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Friday, 23 May 2014

THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

To understand the concept of human capital development, we must first examine the term human capital and move on to its development. The human being is the most important asset anywhere in the world. Natural scientists opined that the human being is very unique among living things. This is because of the high level of reasoning human beings demonstrate in their relationships within their environments. This reasonableness has made men to rapidly change their living conditions and their societies; hence, many scholars view human beings as capital to organizations and nations, though this view is not without criticism. In this sense, human capital refers to the stock of productive skills and technical knowledge embodied in labor. Lev and Schwartz (1971) fall short of proffering a formal definition to the concept of human capital, but stated that it is, “… a source of income embodied in a person, in the form of his brute force and his natural and acquired skills …”. This notion of human capital treats a person’s values as though it were totally an intrinsic phenomenon, that is, as though it were determined entirely by the individual’s inherent qualities, traits, and skills.

Geographical Knowledge and Societal Welfare

Geography is one subject which many people mostly non-geographers claim to know about almost everything. Such claims seem to arise from certain exposures to geographical knowledge and teaching at early education at the primary and secondary schools.

The creation of a happy society is one of the aims of any government, and has indeed been the aim of successive Nigerian governments who since 1970 have expressly stated this in the development plans (National Policy on Education).

The role of the geographers and the geographical knowledge in national development has sometimes been nationally appreciated by government. According to Okafor et al (1983), in recent years, the federal government set up experts panel that includes geographers to advice them on such issues as food production and moral development.

Teachers and Academic Performance

According to Iwuama (2001), a teacher serves as a resource person to students in their educational vocation and personal socio-problem and decision. This research work tends to bring out the reasons why teachers are also factors influencing the academic performance of students as thus:
1. Most teachers do not have knowledge of their subject matter thereby leading to poor academic performance of students in that area.

PSYCHO-SOCIAL FACTOR INFLUENCES CHOICE OF TEACHING

Chapter One
Introduction
Background of the Study

Nationally and internationally, education is a paramount importance because it fosters sustainable development. Studies have shown a strong correlation across countries between level of human capital formation and level of educational development and it is often used as one the major indicators of national development (Fadun, 2008). Education as a tool for the empowerment and sustainable development is indispensable both to the individual and the state at large.

Strategies to Improve CommunicationStrategies to Improve Communication

Effective communication is of the essence and it saves time as well as help in increasing understanding in an organization. Ogunsaju (1983) averred that for effective communication to take place it is of necessary that there must be understanding in the use of language among the sender and the receiver, as misunderstanding of words, language and signs used by either parties is bound to cause confusion and mistrust.

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION

1.2 Statement of the problem

The UBE programme was designed to ensure that everyone has right to education, as well as produce an individual with a sound mind and body capable of affecting his society in a meaningful and beneficial way. It is expected that every Nigerian child must get to the level that enables him to consolidate the gains of literacy, numeracy, life skills, develop acceptable social and citizenship behaviour and internalize the habit of learning the actual goal of the UBE programme.

However, it seems that there are some constraints that hinder the effective implementation of UBE. This may lead to non-realization of the objectives of the UBE. Hence the study set to assessing the factors militating against the effective implementation of the UBE programme.

1.3 Research Questions

The following research questions are stated for the study:

1. What are the constraints to the effective implementation of UBE in Delta State?

2. What are the strategies to reduce the constraints to effective implementation of UBE in Delta State?

1.4 Hypotheses

The following hypotheses are formulated to guide the study:

1. There is no significant difference between the mean scores of male and female teachers as regards the constraints to the effective implementation of UBE in Delta State.

2. There is no significant difference between the mean scores of male and female teachers as regards the strategies to reduce the constraints to effective implementation of UBE in Delta State.

1.5 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to assess the factors militating against the effective implementation of UBE Programme in Delta State. Specifically, the study intended to:

1. Determine the constraints to effective implementation of UBE in Delta State.

2. Find out the strategies to reduce the constraints to effective implementation of UBE in Delta State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study is particularly significant to policy makers, in re-directing and re-channeling of human and material resources in order to effectively implement the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in order to expand access to basic education.

It will also help educationist and policy makers get informed about the strategies that are most effective to reduce the constraints to effective implementation of UBE.

Finally, it is hoped that the study will help other researchers who are interested in investigating the constraints to effective implementation of UBE for the needed empirical literature.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to primary schools teachers in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. It is also restricted to the constraints to the effective implementation of UBE.
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EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Education is the process of acquiring skills, knowledge, attitude, abilities, values, competencies and acceptable behaviour in the society (Tahir, 2006). It has today been recognized as one of the significant means of social change. Education is a vital weapon to eradicate illiteracy, poverty and ignorance hence the Universal Basic Education (UBE) was introduced in Nigeria by the government under the leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the then Head of State (Japa, 2008). The Universal Basic Education (UBE) is a reformed programme in Basic Education delivery meant to reinforce the implementation of the National Policy on Education (NPE) as well as to provide greater access and ensure quality throughout the Federation. The Universal Basic Education has been seen as a very ambitious educational programme whose primary focus is to stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration.

