ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to examine resource inputs as correlate of effective implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo state. The study employed all the Economics teachers in public secondary schools distributed in the 27 Local Government Areas that made up the state. The entire 452 Economics teachers was employed in the study. Correlational research design was used. The study involved two instruments for data collection; Resource Inputs Questionnaire for Effective Implementation of Economics Curriculum (RIQIEC)” and Effective Implementation of Economics Curriculum Questionnaire (EIECQ. The instruments were face validated by three research experts. The internal consistencies of the instruments were .77 and .81 respectively. These were obtained using the Cronbach Alpha. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PPMC) was used in answering the research questions (r) while the hypotheses were tested using P-value at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that there was a high positive relationship between the teachers’ qualification and effective implementation of Economics Curriculum. Also, that there was a moderate positive relationship between instructional materials and effective implementation of Economics Curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo State. From the findings the following recommendations were made that school administrators and government should put in place policies that will ensure that qualified teachers are recruited to effectively implement the Economics curriculum. These they can achieve by ensuring that best teachers are recruited in the system among others.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables viii
Abstract ix
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 8
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 Economics 12
2.1.2
Curriculum 14
2.1.3 Curriculum
implementation 16
2.1.4 Economics curriculum implementation in
senior secondary schools 18
2.1.5 Resource
inputs in teaching of economics 20
2.1.6 The role
of teachers’ qualification in economics curriculum
implementation 22
2.1.7 Instructional
materials 24
2.1.8 Role of
funds in the implementation of economics curriculum 27
2.1.9 The role
of laboratory facilities in the implementation of economics
curriculum 30
2.1.10 Infrastructural
facilities in the implementation of economics curriculum 31
2.2 Theoretical
Framework 33
2.2.1 Situational
or school based model 33
2.2.2 System
approach model 35
2.3
Empirical Studies 36
2.4 Summary
of Related Literature Reviewed 40
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 42
3.1 Design of the Study 42
3.2 Area of the Study 42
3.3 Population for the Study 43
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 43
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 43
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 44
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 44
3.8 Method of Data Collection 45
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 45
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 46
4.1 Results 46
4.2 Summary of Findings 53
4.3 Discussion of Findings 53
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 57
5.1 Summary 57
5.2 Conclusion 59
5.3 Recommendations 60
5.4 Educational Implications of the Study 61
5.5 Limitations of the Study 61
5.6 Suggestions for Further Studies 62
References 63
Appendices
69
LIST OF TABLES
4.1: Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient
(PPMCC)
of
the relationship
between teachers’ qualification and effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in
senior secondary
schools in Imo State 46
4.2: Pearson’s
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of the relationship between instructional materials
and effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in
senior secondary
schools in Imo State? 47
4.3: Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient
(PPMCC) of
relationship between funding and effective
implementation of
Economics curriculum in senior secondary
schools in Imo State. 47
4.4: Pearson’s
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of the relationship between laboratory
facilities and effective
implementation
of Economics curriculum in senior secondary
schools
in Imo State. 48
4.5: Pearson
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of the relationship between infrastructural
facilities and effective
implementation
of Economics curriculum in senior secondary
schools
in Imo State? 49
4.6: Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of
the significant relationship between teachers’ qualification and
effective implementation of Economics
curriculum in senior
secondary schools in Imo State 49
4.7: Pearson
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC) of
significant relationship between instructional materials
and
effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior
secondary schools in Imo State? 50
4.8: Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of
significant relationship between funding and
effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in
senior secondary
schools in Imo State. 51
4.9: Pearson’s
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of the significant relationship between
laboratory facilities and
effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior
secondary
schools in Imo State. 51
4.10: Pearson’s
product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC)
of significant relationship between
infrastructural facilities and
effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior
secondary
schools in Imo State? 52
CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The primary purpose of education is to bring about
desirable changes in behaviour through the acquisition of skills,
attitudes, competencies, critical and creative thinking. Teaching is a complex
and demanding task that requires highly specialized skills, knowledge and
resources to impact significantly on students’ learning. Therefore,
availability and utilization of resources in a school is important in the
achievement of its goals and objectives. Students’ learning outcome is usually
influenced by appropriate utilization of school resources. This may have
influenced the opinion of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2007) that investing in educational resources
is the key to ensuring that schools become institutions where students work
together, learn from one another and benefit from a supportive school environment, and
consequently maximize learning so as to achieve their full potentials. This
justifies the importance of educational resources in teaching-learning process.
