Challenges on Development and Education of Nomadic Children in Sokoto State: Implications for Education and Sustainability (Published)
Globally, education as birth right and sustainable development in human capacities and societal progress are being pursued with vigour. The nomadic Fulani are the second largest population of inhabitants in Sokoto state. However, they are among marginalised, underserved, underdeveloped and less educated group not only in the state but the country at large. The paper identifies nomadic life styles, inadequacies in policies and provisions for nomadic education and wide spread corruptions as major sources of constraints to development and education of Fulani children thus affecting the sustainable development prospects. The paper suggests the need for more concerted efforts form individuals and government, need for accurate census figure, mass mobilisation, wide spread campaign and use of culture-friendly integrated health, socio-economic welfare and education packages for all nomads. The paper concludes that it seems obvious that the nomads prefer sending children to cattle rearing than schooling because to the nomads a child who can rear and milk cow is more desirable than a certificate-holder that has no job or cannot breed cattle, thus it is imperative to make nomadic education more relevant to ideals and values of nomads for sustainable development to be a reality and achievable.
Keywords: Challenges, Development, Education, Sokoto, State, nomadic children
Education as an Instrument for Promoting and Sustaining Political Stability in Nigeria (Published)
Politics is omnipotent and omnipresent in the day to day affairs of individuals and institutions of the state and the ability of politics to live up to expectations in overseeing the day to day affairs of members of the society can only be possible if there is stability in the political system. Regrettably the attitudes of Nigerians do not correspond with the high and towering status of politics as a determinant factor in the quality of life and quality of development of a people. Rather than being totally committed by actively participating in politics, majority of Nigerians embrace apathy and other behaviours whose manifestations pose serious threats to stability in the political system. Using the philosophical methods, this paper makes a case on how education through curricular and pedagogical innovations can create awareness, sensitize and stimulate in Nigerians behavivours whose sustenance can promote and lay solid foundations for political stability in Nigeria. The paper among others suggests that teaching Nigerians how to morally play the game of politics according to rules governing the game, making civic education compulsory and teaching learners to be critical, logical and analytical especially on how to build the Nigeria of their dream through politics and participation in politics can be measures for achieving political stability in Nigeria.
Keywords: Democracy Nigeria, Education, Political Stability, Politics
Compliance Level with Professional Knowledge and Skills Requirements by High School Physics Teachers in Akwa Ibom State: Implications for the Education of Science Teachers (Published)
The study examined the compliance level with professional knowledge and skills requirements in the professional standards for Nigerian teachers (PSNT) by secondary school physics teachers in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of this study comprised all physics teachers in all public secondary schools in the three senatorial districts of the State. The sample for the study comprised one hundred and twenty physics teachers that satisfied the purposive sampling technique criteria as spelt out. The researchers made use of an adapted checklist tagged “Physics Teachers Knowledge and Skills Checklist” (PTKSC) to ascertain the professional standing of the selected teachers in two subthemes (professional knowledge and professional skills) out of the four themes in the Professional Standards for Nigerian Teachers (PSNT). The validated and reliable checklist was used to collect the needed data. The results showed that male graduate/NCE, and experience physics teachers exhibit high level of compliance with the professional knowledge and skills contained in the PSNT. Based on the findings of the study, several implications for the education of science (physics) teachers were advanced. Recommendations were made to include that the TRCN in conjunction with teacher education supervising agencies should explore ways of raising the quality and relevance of teacher education curricula in line with the professional standard demands.
