ABSTRACT
The
study set out to find out the effect of gender, parental background and
teachers’ personality on students’ attitude to vocational subjects in selected
secondary schools in Yewa South Local Government of Ogun State. This is because vocational subjects having
been accorded the prime place in the new National Policy on Education and its
enforcement at Junior Secondary School level, is not embraced by students after
the Junior Secondary. The study sample
is made up of 200 students (100 male and 100 female) randomly selected from ten
secondary schools in Yewa – South Local Government. Four hypothesis were tested. The design of the study was survey which
involved the use of questionnaires to elicit responses for data
collection. The findings among others are:
Environmental factors play a significant role in rejection of vocational
subjects. The educational levels and
occupational status of parents affect students choice of vocational subject
negatively. Choice of vocational
subjects is not gender related.
The
study recommended that there should be an enlightenment programme in schools to
enhance students’ positive attitude towards the study of vocational
subjects. Parent/guardian should
encourage their wards to show interest and participate actively in vocational
subjects.
TABLES OF
CONTENTS
PAGES
Title
Page i
Approval
Page ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Abstract vi
Table
of Content vii
List
of Tables viii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
Introduction 1
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Petroleum 5
1.3 Purpose of Study 6
1.4 Research Questions 7
1.5 Research Hypothesis 7
1.6 Significance of Study 8
1.7 Limitations 10
1.8 Assumptions 10
1.9 Definitions of terms 10
CHAPTER TWO
2.1
Review of Related Literature 12
2.2 What is an Attitude 12
2.3 Concept of Vocational Education 12
2.4 Parental and Environmental Factors 14
2.5 Individual Perception 20
2.6 Gender Effect on Vocational Education 21
2.7 Colonial Orientation 21
2.8 Theories of Vocational Development 23
2.9 Summary 27
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Research Methodology 28
3.1 Research Design 28
3.2 Area of Study 28
3.3 Population of the Study 28
3.4 Sampling and Sampling Techniques 29
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 29
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 29
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 30
3.8 Method of Data Collection 30
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 31
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Presentation and Analysis of Data 32
4.1 Hypothesis I 32
4.2 Hypothesis II 33
4.3 Hypothesis III 34
4.4 Hypothesis IV 35
4.5 Gender Attitudes To Vocational Subjects 36
4.6 Discussions 36
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Summary, Conclusions, Recommendations and
Suggestions for Further Research 40
5.1
Summary of the findings 40
5.2
Recommendations 40
LIST
OF TABLES
Table I: Summary of calculated values on environment
of students
Table II: Summary of calculated values on level of
education of parents
Table III: Summary of calculated values on occupational
status of Parents
Table
IV: Summary of calculated values on
Teachers’ Personality
Table
V: Summary of calculated value on gender
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
In
Nigeria
today, the importance of vocational education cannot be over-emphasised.
Borishadee (2002) described vocational education as the springboard that is
meant to elevate the status of Nigeria
in the committee of nations.
Jiboku (1995) observed that up till date,
Nigeria
has been craving for manpower especially in the areas of Engineering, Science
and Technology. The only vehicle for the
achievement of the country’s goal of technological advancement is vocational
education.
Vocational Education has been absent in
the Nigerian formal educational set up, for instance, the Education Ordinances
of 1882, 1887, 1908 and 1916 were silent on Technical Education – as the
colonial education in Nigeria have repeatedly asserted that it was meant to
produce people who could only read, write, keep records and be willing to serve
the colonial masters in whatever capacity they deemed fit.
In the non-formal realm, Jiboku (1995) further
stated that vocational education is as old as Nigeria traditional grouping. Skills were acquired through informal and
non-formal means. Apprenticeship system
was prominent before the advent of Western Education that gave rise to mad rush
for white-collar job that was detrimental to the introduction of formal
Vocational – Education. However, events
soon proved that Vocational Education could not be totally swept under the
carpet; hence the establishment of a number of comprehensive schools (assisted
and non-assisted), Vocational training centres, Technical Colleges, Colleges of
Education (Technical) and Colleges of Technology where the teaching of
Vocational and Technical subjects were predominant up to the level of
Technician.
The report of the Ashby Commission
(investment in education) (1960) marked the beginning of government’s serious
involvement in the establishment and funding of vocational education. It also brought about the introduction of
vocational subjects into Nigerian
Secondary School’s
curriculum. The Ashby commission Report
identified that the secondary school system was devoid of Vocational and
Technical Education courses and therefore suggested that it is introduced.
Education seminars, workshops, symposia
and conferences were organized for a critical appraisal of the commission
report. Objectives of Vocational
Education were summarized as:
(i)
Meeting the manpower needs of the
society
(ii)
Increasing the options available to each
student and
(iii)
Serving as a motivating force to enhance
all types of learning.
It is also observed that Vocational
Education had the merits that the student who was unable to proceed in academic
education had the option to use his skill to earn a living.
The Nigerian government, in an effort
to meet the demands of the changing times decided to restructure the system of
education in the country. In 1977, the government
published a new National Policy on Education which was later revised in
1981. The policy provides that Nigeria should
have a new secondary education programme designed to be both functional and
practical; a programme that would be structurally and qualitatively different
from the existing system. This led to
the introduction of 6-3-3-4 educational systems.