According to Miller and Spoolman (2011), resources
can be considered as the stock of money, materials, staff, and other assets
that can be drawn on by a person or an organization in order to function
effectively. Resource input on the other
hand, can be regarded as the supply of these resources to the organisational
processes for the effective functioning of the organisation to achieve its
goals and objectives (Schneider, 2008). According to Etugo
(2013), school resource inputs constitute input into the educational system
that determine largely the implementation of educational programmes and helps
in the attainment of educational objectives. Resources
considered in this context include staff (both teaching and non-teaching),
funds, textbooks, instructional materials, and laboratory equipment,
playgrounds and sports facilities. Agreeing with the above, Ofoegbu (2009)
noted that resources for teaching and learning can be categorized into human
and material resources. According to her, human resources include professional
teachers and experienced staff that provide administrative and other services.
Material resources on the other hand refer to funds, instructional materials,
classrooms, laboratories, furniture and playgrounds.
In the context of this study, human resources refer
to the teachers. A teacher in this
regard is one who is professionally trained and certified to carry out the
activity of teaching others with the aim of causing them to learn. In the same
vein, Agwu (2005) observed that the success of any system of education depends
to a large extent on the number of teachers, their quality and their devotion
to duty and their effectiveness on the job. It is as a result of this central
position of the teacher that it is often said that no education system can rise
above the quality of its teachers. In support of the above, Afolabi (2005) lamented that no matter how beautiful the programmes
and assets of an institution are, without the teachers, attainment of the
institutional goals and objectives would be difficult. It is also a known fact
that the efforts and the experience of the teacher alone may not cause learners
to learn effectively, hence, the need for material resources. Material
resources in this regard refer to those resources that the teacher can employ
to enhance the implementation of the curriculum during teaching-learning
process.
Educational resources as earlier noted in this
study include teachers, funds, instructional materials, infrastructural
facilities, laboratories and libraries. These are the major determinants of
effective curriculum implementation. Williams (2004) stressed that most of the
wealthy people in our society and government seem not to have interest in
funding our institutions of learning which has led to acute shortage of
instructional materials and other resources that could enhance teaching and
learning in secondary schools. Furthermore, Unachukwu (2008) observed that
available infrastructural facilities, teaching and learning materials as well
as qualified teachers for the implementation of the school curriculum were
grossly inadequate. A situation like these will obviously affect the
achievement of educational objectives.
Funding as a matter of fact plays a significant
role in determining the availability and utilization of resources in
teaching-learning process. The ability to purchase instructional resources, pay
salaries, build classroom and laboratories and equip them depend to a large
extent on the availability of fund. This may have influenced the opinion of
Razak in Ubanatu (2013) that poor funding and lack of maintenance culture from
the governments, individuals and associations were the factors responsible for
the dearth of resources in most secondary schools. In addition to fund, another
important factor for the effective implementation of Economics curriculum is
the provision of well-equipped Economics laboratory. Olatoye (2011) stressed
that laboratories, libraries and most of the classrooms in which schools and
colleges study are poorly equipped. According to him, most of these are not
equipped with essential books, and current journals and magazines.
Furthermore, Fabinu (2001) opined
that though resources may be available in secondary schools in both urban and
rural areas, the level of utilization cannot be the same considering certain
factors. These factors according to him include teachers’ qualification and
experience, power supply (electricity), infrastructural facilities, time, fund
and access to information technology. Also, Agha (2003) noted that in the
distribution of educational resources, some schools tend to get more materials
than others due to the location of the school and influence of stakeholders in
the education sector. These affect effective
implementation of the school curriculum and the achievement of educational
objectives. The above scenario points to the fact that both human and material
resources play vital role in the achievement of the objectives of any
educational system, which can only be done through effective curriculum
implementation.
Curriculum is a plan for instructional guide.
Curriculum,
according to Etuk, Udosen and Edem (2004), is the organized knowledge which the
school presents to the learners in order to achieve predetermined goals of
education. In the same vein, Ekpo and Osam (2009) also defined curriculum as a
document, plan or blue print for instructional guide which is used for teaching
and learning to bring about positive and desirable behavioural changes in
learners. Curriculum can also be seen as a plan or blue
print that guides an academic programme with the aim of bringing about positive
change in the behaviour of the learners. It stands for all the subjects which
learners are expected to undergo within a specified period of time. The process of putting curriculum into practice in the classroom is
referred to as curriculum implementation.
Curriculum implementation is the actual engagement
of learners with planned learning opportunities. It is the stage when in the
midst of learning activities, teachers and learners involve in negotiations
aimed at promoting learning (Afangideh, 2009). This implies that during curriculum
implementation, both the teachers and students are meaningfully engaged in a
well-planned activity that could lead to a change in behaviour. This is why
Offorma (2006) asserted that curriculum implementation entails the arrangement
of the preplanned curriculum, the assessment of the facilities, resources and
environment to ensure that the planned curriculum will be implemented.
