economics
which is usually provided at the senior secondary level. According to Federal
Republic of Nigeria (FRN), (2013), Vocational education is defined as that
aspect of education that leads to the acquisition of practical and applied
skills as well as basic scientific knowledge. In this sense, it forms a
practical segment of education that will help in the development of appropriate
skills and competencies to combat youth unemployment, poverty and further
contribute to social transformation.
It is a well known fact that vocational
education is a workshop based programme hence effective management of the
workshop is very important for the development of students’ employable skills.
Umar and Maaji (2010) posited that school workshops offer opportunities for
practical training of students thus facilitating skill acquisition in their
respective trade areas. Indeed, it is generally believed that the acquisition
of the requisite skills is a means of increasing the productive power of a
nation (Odu, 2010). Danko (2006) described vocational education as the core
economy of both the individual and the society. Through acquisition of skills,
individuals could explore their environment and harness the resources within
it, which could serve them and the society since the wealth of the society
determines to a large extent the development of that society.
In
Nigeria, there has been emphasis in recent times on improving vocational
education in secondary schools basically for combating unemployment, poverty as
well as improve the economic performance
of the nation . The goals of vocational education in Nigeria today are such
that if adequately implemented will bring about the revolution of technological
development in Nigeria thereby having a significant and positive impact on the
national economy. These goals include provision of trained manpower in the
applied sciences, technology, business particularly at craft, advanced craft
and technical levels. Others include the
provision of technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for
agricultural, commercial and economic development; that will give training and
impart necessary skills to individuals who shall eventually be economically
self-reliant (FRN, 2013).
The fact remains, that none of these goals
will be accomplished if students in schools are inadequately trained. Effective
training of students cannot be accomplished in the absence of certain
ingredients that create conducive environments for teaching and learning. These
ingredients include the right quality and number of teachers, well equipped
workshops and laboratories with up-to-date facilities, adequate tools and other
materials. Omekwe (2009) noted that for effective implementation of any
educational programme, adequate human and material resources must be made
available to the schools. However, sufficient number of trained teachers with
different types of expertise (science, language, technology, among others) must
be recruited and posted to the schools where they are needed. The importance of
vocational education stretches from the individual to community and beyond to
the nation at large. Thus, even though the individual is the primary
beneficiary of vocational education, the community or the nation eventually
benefit from it as well. However, vocational education reduces drop-outs and
unemployment rates by providing training opportunities to persons who are not
academic oriented and not too far removed from the realities of the world of
work. Experts have observed that Nigeria has an unprecedented high unemployment
rate because of lack of skills among youths and few job opportunities.
Consequently; it appears that Nigerians are
schooled but unemployable because of the forms of general education they
receive. Before the introduction of formal education in Nigeria, young people
were trained for specific occupations and careers through an apprenticeship
scheme or on-the-job training. The introduction of reading, writing and
arithmetic and colonial academic education in general became associated with
white collar jobs which were seen as an instrument for upward mobility in the
social class. In an attempt to address this problem, the Federal Government
built vocational and technical education programmes into its National Policy on
education as a strategy for effective
implementation of the programme. Science education was made compulsory at
primary school level and the senior secondary school segment for those who are able and willing to have a
complete six (6) years Secondary Education. Introductory Technology was made a
compulsory subject at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level with the aim of
graduating students with sufficient practical skills in the areas of building
technology, wood work, electricity, and electronics.
Many years after the implementation of this
project, it is disheartening to observe the non-attainment of its objectives.
Ulifun in Okoli and Okorie (2015), describes adequacy, maintenance and
availability of resources as sine qua non for the attainment of educational
goals. A key element in delivery of quality vocational education is the quality
of resources for delivery of content.
Resources are tools or assets for wealth
creation, innovations in the process of change, which bring improvement into
the system (Ebong,2006). Resource is defined as a supply of money, materials,
staff and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in
order to function effectively. Resources is also defined as a person, asset,
material and capital which can be used to accomplish a goal. For effective
delivery of quality Vocational Education (VE) programmes in Akwa Ibom State;
three types of resources are necessary which include, human, financial and
material resources.
