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DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AND TEACHERS EFFECTIVENESS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This study
investigated the impact of in-service training programmes on students‟ academic
performance, examined the effect of part-time and full-time training programmes
on teachers‟ teaching methods, determined the modes of training adopted by the
various schools in training their teachers and also examined the impact of
in-service training programmes on teachers teaching methods in the classroom.
This was with a view to finding out the impact of staff training and
development programmes on teachers‟ effectiveness in secondary schools in the
study area.
Survey research design was employed for the
study. The target population of the study was teachers working in the secondary
schools of Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo State with a sample
population of 150 teachers who were randomly picked from 393 teachers in the 49
secondary schools of the local government. Questionnaire was employed in the
collection of the data while the data collection was done personally in 14
secondary schools. The methods used in analysing the data were Chi-square,
T-test and Anova.
The findings showed that in-service training
programmes had contributed tremendously to students‟ academic achievement with
a significant value of 0.002, which is less than 0.05, the critical alpha
value. The full-time and part-time training programmes had influenced
positively the teaching methods of teachers with a significant value of 0.079
which is greater than 0.05, the critical value. It was also found that
in-service training programmes had positive impact on teachers teaching methods
in the classrooms with a significant value of 0.434 which is greater than 0.05
the critical value.
It was therefore concluded from the findings
that staff development programmes designed for the development of Nigerian
teachers are fundamental and germane because of the impact on students‟
academic performance, and teachers‟ teaching methods in the classrooms.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
to the Study
Globally, educating a nation remains the most
vital strategy for the development of the society throughout the developing
world. Many studies on human capital development concur that it is the human
resources of a nation and not its capital or natural resources that ultimately
determine the pace of its economic and social development. The Principal
institutional mechanism for developing human capital is the formal education
system of primary, secondary, and tertiary training (Nsubuga, 2003). Since
education is an investment, there is a significant positive correlation between
education and socio-economic productivity.
Staff
development programme is a process designed to improve job understanding,
promote more effective job performance, and establish future goals for career
growth. It helps staff in understanding their responsibilities. It is the
opportunities available to new and experienced teachers and teaching assistants
{paraprofessionals}. These activities are designed to improve the quality of
classroom instruction; enable individuals to grow professionally; introduce
practitioners to the practical applications of research-validated strategies;
and help teachers meet their license and salary differentials.
Staff development programmes can also be
referred to as the processes, and activities through which every organization
develops, enhances and improves the skills, competencies and overall
performance of its employees and workers.
It was found
by a researcher that head teachers were well trained as teachers, but not as
school managers. The training given to head teachers when training as teachers
is inadequate to prepare them for leadership roles. As observed by Kyeyune
(2008), there is a gap in leadership training to prepare head teachers for
their roles. Given the education reforms and the many challenges, which come
with the reforms, educational leadership is increasingly becoming a big
concern. Secondary schools today are faced with challenges that emphasize the
demand for effective leadership.
Such head
teachers do not just require training in general education administration, but
specialized training which is capable of imparting the necessary management and
leadership skills. It is clear from past studies that the head teachers are not
able to improve school performance unless they are equipped with certain
knowledge, intellectual, social and psychological skills.
It was discovered that head teachers do not
receive induction on appointment. There is therefore a need for a continuous
professional development programme for the academic staff such as the school
principals, vice principals, head teachers and subject teachers. For example:
head teachers play many roles and for them to fit the profile of principals
that Kyeyune, (2008), describes as change agents, they must not only manage but
lead. For any reform to succeed, head teachers, as gatekeepers, must be up to
the task and hence the need for continuous professional development in order to
promote teachers effectiveness in class. Several studies had proffered solution
to a review of the curriculum for the training of teachers so that sufficient attention
is given to management and
leadership
skills. The need to review the training curriculum is precipitated by the
existing gap between theory and practice. Through practice and observation of
schools the researcher established that some head teachers who made efforts to
accumulate qualifications and certificates, had no significant improvement
registered at the schools they were heading. This implies that either the
knowledge acquired was not relevant to the situation on ground or there was a
failure to translate the theoretical knowledge into practice. All the teachers
are potential leaders (future head teachers). Ministries of Education and the
universities in liaison with the teacher training colleges should therefore
undertake the review of the said curricula.