At the classroom level, the implementer of the
curriculum is the teacher. The teacher sets up learning opportunities aimed at
enabling learners to acquire the desired attitude, knowledge, values and skills
which is the primary aim of education (Oko, 2014). In the opinion of Omojunwa
(2007), the teacher is a critical resource for effective implementation and
realization of the educational policies and objectives at the practical level
of the classroom. She further emphasized that it is the teacher who ultimately
interprets and implements the policy as represented in the school curriculum,
which is designed to actualize educational goals.
As a road map that guides educational goals and
objectives, every school subject including Economics is expected to have a
well-designed curriculum. Economics is one of the
subjects in Nigerian education system. Economics as a school subject deals with
the study of human behaviour such as how people earn their living and make a
choice between alternatives to satisfy their wants.
It focuses on the study of firms and the government whose activities are geared
towards the production of goods and services for the satisfaction of human want
(Yusuf, 2012). Similarly, Economics is also a social science that studies how
individuals, firms and governments make decisions and choices in the face of
unlimited wants and allocate scarce resources to their most important, pressing
and preferred needs.
In addition, Economics as a discipline has been defined by different
scholars in the discipline. Each of these definitions points to the same
subject matter. For instance, Mill in Oleabhiele (2008) defined Economics as
the practical science of production and distribution of wealth. Mill maintained that not only must man
produce wealth, but should also provide an appropriate means so that the wealth
produced gets to the final consumer. Also, A.C. Pigue defined Economics as the study of welfare. He noted that the ultimate goal of
all human efforts is the improvement of the welfare of mankind.
However, among all these definitions given by different Economists, the
one that is widely accepted is that of Lionel Robbins. According to Robbins,
Economics is a science which studies human behaviour as
a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. The
above definition is more encompassing because it emphasizes the basic concepts
of Economics and the fundamental problems of man: scarcity, wants, opportunity
cost, choice and exchange. More so, Economics is of great importance
because it is a subject that has direct utility which prepares a student for a
wide range of career options, ranging from teaching, business, banking,
accountancy, planning to governance (Hall, 2013). Similarly, the economy is
generally seen as the bedrock of development of any nation. This is why
Economics in all spheres of human endeavour has long been recognized worldwide.
Also, considerable emphasis is usually placed on the teaching of the subject
throughout the world. Schools and colleges teach Economics and many students
offer Economics at least for self-management of life situation and personal
emancipation (Oleabhiele, 2008).
In addition, Finkelstein (2011) equally stressed that high school
graduates will be making economic choices all their lives, as breadwinners and
consumers, and as citizens and voters and they will need some capacity for
critical judgment, whether or not they go to college. Thus, it is of great
importance to note that secondary school Economics curriculum is very
interesting, enlightening, revealing and addresses important economic issues in
the country. Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2013) posited that the guiding
principle of the Economics curriculum is the need to equip graduates of senior
secondary schools with the basic knowledge and skills that will enable them to
better appreciate the nature of economic problems in any society and adequately
prepare them for the challenges in the Nigerian economy.
Despite the laudable objectives of teaching
Economics in secondary schools, it has been observed that students’ performance
in the subject has not been encouraging in both internal and external
examinations. Confirming this, the West African
Examination Council Chief Examiner’s Report (2015) revealed that the
achievement of students in Economics at the end of secondary education has
remained poor. Also, Ojelabi (2009) observed that researchers’ concern has
risen due to the fact that students’ performance in the Secondary School
Certificate Economics have remained poor. Regrettably, Alaka and Obadara (2013)
noted that there has been persistent poor achievement of students in West African
Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE). This poor achievement of
students in Economics, a subject that aids in developing students’ critical and
creative thinking is very disheartening. It therefore, becomes necessary to
assess the influence of resource inputs in the implementation of Economics
curriculum. It is against this background that the researcher carried out a
study on resource inputs as determinant for effective implementation of
Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo State.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The educational system in Nigeria is
plagued with so many problems, one of such problems is the poor performance of
students in Economics in national examinations such as the National Examination
Council (NECO) and West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE). Some
people blame the poor academic performance on the inability of government to
provide adequate educational resources to schools. More so, there have been claims that
students learn Economics in dilapidated classrooms with no furniture,
electrical gadgets, and facilities. However, there are claims that
some teachers from other disciplines who do not
have knowledge of the subject area and are not certified in education are
employed in teaching the subject in schools. It is also believed that the
curriculum and
instructional textbooks for effective implementation of Economics in senior secondary
schools are not adequate and sometimes not found in schools. While others
believe that the available resources in schools are not judiciously utilized by
teachers and students for effective implementation of Economics curriculum.