Human resources in an educational organization
refers to all the human beings working in that organization, which including
teachers, students, administrators and all other members of staff working in
that organization. Human resources are easily recognized as the most important
resource out of the resources required for the production of goods and
services. Human resources are the key to rapid socio-economic development and
efficient service delivery (Onah, 2008). Without an adequate, skilled and
well-motivated workforce operating within a sound human resource management
programme, development is not possible. Every educational system at every level
depends heavily on human resources for execution of its programme. Nwaka and
Ofojebe (2010) stated that teachers are the critical resources for effective
implementation and realization of the educational polices and objectives at the
practical level of classroom. A manager whether in private or public sector who
underrates the critical role and underplays the importance of people in goal
achievement can neither be effective nor efficient (Oduma, 2012). It is the
teacher who ultimately interprets and implements policy as represented in the
school curriculum, which is designed to actualize educational goals
(Omojunwa,2007).
Teachers are an essential resource for
learning, the quality of a school system cannot exceed the quality of its
teachers. Teachers interact with students daily and help students acquire the
knowledge that they are expected to have by the time they leave school. Maintaining and improving educational
standards is only possible through teachers. Teachers therefore, are the most
indispensable entity in the school and they are the greatest aid to learning.
The shortage or poor management of teachers reduces the extent to which the
curriculum can be delivered effectively. It should be noted that the major
premise of human resources management in education is that the end results of
the educative process will be determined by the effectiveness of the teachers
who facilitate learning for self-actualization and national development. This
research focus on administrators (principals) and teachers as the critical
aspects of human resource commitment in education.
Financial resources are made of monetary
inputs into the educational system and are the lubricant of the programme.
Financial resources is defined as the monetary resource which serves as means
of acquiring all the other educational resources. No policy can be implemented
without financial resources ( Ebong, 2006). Finance plays a crucial role in the
development of education and financial resources are directed towards the
achievement of educational goals. Proper funding in combination with a good
supply of qualified teachers can greatly enhance the facility index of an
institution (Kosemani & Fadipo in Ebong, 2006). Financial resources are
provided by the government for capital and recurrent expenditure through
endowment funds from alumni and philanthropist who are helping in the different
levels of education who have launched their capital campaign programmes,
students' fees, loans, communal and Parent Teachers' Association contributions
and commercial ventures. The federal government of Nigeria believes in the
importance of education for the promotion of economic and social development in
the country( Ebong, 2004 ). Though the funding of education is the
responsibility shared by the federal, state and local governments, the federal
government bears the greatest responsibility of funds allocated to education by
each tier of government.
Material resources refer to facilities that
are use to develop and add value to people. Material resources which include
instructional materials and facilities help to facilitate teaching and learning
and are used to influence concrete and permanent change in technical behaviour.
Instructional materials are all forms of information carriers which can be used
to record, store, preserve, transmit, concretize or retrieve information for
the purpose of teaching and learning (Eya, 2006). Instructional facilities for
vocational and technical education encompass all basic hand tools, equipment,
classrooms, workshops, laboratories, electrical and electronics instruments
among others which help the learners to learn properly (Bulama, 2001). In line
with this mandate, Saba (2007) sees school facilities and equipment as a pillar
in support for effective teaching and learning to take place in an ideal
environment. Okpanku and Uchechi (2008) believe that facilities and equipment
help to stimulate interest and also enhance retention of ideas.
This
means that vocational and technical education programmes require tools and
equipment that will help in the facilitation of the acquisition of occupational
skills in the diverse areas of vocational technical education programmes.
According to Ugwuja (2010), the students have to work in laboratories and
workshops that are well equipped with
recent machines and tools like the ones they will encounter in industries, and
to achieve this, adequate funding is a prerequisite for success in vocational
education.