The moral of an average Nigerian became
dampened as to whether or not the teaching of vocational subjects in schools
would deliver on its promise to elevate the country among the committee of
nations.
Students attitude towards vocational
subjects can be traced to a number of reasons prominent among which are
inadequate funding; a problem that has persisted right from the inception of
the programme. Money is needed to
procure machines and equipment to be installed in standard workshop. In some states, workshops were built without
equipment while it is the other way round in some other states due to poor
funding according to Olateru-Olagbegi (1995).
Consequent upon the aforementioned, Vocational subjects are taught
without or with little practical work.
Students therefore get disenchanted studying vocational subjects.
Research studies conducted by Power
(1999) show that vocational subjects take the back seat in the list of referred
subjects of students in Senior Secondary Schools. Other reasons adduced are societal values,
parental influence, bandwagon effect in selection of subjects, prospect and
remuneration of workers in various fields of vocational studies.
The attitude of students according to
Borishade (2002) can also be traced to lack of qualified manpower to teach
vocational subjects. Technical teachers
trained in our institutions are ‘half-baked’ since these institutions lack
adequate equipment that will facilitate teaching. Those trained abroad where there was
equipment cannot function for unavailability of similar equipment in our
schools, Physics teachers are drafted to teach most vocational subjects
especially introductory technology. A
check has to be put to this trend so that our dream of becoming a technological
developed nation will not be a mirage.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
This
study examines the attitude of students towards the study of Vocational
subjects in secondary schools with all the incentives promised by the school
administrators, parents and teachers to students, especially in Secondary
Schools; the attitude of students toward the subject is still negative. It has been established by research findings
carried out by Bakare (1985), that the number of students who opted for
Technical and vocational based subjects in the senior secondary level was not
encouraging in terms of enrolment.
Olateru-Olagbegi (1995) also asserted
that there are quite a number of factors that are affecting students in the
selection of vocational subjects at the Senior Secondary School
level; these include lack of interest and negative attitude of the students of
vocational courses.
This negative attitude to the choice of
vocational subjects has been affecting the production of vocational and
technological experts who are important in the technological development of the
nation. The question therefore is, will
students’ attitudes towards vocational subjects be affected by environmental
factors, such as the level of parents’ education, occupational status of parents,
teachers personality and gender?
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
This study is designed to highlight the
attitude of students in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State towards
Vocational subjects. Attention will be
focused on factors responsible for the students’ attitude vis-à-vis its
implication on the implementation of 6-3-3-4 Educational System with respect to
vocational subjects in Nigeria.
The study will then suggest ways by
which students, administrators, government and those concerned with the implementation
of the 6-3-3-4 Educational System will resolve various problems confronting
vocational education.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The following research questions will
be considered in the course of the study:
1.
What is the attitude of students towards
vocational subjects?
2.
Does gender affects the attitudes of
students towards vocational subjects?
3.
Does parental background affects the
attitudes of students towards vocational subjects?
4.
Does the personality of teachers affect
the students ‘attitude towards vocational subjects?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
1. The environment of students will not
affect students’ attitude towards
vocational subjects.
2. The level of education of parents will not
affect students’ attitude towards
vocational subjects.
3. The occupational status of parents will
not affect student’s attitude
towards vocational subjects.
4. Teacher’s personality will not affect
students’ attitude towards vocational
subjects.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study is to enable
us find out the attitude of students towards vocational subjects in secondary
schools in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State being a case study.
It is expected that answers to the
research questions will be of tremendous help to practicing teachers and those
in training who are to impart skills into students.
It is expected that answers to the
research questions will be of tremendous help to practicing teachers and those
in training who are to impart skills into students.
School administrators will benefit from
the outcome of the study as it is hoped to expose the danger inherent in
creating official bottlenecks in the implementation of programme especially in
the areas of equipment and materials.
Curriculum designers and scheme developers
will also get first hand information as to what actually happen to the
blue-prints sent to schools and will attempt a general evaluation and
overhauling of the system.
At the successful completion of this
study, recommendations would also be made on how vocational subjects could be
embraced by students and the society bearing in mind the fact that a society
that does not develop her own technology through the teaching of relevant
vocational subjects will continue to be colonized by other developed nations.
The researcher examines the attitude of
students towards the study of vocational subjects in selected secondary schools
in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. The study will be limited to ten (10) public
schools. Private Schools are excluded in
the study.
The schools used for the study are
co-educational and were selected randomly in order to be of good representative
of all other schools, the schools have been presenting candidates for Senior
School Examination (SSCE) in vocational subjects.
1.7 LIMITATIONS
Due to financial constraint, the study
is limited to Yewa South Local Government, rather, it would have covered all
the secondary schools both private and public schools in Ogun State.
1.8 ASSUMPTIONS
OF THE STUDY
The researcher of this study assumed
that:
1.
All responses from respondent are
reliable and valid
2.
The educational environments of all the
schools used in the study are replica of the situation in other secondary
schools in the local government.
3.
Vocational subjects are taught in the
secondary schools under study.
1.9 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
i. Vocational
Subjects: This included subjects
that could lead to acquisition of skills
(see appendix).
ii. Qualified
Vocational Subject Teacher:- It is assumed to mean the Teachers with at least NCE in vocational Subjects currently teaching in Secondary Schools.
v. Attitude:- It is a learned predisposition to react
consistently in a given manner
either positively or negatively to certain persons,
objects or concepts.
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