Keywords: Education, Physics Teachers, Professional Knowledge, Professional Skills, science teachers
Factors Affecting Students’ Academic Performance in Colleges of Education in Southwest, Nigeria (Published)
This study was carried out to assess factors affecting students’ academic performance in Colleges of Education in southwest, Nigeria. Four hundred and eighty students from six Colleges of Education were randomly selected for this study. Data collected were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The results obtained showed that 52.4% of the respondents were between 20 – 24 years of age, predominantly female (67.6%), supported by family/guardian (88.9%), stayed off-campus (69.8%), had personal motivation for studying Education (65.8%) and bold (91.1%). Also, results of parental background revealed that the parents were married (63.8%), educated (68.2%), and earned average income of ₦60,604.5/month. The study concludes that students’ factors, parental background, school factors, and teachers’ factors have serious influence on students’ academic performance. It is hereby recommended that school facilities should be adequately provided; Colleges of Education should be given appropriate attention and funding while government should provide alternative power supply by purchasing generator plant for Colleges of Education.
Keywords: Academics, Affecting, Education, Factor, Performance
Gender Metamorphoses in the Use of ICT Tools: A Case Study at Offinso College of Education (Published)
The role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education cannot be overemphasized, hence teachers as agents of education are expected to acquire the essential skills to help train the 21st century child to survive in the current competitive and technologically driven world. The study aimed at the impact of ICT on Male and Female student-teachers in Colleges of Education in Ghana. The Mixed research design which takes into consideration the various factors that influence ICT access and usage in Colleges of Education was used. It outlines the various factors that militate against successful integration of ICT tools in teaching and learning. The extent to which student-teachers are embracing technology in their learning have been analysed. The study used questionnaire and participatory observation of classroom activities to collect data from hundred and forty (140) Student-teachers at Offinso College of Education. The findings show no significant difference in access and usage of ICT tools among male and female student-teachers. The study revealed lack of technical support and maintenance as a significant impediment to the development of ICT in the College of education. However, there was no significant difference in access and use of ICT tool since student-teachers share similar backgrounds.
Keywords: Education, Gender, Ghana, ICT, ICT tools, Learning, Student Teachers, Teaching, Technology
Impact of Xenophobia on Nigerian Students in South Africa (Published)
The relationship between South Africa and Nigeria dates back to 1960s during the Apartheid era. Nigeria played an instrumental role in ending apartheid and upon the collapse of the apartheid regime, migrants from Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria swamped into the country as a result of investment opportunities. However, the current challenges facing South Africa such as unemployment, poor border control, lack of education caused deep resentment amongst the locals and resulted in xenophobic attitudes and violence. This paper thus, is informed by the rise in the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and takes a critical analysis of the impact of xenophobia on Nigeria students in South Africa. In achieving this, data was collated using a 12 item questionnaire titled “Impact of Xenophobia on Nigerian students in South Africa” across 30 randomly selected Nigerian students using sampling technique rated on a 4point likert scale. The findings of this study indicates that Nigerian students face discrimination from fellow students, locals and immigration and government officials while the rise of xenophobic sentiments has impacted the economy and investment opportunities of South Africa. Awareness campaigns by stakeholders, policies that boost employment and the economy as well as partnership by both governments were recommended by the study.
Keywords: Education, Impact, xenophobia
Vocational and Technical Education Orientation and Instruction for Job Creation among Youths and the Unemployed in Nigeria (Published)
The paper looked at vocational and technical education orientation and instruction for job creation among youths and the unemployed in Nigeria. Vocational and technical education is the foundation upon which the skills of workforce are built, without a great further progress in vocational and technical education orientation and instruction, we cannot hope for future employment and reliant graduates with the required skills and flexibility for a fast growing industry in the global age. Vocational and technical education as an instrument for job creation for youths and unemployed in Nigeria. It is on this recognition that the researcher focused attention on the following sub-headings to address the topic: Rationale for vocational and technical education orientation and instruction; vocational systems packages for instruction; utilization of equipment and facilities for instruction for job creation; vocational and technical education orientation and instructional methods for job creation among youth and unemployed; and problems of vocational and technical education orientation and instruction. It was based on these reviewed literature that recommendations were made for job creation for youths and unemployed, It was recommended that adequate fund should be made available to fund the orientation and instruction of vocational and technical education programme for job creation for youths and unemployed among others.