The National Planning Commission (2007)
explained that it is crucial that adequate
resources be made for the implementation of vocational education in
order to promote saleable skills acquisition and employment generation
possibilities. Odigbo (2005) agrees that adequate facilities ensure meaningful
teaching and learning.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Vocational
education is one of the most relevant educational programmes in Nigeria
considering the crucial role it plays in the social and economic development of
a Nation. In this era of globalization and Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), emphasis is on vocational skills for the production of
self-reliant citizens who acquire the right skills needed for wider choice of
jobs and career paths. Vocational Education require adequate fund for planning,
implementing and coordinating vocational education programme, a good number of
relevant equipments and facilities, functional
workshops, tools and accessories, well trained technical teachers to teach and
man the equipments. Most Technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State do not
seem to have well equipped laboratories, workshops, infrastructures and well
trained teachers for effective vocational education in technical secondary
schools. This handicap in the field of teaching, is believed to have
contributed to creating room for poor implementation of vocational education
programmes in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. The question now
is, how does adequacy of resources contribute to vocational education in
technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State?
Consequent upon this, this study therefore investigated the adequacy of
resources for effective vocational education in technical secondary schools in
Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
The purpose of the study was to examine the
adequacy of resources for effective vocational education in public technical
secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria.
Specifically the study sought to:
- find out the adequacy of teaching staff
for vocational education in technical secondary schools.
- determine the adequacy of workshops in
technical secondary schools in technical secondary schools.
- find out the adequacy of instructional
facilities for vocational education in technical secondary schools.
- determine the adequacy of fund for
vocational education in technical secondary schools.
- find out resource challenges experienced
in vocational education in technical secondary schools.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions guided the study
- What is the adequacy of teaching staff
for vocational education in technical secondary schools in Akwa
Ibom State?
- How adequate are workshops in Akwa Ibom
State technical secondary schools?
- How adequate are the instructional
facilities for vocational education in technical secondary schools in Akwa
Ibom State?
- How adequate is the funding for
vocational education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State?
- What are resource challenges experienced
in vocational education in Akwa Ibom State technical secondary schools?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses guided the study
at 0.05 level of significance
HO1: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of
principals and teachers on the adequacy of fund for vocational education in
technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State?
HO2: There
is no significant difference between the mean responses of principals and
teachers on the resource challenges experienced in vocational education in Akwa
Ibom State technical secondary schools?
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
findings of the study will provide information on the adequacy of resources for
vocational education in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. The
findings of the study will be beneficial to the State ministry of education,
educational administrators, policy makers, planners, principals, teachers,
students, educational agencies and future researchers in educational
management.
The
findings of the study will be beneficial to the State Ministry of Education in
the sense that the information would likely be used by the ministry of
education to plan for the provision of resources in technical secondary
schools. The ministry could also use the information to develop policy to
address the issue of inadequate resources in schools.
The
findings of the study will highlight to educational administrators, policy
makers, principals and teachers the importance of having adequate resources at
the dispensation of technical schools for effective implementation of their
programmes.
Students
in technical secondary schools will also benefit from the findings of the study
in the sense that it will increase individualized learning and promote their
academic performance through the provision of adequate resources.
The
findings will awaken and encourage relevant educational agencies e.g National
Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Business and Technical
Examination Board (NABTEB). Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) and
educational policy makers like the commissioner of education to live up to
their responsibilities by providing the right type of human, financial and material resources at the right time and
place for quality teaching and learning
activities in school for the realization of the objective of Education For All
(EFA) in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.
Finally,
the study will be beneficial to researchers as the findings of the study would
serve as a guide for future researchers in educational management who may wish
to carry out a research work on the same or related topic.
The
result of the findings will also be useful to educational policy makers when
determining the principles that will guide policy formulation on the adequacy
of resources by various institutions. The educational policy makers may also
find reason to recommend, in-service training, seminar, and workshops for all
principals and teachers on effective used of financial and material resources
in technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State to promote teaching and
learning.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study was delimited to adequacy of resources for vocational education in
technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. The resources the
researcher considered for this study are human, material and financial
resources. The independent variable was delimited to Adequacy of Resources
while the dependent variable was Vocational Education. The sub-variables are; adequacy of teaching
staff, adequacy of functional workshops, adequacy of instructional facilities
for vocational education, adequacy of fund for vocational education and
resource challenges experienced in vocational education. The study covered all
the six public technical secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria, and the
study also covered the 6 principals and 240 teachers of technical secondary
schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria.
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