It has also
been observed that universities which train teachers and head teachers, for
that matter are detached from the schools which are the point for delivery of
the services of the products from the universities and training colleges. The
training institutions cannot abrogate their responsibilities when their
products are found wanting and cannot deliver quality work. For Kajubi (1992)
however, he submitted that “the quality of the education system cannot be
better than the quality of its teachers”.
Mkpa (2002)
suggested innovations in the in-service programmes in Nigeria to include:
1. Mentoring: This is a strategy in which
highly experienced teachers in a school are assigned a number of
less-experienced ones to serve as their mentors or professional guides. This is
like the Peer In-Service Approach (PISA) which is a self-help in-service
approach that drastically reduces the cost of financingtraining programmes for
teachers within local government areas; thus, the services of good/experienced
teachers is utilized to up-date other teachers in neighbouring schools in the
same area (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation
UNESCO, 1997:30-31).
2. Peer-Tutoring: In this, a colleague
approaches the other to obtain or seek professional assistance or guide on any
aspect of his/her discipline where he/she is defective. In this way, the area
of professional competence of each colleague benefits the other eventually
leading to each member of staff growing academically and professionally.
3. Subject Lead-Teacher Approach: A Senior
Teacher of the same subject leads the other teachers, overseeing all curricular
programmes associated with that subject.
4. Cluster Lead-Teachers Approach: Teachers
in selected schools in a Local Government Area (five or less schools) come
together to share experiences in
certain subjects. A very good teacher in a
particular subject leads the others. This cluster enhances mutual assistance
among them, hence self-improvement without necessarily going to any training
institution.
In addition to the above strategies, the
different subject-teacher and discipline associations‟ conferences, workshops,
and seminars should be encouraged on local government, state and national
bases. Usually, at these gatherings experts should be invited to give talks
after which the topics can then be elaborately discussed by all members.
The next
characteristic is horizontal integration, which means linking education and
life. Teachers and student teachers need to be made aware that much education
takes place in the society outside the formal sub-system. This awareness will
enable teachers integrate or link up the school education with that of the
out-of school. This integration involves bringing the society into the school
and also bringing the school into the society. For instance, relevant resources
in the society should be brought into the school to bring more reality and
boost classroom teaching. Workshops, arts galleries, agricultural
establishments and industrial set-ups in the society should be used to interact
with the formal school teaching. Students‟ practical teaching exercises should
not be restricted to the formal classrooms, but should be extended to the
out-of-school settings. Thus, the teachers will link school education with life
in the broader society.
The third
characteristic is pre-requisites for learning. This refers to having the
disposition to continuing to learn or learning-how-to learn so as to enable one
to be an autonomous learner. Aghenta (1992) recommended the Nigerian Teachers
Institute (NTI) model of distance education with the students reporting to
their teachers every weekend.
Emphasis
should be placed on the use of the library and news media (print and
electronic) to acquire knowledge. Continuous assessment and self-assessment
should be stressed so as to enable students monitor their achievements while
undertaking independent educational pursuits.
Teachers are
expected to play new roles as part of the systemic reform efforts. Teacher
professional development needs to provide opportunities for teachers to explore
new roles,
develop new instructional techniques, refine their practice and broaden themselves
both as educators and as individuals. It is important that educators, parents,
policy makers and the general public should understand the new expectations of
teachers, the new roles and responsibilities, and current definitions of
professional development. Recognition by the entire community of the complex
nature of the changes needed is the first step in building the necessary
support to ensure that teachers can fulfil their crucial role in systemic
reform.
