Education

Principals’ Administrative Skills and Proper Conduct Of Examination among Students in Uyo Education Zone of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria (Published)

The study was carried out to examine principals’ administrative skills and proper conduct of examination in Uyo Education Zone of Akwa Ibom State.  In order to achieve this purpose, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The ex-post facto research design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 86 principals and 2838 teachers in secondary schools in Uyo Education Zone of Akwa Ibom State.  The sample of this study comprised 878 respondents   comprising 26 principals and 852 teachers representing 30% of the population of principals and teachers. Multi-stage sampling technique was used for this selection. The two instruments namely “Principals’ Administrative Skills Questionnaire for Teachers (PASQT)”and “Examination Misconduct Questionnaire for Principals (EMQP)” were used for data collection.  R-value and R² value of simple linear regression were used for answering the research question while the F-ratio was used for testing the hypotheses. Each of the hypotheses was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that principals’ communication skills, school plant management skills as well as supervisory skills relate to proper conduct of examination among senior secondary school students. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Principals should be exposed to effective communication through seminars, workshops and conferences such that they can communicate to both staff and students in a way that they will understand what is expected of them, as well as the consequences of their involvement in examination misconduct among others.

Keywords: Administrative Skills, Education, Examinations, Principals, Students

Examination of ICT Compliance and Utilization for Curriculum Delivery among Social Studies Teachers In Nigeria (Published)

Information and communication technology (ICT) has brought profound changes to almost all aspects of life, including educational practices. The role of ICT in the development of knowledge is widely recognized. This study investigated how teachers’ Compliance and Utilization of ICT impact on their curriculum delivery in Nigeria. Four research questions were raised and answered in this study. The study adopted survey design. The population of this study is 681 social studies teachers in 2015/2016 academic year, from where a total of 204 respondents were sampled. A 16-item instrument titled “ICT Compliance and Utilization Assessment Questionnaire” (ICUAQ) developed by the researcher and validated by experts in the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo was used for data collection with a reliability coefficient of 0.81, established through a correlation analysis. Data generated based on the research questions were analyzed with descriptive statistics using percentage. Findings revealed that social studies teachers show noncompliance attitudes towards ICT, measured in terms of acceptance of ICT training, and accessing ICT resources. The study revealed that teachers make less use of ICT in terms of frequency in the use of ICT in lesson preparations, teaching and learning. Based on the findings, the study concluded that objective of ICT in education in Nigeria has not been met, and that social studies teachers are yet to derive the benefits of ICT in curriculum delivery. Consequently, the study recommended that government and other stakeholders such as Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and Old Students should liaise with schools to determine the training needs of staff members and help them to organize appropriate training programmes.

Keywords: Curriculum, Education, ICT, Nigeria, Social Studies, Teacher, Training

Factors that Influence the Early Completion of Long Essays by M. Ed Educational Administration Students of the University of Education, Winneba (Published)

The purpose of this research was to find out the background of sandwich graduate students at UEW who were unable to complete their programmes of study within the stipulated time.  The study also attempted to find out the effects of improper time management on them and the barriers to the early completion of their thesis.  The research design was a descriptive survey and the sampling technique used was simple random sampling for student-respondents and purposive sampling method for supervisor-respondents. The study found, among other things that over ninety percent of M.Ed students are working full time and the demands on their jobs, family, social and academic work put undue pressure on them, contributing to their inability to complete their programmes within the stipulated time.  It also came to light, through interviews with supervisors that poor writing skills on the part of students was a barrier to their early completion. The paper concludes with recommendations to help resolve the challenge.

Keywords: Education, Essay, M.Ed, Sandwich Students, Winneba

Investigating the Availability and the Extent of Use of Instructional Materials by Secondary School Chemistry Teachers in Nigeria (Published)

This study focused on level of utilization of available instructional materials, teacher made instructional materials and the obstacles faced by the chemistry teachers during improvisation of the teacher made instructional materials in Ebonyi State secondary schools.397 chemistry teachers from the 212 government owned secondary schools in Ebonyi State formed the population. Because of the small size of the population, no sampling was done. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection; it was validated by 3 experts from Science Education Department, one expert from Measurement and Evaluation and the other 2 from chemistry education. The reliability of the instrument was determined to be 0.81. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. 3 research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The 3 research questions were answered using mean statistics while the hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using the z-test statistics. The findings revealed that teachers are not utilizing effectively the available instructional materials in their teaching, the chemistry teachers are not making enough efforts in improvisation of those instructional materials that are not available and that the teachers faced obstacles such as lack of fund and skill for the improvisation of instructional materials. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made a number of recommendations that would help the teachers in their instructional delivery.

Keywords: Chemistry, Education, Instructional Materials, Secondary School

The Nigerian Child, Science and Technology Education, Current Challenges and Possible Solutions (Published)

The Nigerian child accounts for about forty five percent of the country’s population. Forty percent of children aged 6-11 do not attend any primary school with the northern region recording the lowest school attendance rate particularly in areas of insurgencies. It is estimated that about 4.7 million children of primary school age are still not in school despite increased enrolment. There are many challenges in ensuring quality education and satisfactory learning achievement. It is not rare to see cases of 100 pupils per teacher or pupils sitting under trees outside a school building because of lack of enough classrooms. The number of school facilities and qualified teachers available for basic education remain inadequate for the eligible number of children and youths. This is more so in urban areas where there is population pressure. Under these conditions teaching and learning science and technology cannot be effective; Science is an arduously and unremittingly human enterprise, it dominates our lives and presents society with tremendous opportunities and challenges. It is exciting and perplexing, and enlivening yet dull is how school science is seen by many young people. It is a damning indictment that the common science and technology committee reported that many students loose feeling of enthusiasm about science. This paper describes the Nigerian child, defines the challenges faced by the implementation of quality science and technology education in basic schooling, the professional qualities of the ideal science teacher and the essential qualities of a highly proficient science teacher, and the characteristics of a highly effective technology teacher. Suggestions are proffered towards addressing challenges.