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The main reason according to Adomen, Arhedo and Omoife (2007) for introducing UBE into the education system in Nigeria are: to fulfill the commitments of Nigeria to the provision of basic education to its people as a member of the global community, remedy the sorry situation of the education system in which in 1999 the literacy rate was said to be 52%, only 14.1 million of the 21 million children of school group age were in the school, the completion rate was 64% while the transition to junior secondary was only 43.5% (UBE, 2000). Also, there existed in the education system substantial shortcomings in Nigeria’s institutional and personnel capacities for the delivery of a sound basic education for all citizens. Thus, if the nation had to attain the desired 100 percent literacy rate by 2015 and make education available to all of its citizens at this shortest possible time, it had to take quick and urgent steps to universalize basic.

However, the importance of UBE to enhance areas and equity education in Nigeria, its implementation has not been effective. According to Ibadin and Osagie (2009) just like the UPE in the past, the UBE programme implementation has been hindered by various functions. And for meaningful development to take place in any nation, appropriate attention has to be given towards the growth and development of its educational system. In this regard the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) emphasized that for effective and quality education to take place there is need to:

- Develop the entire citizenry, a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to the vigorous promotions.

- Make provision for free Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school age.

- Reduce the incidence of dropout from formal school system through improved relevance, quality and efficiency.

- Ensure the acquisition of the appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, communicative and life skills as well as the ethical, moral and civil values needed for laying of a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

To this effect, lots of efforts have been made to ensure universalization of access to education so that everybody will have the benefit of education since no nation can rise above the quality of its educated citizenry (Ajayi, 2002).
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Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Causes of Examination Malpractice in Schools

The causes of examination malpractice can be broadly classified into two – external and internal, that is, institution and society based.

External Factors: These are factors or determinants of examination malpractice which are outside the school environment but which govern, control, dictate and interpret all that happens within the school system. Akpotu (1998) listed them to include:

1. The Moral Tone of the Society: It is a statement of truth that the school, like any other social institution, does not exist in vacuum, rather it exists within a geopolitical and social milieu. Hence, behaviours are expected to conform and reflect with acceptable societal norms and mores as regards various functional roles and execution of duties and services. Okafor (1990) blamed the society for examination malpractice according to him, in a country where dishonesty has been enshrined by the adult sector as an idol of worship, children have learnt to steal with impunity. However, examination malpractice in all shades and forms has become the order of the day among our students at all levels of the educational arrangement.

Mathematics for the Workplace

Major employers in the engineering, construction, pharmaceutical, financial and retail sectors have all made clear to us their continuing need for people with appropriate mathematical skills. In particular, employees highlight the storage of statisticians. Advanced and developing economies need an increasing number of people with more than minimum qualifications in mathematics to stay ahead in international competitiveness and in particular to effectively exploit advances in technology. An adequate supply of young people with mastery of appropriate mathematical skills at all levels is vital to the future prosperity of Nigeria.

A comparative study of mathematics achievement

Abstract

The study was designed to compare mathematics achievement of private and public secondary school students in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. To direct the study, two hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted the survey research design and the population of the study comprised all the senior secondary school students in both public and private secondary schools in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. The sample size was four hundred and eighty students randomly sampled from thirty schools. Data for the study were collected

Lack of Qualified and Motivated Biology Teachers

The success of any educational problem depends on the caliber of teachers. Lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers is a major impediment militating against the effective teaching of biology. The quality of a teacher determines to a large extent the students level of understanding, it is pertinent to know that the quality of a teacher is the most important educational input predicting students achievement.

Ajeyalemi (1990), opined that the students poor performance and lack of interest in science, particularly biology is as a result of lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers. If teachers from any other field are mandated to teach biology in schools, in such cases, then due to the abstract nature of biology the learners will not be able to benefit maximally from the lesson because the teacher is not professionally trained in the mandated field of study. Owing to the need for scientists and their accelerated influx in other sectors, teaching is generally seen as unlucrative profession,

Non Use of Proper Teaching Methods and Techniques

A method is a way of doing something consequently, a teaching method is a systematic procedure employed by teachers in their attempt to help learning take place. A teaching method often represents the implementation of a given theory of learning. People have various concept of the nature of education and how learning takes place. These concepts have resulted in different propositions of what teachers should do to facilitate learning.

Lack of Adequately Equipped Biology Laboratories in Secondary Schools

With unnumbered botanical (for plants) and scientific (for animals) names, chemical transactions and transformations and biotic and abiotic intra and inter-relations, biology will only amount to boredom if there are no well equipped laboratories to perform experiments which will internalize the principles and practices of the subjects. Bad enough, there are no laboratories in many secondary schools, while the available ones are poorly equipped or mismanaged. This is a serious set-back to the teaching of biology.

Okeh (2008) argued that science subjects are not to be taught outside laboratories. He further declared that the out-of- laboratory teaching of biology is the chief cause of biology students inadequacies in the art of instrumentation and their poor performance in biology examinations.