Keywords: Creation, Education, Instruction Orientation, Technical, Unemployed Job., Vocational, Youths
Navigating Through Ph.D Programmes: Experiences of Ghanaian Ph.D Graduates from Universities across the Globe (Published)
This research sought to examines the experiences of Ghanaian PhD graduates from various universities across the globe. A qualitative research model was therefore designed and used to explore factors that motivated the PhD graduates to pursue their programmes, challenges they faced in the course of their study, effects of these challenges on them and how they dealt with the challenges. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were employed to select twenty participants for the study. The theoretical focus of the study was on human capital theory. The data was analysed using thematic approach. It emerged from the study that job placement and security, the academic environment, family aspiration and expectation, personal desire to stand out to be visible and availability of scholarships were factors that motivated Ghanaian PhD graduates to pursue their programmes. The findings also revealed that Ghanaian PhD graduates lost most of their acquaintances deliberately, missed their families and social life, and had difficulty managing supervisor/student relationship, battling with theories, data management and analysis. It became obvious that as part of PhD students orientation they should be made to understand that uncertainty, doubt, disappointments are parts of the PhD experience and they should not be derailed by those conditions. Universities running PhD programmes should provide counselling centres and programmes that are tailored towards the reduction of stress factors accompanying PhD programmes.
Keywords: Education, Ghanaian Ph.D, Ph.D Programmes, graduates
Conceptual Study of Value Curve in Knowledge Sharing of Organizational Training and Education (Published)
The knowledge sharing is the core of knowledge management in organizational training and education, but we pay few attentions to the value of knowledge sharing in the past. This research aims at some confuse idea related to knowledge sharing, then we propose more explicit knowledge value categorization, and infer the hypothesis of the value of knowledge owner curve. The main contribution of present study is to classify the value in knowledge sharing process into the knowledge value and knowledge owners’, and explaining what the value of organization increased is come from knowledge owner decrease, finally knowledge owner value can be divided into expert’s power value and the value of sharing will and ability. Put these two above values together, the knowledge owner value becomes a concave upward curve. It is to say the value of knowledge owner is under the influence of expert’s power and descend in the early stage, and then raising thereafter because this sharing will and ability are predicted to get applauses. The present study proposed related hypotheses, it still have to carry on some testing to verify in the future. However these hypotheses still show some new concept of value in the subject of the knowledge sharing currently, it enable us to find different thinking. We hope the results of present study can suggest a better way to encourage knowledge sharing according to different viewpoints of value of organizational training and education in the future.
Keywords: Education, Knowledge Sharing, Training, Value curve
Education for Sustainable Development in Nigeria and Other Developing Nations (Published)
This paper is a contribution to addressing the challenge of underdevelopment in Nigeria using the tool of education. The researcher looked at education for sustainable development in Nigeria as a developing country. In recent times, there has been a paradigm shift in defining development and the way it is practiced. This paradigm shift is what has resulted in the adoption of Sustainable Development (SD) as a concept. Sustainable Development was highlighted in the Brunttand Report, at the Stockholm Conference of 1972 and more recently, in Paris, France where over 169 countries adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a working document. All over Nigeria, there are rumours and evidence of failed leadership characterized by dwindling educational, economic, social and political fortunes. All these problems are as a result of the inability of the leadership to plan successfully for development using appropriate educational tools. It is the opinion here that, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can function to educate, train and undertake research to contribute to the sustainable development of the Nigerian Society. For instance, such education can provide the citizens with skills, perspectives, values and knowledge to live sustainably in their communities. It can also produce leaders who manage the affairs of government and private sector industries to constitute the stake holders of sustainable development. To function properly in this regard, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) should grow from a variety of sources and be delivered through casual, informal, non-formal and formal strategies. In order to achieve these therefore, the paper recommends among other things that there should be a reorientation of existing education at all levels to include principles, skills, perspectives and values of sustainable development. That formal, non-formal informal and casual education for knowledge, attitude and skills for poverty alleviation and human development be promoted.
Keywords: Developing Nations, Education, Nigeria, Sustainable Development