With the perceived commitment of the
present government towards the provision of educational resources to senior
secondary schools in Imo State, it is expected that students’ academic
performance in Economics would improve. Hence, this study focused on resource
inputs as determinant of effective implementation of Economics curriculum in
senior secondary schools in Imo State.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of this study was to investigate resource inputs as determinant of
effective implementation of Economics curriculum in public senior secondary
schools in Imo State. Specifically, the study sought to:
1. Determine the relationship between teachers’ qualification and effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo
State;
2. Determine the relationship between instructional materials and effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo
State;
3.
Determine the relationship between funding
and effective implementation of Economics
curriculum in senior secondary
schools in Imo State;
4. Determine the relationship between laboratory facilities and effective
implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo
State; and
5. Determine
the relationship
between infrastructural facilities and effective implementation of Economics
curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo State.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The
following five research questions guided the study:
1. What is the relationship between teachers’ qualification and
effective implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in
Imo State?
2. What is the relationship between instructional materials and
effective implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in
Imo State?
3.
What is the relationship between
funding and effective implementation of Economics
curriculum in senior secondary schools in Imo State?
4. What is the relationship between laboratory facilities and
effective implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools in
Imo State?
5. What is the relationship between infrastructural facilities
and effective implementation of Economics curriculum in senior secondary
schools in Imo State?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following five null hypotheses also guided the study
and were tested at .05 level of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between teachers’ qualification
and effective implementation of
Economics curriculum.
Ho2. There is no significant relationship between instructional materials
and effective implementation of
Economics curriculum.
Ho3: There is no significant relationship between funding and effective implementation
of Economics curriculum.
Ho4: There is no significant relationship between laboratory facilities
and effective implementation of
Economics curriculum.
Ho5: There is no significant relationship between infrastructural
facilities and effective implementation of Economics curriculum.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this study would be useful to the
Ministry of Education, educational planners, principals, teachers, government,
and curriculum planners.
The findings of the study would help Ministry of
Education in determining the adequacy of funds allocated to the schools in Imo
State and ensure efficient use of it. This would further enable
them to understand the various sections in the management of the school system
that need fund most and plan ahead for proper funding. Also, because fund is
scarce relative to want, the Ministry of Education will through the findings of
this study identify area of priority for adequate funding.
Also, the findings of this study would be of help to the
principals who are in charge of running the school to effectively manage funds
allocated to their schools with respect to identifying areas of priority and
addressing them immediately. In addition, the principal would from
the findings of this study know the problems and challenges associated with the
procurement of educational resources and plan ahead for proper supply of such
resources in order to effectively implement the curriculum.
The teachers would equally benefit from the findings of this study because they will
be better informed on the use of the resources available to achieve curriculum
objectives. Equally, the finding of the
study would enable the teachers to plan with the principal on how best to
utilize resources at their disposal to meet the essential needs of the school
and to avoid financial wastage.
The findings of the study would be a guide to the state government because
it would reveal the present condition of our educational institutions across
the state. The knowledge would help the state government to determine
areas of priority as it concerns teachers’ welfare and infrastructural
facilities in our secondary schools. Furthermore, the state government would be in a
better position to liaise with the officials of the State Ministry of Education
to make available those materials and equipment that are lacking in these
secondary schools. These would not only help in effective implementation
of the curriculum but would also motivate the teachers to put in their best in the
implementation of Economics curriculum in secondary schools in Imo state.
Furthermore, the findings of the study would be of benefit to
the curriculum planners. This is because it would help them
to ensure that the school curriculum contains those subjects that government
can afford its instructional materials so that teachers would not be
continually disappointed when planning for what to teach or worry too much about how to improvise. The results of the study would equally serve as
an eye opener to the curriculum planners since it would enable them make
appropriation suggestions and recommendations on the best way to provide and
improvise instructional inputs. Besides, the curriculum planners can as well
include in the curriculum content the teaching resources that suits a
particular topic. Finally, the findings of the study would further help the
curriculum planners to ensure that the curriculum of Economics embodies
learning experiences that are related to the daily experiences of the learners.
This would help to facilitate the achievement of economic growth and
development of the nation.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study focused on resource inputs as determinant of effective implementation of
Economics curriculum in senior secondary schools. It also covered the following
sub resource inputs: teachers’ qualification, instructional materials, funding,
laboratories facilities and infrastructural facilities. The study was however
delimited to public secondary schools in Imo State.
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