However,
schools are bureaucratic, and hierarchical; teachers are isolated from one
another and have learned to work alone; principals usually have not been asked
to support teamwork; leadership has been linked only to formal roles.
Professional development (PD) has relied upon a deficit model in which an
expert imparts knowledge and information to teachers who are assumed to be
deficient and who need outside experts to teach them new modes of working with
students. PD requires systemic reforms, changing both structures of schools and
the norms and practices within them. According to Fullan (2001), the change
process involves four levels, namely active initiation and participation,
pressure and support, changes in behaviour and beliefs, and ownership. Without
understanding the complex nature of the changes required, and without creating
professional development opportunities for teachers and others, school
communities can end up adopting innovation after innovation without seeing any
permanent improvement in the achievement of school goals. The design,
implementation, and evaluation of professional development must therefore
ensure attention is given to all
phases of
the change process. Reform efforts that do not focus on teacher acceptance may
fail. Therefore, staff development programme must shift its emphasis from
working on teachers to working with teachers toward improvement of teaching and
learning for all students.
In the
context of Nigeria, teacher professional development refers to the processes,
organizational mechanisms and practices that are aimed at providing support to
the teacher for the improvement and smooth discharge of his/her duties.
Organizational mechanisms are the mechanisms for monitoring continuous
development of the teacher. These may take the form of planned and scheduled
short term training programmes and seminars aimed at meeting various
professional needs of the teaching force. Practices, on the other hand, include
the formal mentoring programmes developed in situations like e.g. advice that
the teacher gets from the head teacher, ward education officer. Other forms of
practice are the meetings held at school level and at cluster level with the purpose
of reviewing and reflecting on practice on a regular basis. Establishment and
effective utilization of Teachers Resource Centre is an important element in
the professional development of teachers. This fact is supported by scholars
such as Kruse and Luis (1997) as well as Quinn and Restine (1996) who argued
for an interactive, on-the job coaching and mentoring approach to teacher
professional development because it is cost effective.
Training can
be organized in small school clusters and qualified senior teachers or
university lecturers are invited to these clusters to serve as trainers and
mentors. Such
formal
arrangements for professional development need to be supported by informal
practices like team teaching and the sharing of experiences and educational
resources among teachers, which greatly contribute to self- improvement. This
approach has the advantage of stimulating healthy debates about various reform
measures and innovations and encouraging collaboration, peer coaching, inquiry,
collegial study groups, reflective discussion and action (Pounder, 1999).
Using the
Interactive systems model, teacher professional development is a function of
the interaction between and among five key players or stakeholders. These are
the ministry responsible for teacher education, universities, schools, the
community and the teachers themselves. The Ministry of Education and Vocational
Training is responsible for providing policy and financial support for teacher
professional development. Universities and Teacher Education colleges are
responsible for providing training, conducting policy oriented research and
providing relevant literature and materials to support teachers in schools.
School management on its part is supposed to provide support to the teacher on
a daily basis through advice, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the
teaching and learning activities. The community through the school committee is
responsible for supporting teacher professional development by providing the
necessary resources in the budget. The teacher is responsible for being
proactive in seeking for opportunities for his or her own professional
development.
The Rogan
and Grayson (2003) model of professional development, suggested that programmes
for upgrading of teachers from one grade to another do not qualify as
teacher
professional development. However, elements of professional development
exemplified by the formal practices and informal practices initiated by
teachers and their head teachers at school/ward level were noted which need to
be nurtured and supported by all education stakeholders.
The aim of
staff development programmes is to keep the staff up-to-date on the latest
development in their fields, and enable them “brush up” their skills. It is the
most effective training available to middle-level and top executives in the
country. The purpose is to allow a member of staff supplement his/her basic
knowledge and allow for an improved performance in the ways services are
delivered. It is gratifying to note that the Federal and State governments of
Nigeria are aware of the immense benefits derivable from staff development
programmes.