Infrequent and Inefficient Biology Practical Classes

Infrequent and Inefficient Biology Practical Classes

Biology as a science subject requires an integration of both theoretical and practical work to make it easily understood by the students. But a large proportion of biology teachers only concentrate on the theoretical aspect of the subject leaving the essential practical work unattended to.

The degree to which the teacher is conversant with a chosen topic facilitates the attainment of the instructional objectives. Further more, it is assumed that under the guidance of teacher, students can develop the understanding and skill of biology.

Inadequate Provision of Infrastructural Facilities in Secondary Schools

Inadequate Provision of Infrastructural Facilities in Secondary Schools

Infrastructural facilities such as good class rooms, classroom furniture, staff offices, office equipment, well equipped laboratories, portable water supply, electricity, libraries and library books and gadgets, housing and accommodation, transportation means and accessible routes are vital to teachers and students as they provide them with improved teaching and learning conditions. In addition, a qualified and motivated biology teacher may be often demoralized by the short supply or breach in the provision of these facilities and mainly teaching materials and aids which may lead to the frustration of his efforts.

BIOLOGY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

The views of scholars who had worked centrally or peripherally on this subject are the concern of this chapter, and have been organized according to the following sub-headings:

i. Biology education in Nigeria

ii. Lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers

iii. Methods and techniques used in teaching biology

iv. Lack of adequately equipped biology laboratories.

v. Infrequent and in-efficient biology practical classes

vi. Inadequate provision of infrastructural facilities in schools.

2.1 BIOLOGY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Biology, being the science that studies life, is as important as life itself. Everybody has a need for it, for it has to do with their food, health, environment, business and virtually everything – air, water, soil and we are still counting; so that one is right to ask, where on earth is biology needed?

It is needed in agriculture for food production and processing, growing of plants and animals for nutritional, pharmacological, industrial and environmental uses. Industries that deal with organic substrates, catalysis (enzymes) and products are in need of biology. The biotic and abiotic distinctions, interaction and transformations that is obtained in the air, soil and water are only elucidated by biology.

The Nigerian system of education had a scheme for inevitable study of biology in the school curriculum.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to:

1. Identify the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology in secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

2. Find out what the factors militating against the effective teaching of biology is all about.

3. Determine how and to what extent the factors are militating against the effective teaching of biology.

4. Make recommendation based on findings

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Findings of this study will be useful to teachers of biology, students, education authorities and government. As:

i. It will help biology teachers to employ appropriate teaching methods and techniques in teaching the subject;

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Biology according to encyclopedia international is the science that deals with life. It refers further to a unified group of life sciences dealing with development, growth, responses, reproduction, metabolism, evolution and the inter-relationship of all living and non-living things in our environment. It is the epicenter of all studies in the faculties of sciences, education, health and medicine, agriculture, engineering, technology, social sciences and management whether pure or applied that buttress

FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING
OF BIOLOGY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IKWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EBONYI STATE

PRESENTED BY

...............

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A RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, FACULTY OF EDUCATION

EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITYABAKALIKI

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.Sc. ED)

DEGREE IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION

NOVEMBER, 2012

APPROVAL PAGE

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY, SUGGESTIONS AND SUMMARY FOR DIOSCOREA ROTUNDATA VARIETIES GROWN IN SOUTH EAST AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE.

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY, SUGGESTIONS AND SUMMARY.

5.1 Discussion of findings

This chapter discusses issues that follow from the preceding chapters, evaluating, respondent view from the data obtained in this research work.

Implications limitations and suggestion for further study are discussed.

Research Question 1

Sought to ascertain in what ways the lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers are consequential to the teaching of the subject. The result (table 2) obtained revealed that 98% of the respondents agree that the inability of the teacher to explain the lessons very well is one of the consequences of lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers, while 2% disagree. 94% agree to inability to apply knowledge of biology in appropriate area of life, while 6% disagree. 97% agree to students loss of interest in biology, while 3% disagree. 94% agree to low practical knowledge of biology, while 6% disagree. 95% agree to tiring owing to the volume and ambiguity, while 5% disagree.

Consequently, it is observed that all the items in table 2 are the ways in which lack of qualified and motivated biology teachers affect the teaching of biology. 98% of the respondents agree while 5% disagree. This tallies with Agunyegon (1980). He noted that there exists a relationship between teachers qualification and students performance.

Research Question 2

aimed at finding out the extent of conformity of teaching method and techniques in teaching biology in secondary schools with what is required. The result in table 3 revealed that 96% agree that the teaching method and techniques do not conform to what is required, while 4% disagree. 94% agree that it is far from requirement, while 6% disagree. 35% agree that it connect properly, while 65% disagree. 32% agree that it is appropriate while 68% disagree. 97% agree that it is out of place, while 3% disagree.

From the available record, it is evident that the method and techniques used in teaching biology in secondary schools do not conform to what is required.

This corroborates with the WAEC Acting HRDH officer’s report (2001,2002,2003,2005), which held that failure in biology is due to non use of the necessary methods and techniques to impact the knowledge by teaching in order to ensure that learning takes place.

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