Keywords: Education, Nigerian Child, School Facility, School Teachers

Keeping Of Teachers’ Records and Principals’administrative Effectiveness in Akwa Ibom State Secondary Schools, Nigeria. (Published)

The study examined the relationship between keeping of teachers’ records and administrative effectiveness of principals in public secondary schools in Uyo Local Education Committee of Akwa Ibom State. One research question was raised and a corresponding null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Expost facto research design was used, because the variables were not manipulated. The population consisted of 14 principals in the 14 public secondary schools in Uyo Local Education Committee. All the 14 principals were used as purposive sample for this research. A researcher developed instrument titled Keeping of Teachers’ Records and Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire (KTRAEQ)’was used for data collection. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using cronbach Alpha method and the reliability coefficient of 0.743 was obtained, implying that the instrument was adequate to measure what it was meant for. Simple linear regression statistic was used to answer the research question and to test the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between keeping of financial records, teachers’ records, students’ records and administrative effectiveness of principals of public secondary schools in Uyo Local Education Committee. It was concluded that principals should always ensure that teachers’ records are accurately and adequately kept and updated for immediate and future use. It was recommended based on the findings of the study among others that, the ministry, state secondary education board, as well as the Local Education Committees should inspect schools regularly to ensure that school principals keep teachers’ records up-to-date.

Keywords: Administration, Education, Nigeria, Secondary School, Teacher

Correlates of Internet Use among Secondary School Students in Nigeria (Published)

Internet is a new technology in Nigeria that is desirable to be used among secondary school students. Students are in love with internet because any kind of information on any topic is available on the internet. With fast and vast information exchange occasioned by globalization, efforts are being made towards providing caution on students’ use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and internet in particular. This study aims at analyzing the use of internet among secondary school students in Nigeria. The paper discusses the following correlates – internet as a concept, characteristics of secondary school students, problems of adolescents, positive and negative effects of internet use among students and the strategies to reduce the negative effects of internet use.

Keywords: Education, Globalization, Internet, Nigeria, Students, Technology

Effect of Using Spreadsheet in Teaching Quadratic Functions on the Performance of Senior High School Students (Published)

The study employed a quasi-experiment design to evaluate the effect of using Spreadsheet Instructional Method as compared to a Conventional Method on students’ performance in quadratic functions. Lessons delivered with both approaches employed a guided discovery; a mix of direct instruction and hands-on activities in a context in which mathematics learning have been deep-rooted in teacher-centred approaches of teaching. Interviews and teacher made achievement test were used to collect data from senior high school students in Ghana. Data was analysed using paired sample t-test and analysis of covariance for the achievement test whereas interviews were transcribed and coded using data reduction technique. The study showed that the Spreadsheet Instructional Method served a useful pedagogical approach, impacted more on the students’ performance and has the potential of improving teaching and learning mathematics in Senior High schools. The use of the spreadsheet made lessons more practical and interesting; gave students greater opportunities to verify results and make links between spreadsheet formula, quadratic functions and graphs. In spite of its potential, the study recognized that for spreadsheet to be effective in teaching mathematical concepts, a mix of direct instruction and hands-on activities should guide the lesson development and delivery.

Keywords: Education, Quadratic Functions, Spreadsheet, Students, Teaching

Integration of Mathematics and Informatics as a Base for Training in Information Technology (Published)

This paper develops a proposal for a joint Mathematics-Informatics course as a means of improving information technology skills. The structure of such a course should be based on common content line, thesaurus, organizational forms and education methods, and application and programming facilities between the two disciplines

Keywords: Education, Informatics, Information Technology (IT), Mathematics, Training

Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Secondary School Students through Effective Mathematics Education in Aba, Nigeria (Published)

Unemployment is a global issue which increases every day. Developing entrepreneurial skills could be a way of reducing, if not eliminating it. There is the need to make students self-reliant. These skills cannot be developed without efficient and effective knowledge of mathematics. That is why this study considers how entrepreneurial skills can be developed through mathematics education. This study was conducted in Aba metropolis of Abia State, Nigeria. Aba being one of the major centers of commerce in Nigeria was selected as to identify some of the skills and discuss how the knowledge of mathematics can assist develop them. A survey research design was used for this study with 200 senior secondary school (sss 1) students and 80 teachers selected randomly from 40 secondary schools. The instrument of study was structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed and research questions answered using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, and co-relational statistics of Pearson moment correlation. Among others, it was found that both students and teachers need knowledge of mathematics to be good entrepreneurs. There is strong positive relationship between mathematics and entrepreneurial skills. It was recommended that there is need to enhance the mathematical background of students, and teachers with strong mathematical background should be used in teaching entrepreneurship education.

Keywords: Education, Mathematics, Skills, entrepreneurial