In Nigeria
for instance, there are such institutions as:
1. The Centre for Management Development
2. The Nigerian Institute of Management
3. National Institute for Strategic and
Policy Studies, Kuru, Jos
4. Administrative Staff College of Nigeria
(ASCON).
Hence, any
staff development programme should be able to motivate, and help
improve the
role perception of staff and also develop a proper attitude in them toward the
public. It is clear that the need for adequate staff development programmes for
teachers Nigeria has become obvious since two decades when they are getting
conscious of it.
When
teachers are educated, their standards of living are likely to improve, since
they are empowered to access productive ventures, which will ultimately lead to
an improvement in their livelihoods. The role of education therefore, is not
just to impart knowledge and skills that enable the beneficiaries to function
as economy and social change agents in the society, but also to impart values,
ideas, attitudes and aspirations important for natural development.
The
straightforward linkage between education and staff development programmes is
therefore the improvement of labour skills, which in turn increases
opportunities for well-paid productive employment. This then might enable the
citizens of any nation to fully exploit their potential positively.
Thus, this
study becomes important to address key issues such as staff/teachers
development programmes in Nigeria context, to know how effective it is, how it
has been affecting the service delivery of teachers and the positive impact
this can have on the academic performance of secondary school students in
Nigeria.
Statement of
the Problem
The effect
of staff development programmes on the job performance of teachers is worth
investigating when one looks at the overview in the background of this study.
Thus, if in-service training fails and do not succeed, Nigeria may experience
set back in her social and economic development. Indeed, there is an urgent and
desperate need for the organization of efficient and effective staff
development programmes in Nigeria. The caliber of many teachers working in the
public and private secondary schools in Nigeria
is nothing
to write home about. They are usually inefficient in the performance of their
duties.
Many schools
that organize staff training programmes in the country do have a wrong
nomenclature that staff development programmes require placing few people with
high potentials in a training programme while ignoring the rest of the staff.
It is of course difficult to identify the potential of prospective teachers,
but to rely on a few trainees is also risky. It is even more risky when the
trainees are selected on the basis of friendship or kinship with executives
without regard for capabilities. Apart from this, the academic performance of
secondary school students has also being disappointing. Many students who
enroll for West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination
Council (NECO) respectively in Nigerian secondary schools do perform woefully.
Hence, it has been discovered that lack of efficient and skillful teachers have
been the reasons behind this sordid performance.
This study
is however imperative in order to determine the impact of staff/in-service
development programmes on teachers effectiveness in the classrooms and how this
can affect the academic performance of students in the secondary schools in
Nigeria.
Study
Objectives
The
following objectives will be discussed in order to tackle the identified
problems above. They are as follows:
1. To investigate the impact of in-service
training programmes on student‟s academic performance.
2. To examine effect of full-time and
part-time training programmes on teachers‟ teaching methods in the classrooms.
3. To determine the various modes of
training programmes (full-time and part-time) adopted by the secondary schools
in Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo State in training their
teachers.
4. To examine the impact of in-service
training programmes on teachers‟ teaching methods in the classrooms.
Research
Questions
1. What is the impact of in-service training
programmes on students‟ academic performance?
2. What is the impact of in-service training
programmes on the teachers teaching methods in the classrooms?
3. What effects do the various modes of
training programmes (full-time and par-time) have on teachers‟ teaching methods
in the classrooms?
Hypotheses
For the
purpose of this study, these assumptions can be established:
H01.There is
no significant relationship between in-service training programmes and their
contribution to students‟ academic performance.
H12. There
is significant relationship between the modes of training (full-time and
par-time) and teachers‟ teaching methods in the classrooms.
H13. There
is significant relationship between in-service training programmes and
teacher‟s teaching methods in the classrooms.
Scope of the
Study
This study
investigated the impact of staff development programmes on the effectiveness of
secondary school teachers in Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo
State. The researcher selected this
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