REVIVING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES THROUGH TEACHING AND LEARNING- THE CASE OF IGALA LANGUAGE (Published)
The paper highlights the world’s language situation especially in Africa, where majority languages have better chances of survival than the minority ones in the face of dominant languages of the ex-colonial masters like English, French and Spanish. It analyses the state of indigenous languages in Nigeria in particular with the position of Igala language in the country and in the educational sector. The paper examines language planning ideology and the language policy in Nigeria. It discovers that there is lack of interest by government and school administrators to implement the national policy on education concerning language. Consequently, it feels that teaching and learning in indigenous languages and in Igala in particular need to be revived to save hundreds of Nigerian languages from going extinct as well as to turn around the poor state of education through early mother tongue instruction. It recommends that government at all levels should ensure the implementation of the mother tongue instruction in early education by providing funds, equipment, teaching aids and supervision.
Keywords: Extinction of Languages, Igala Language, Kogi State, Language Ideology, Language policy, Linguistic Rights, Majority Language, Minority Language, Mother tongue instruction, Multilingualism, Nigeria, Policy Implementation, Revalorization
THE NIGERIAN LOCAL CONTENT ACT AND ITS IMPLICATION ON TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) AND THE NATION’S ECONOMY (Published)
The Nigerian state has been faced with various economic, social, political, educational, and development problems in all sectors of the Nigerian economy. These problems have eventually led to poverty, corruption, kidnapping, unemployment, stealing, terrorism, militancy, and armed robbery amongst others. In other to tackle theses challenges facing the nation, the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR), in March 2010 signed into law the Nigerian Local Content Act which aimed at promoting industrialization of the nation’s oil and gas industries and thereby improving the economic and social well being of citizens engaged in the industries. Using secondary data, this paper examines the Nigerian local content act, technical vocational education training (TVET) and the implication of Local Content Act on TVET and the Nigerian economy. Therefore, it was concluded that the Nigerian local Content Act adds value to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria. In addition, for Nigeria to achieved the intended goals and objectives of the Local Content Act, the government, stakeholders, and the board in charge of implementation and monitoring of the Local Content Act must first of all revitalize TVET institutions, train and retrain TVET professionals, and establish more TVET institutions that will help produced the skilled work force needed to implement the Nigerian Local Content Act.
Keywords: Economy, Local Content Act, Nigeria, TVET
UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS UNDERGRADUATES’ AWARENESS AND USE OF RESOURCE MATERIALS OF THE NATIONAL MATHEMATICAL CENTRE, ABUJA, NIGERIA (Published)
The study examined the extent of Awareness and Use of National Mathematical Centre’s Resource Materials by the Nigerian University Mathematics Undergraduates. It was a descriptive research of the survey type. The population of the study was the entire Mathematics Undergraduates in Nigeria and a total number of 168 University of Ilorin Mathematics and Mathematics Education undergraduates were selected at random from the departments of Mathematics and science education of the University. Researcher designed questionnaire containing 24 items on Awareness and Use of Resources of National Mathematical Centre, Abuja were administered to the subjects. The data collected was analyzed using frequency count while percentage and Chi-square were used to test the stated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.The results showed that less than 50% of undergraduates are aware of the resources of NMC, Abuja and less than 20% of them have ever used the resources. Also, Academic levels of the undergraduates do not affect their awareness of the NMC resource materials as no significant difference was found in the awareness of the undergraduates of the NMC resources based on their academic level. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for the popularization of the resources of the centre for a wide range of access to stakeholders.
Keywords: Abuja, National Mathematical Centre, Nigeria, Resource Materials, Undergraduates’ Awareness, University Mathematics
TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA. (Published)
The concern of the study was to investigate into secondary school teachers’ knowledge of climate, its impacts and mitigation strategies. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting the respondents for the study. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire named Teacher Climate Change Knowledge Question (TCCKQ). The questionnaire was structured by the researchers and validated by experts. The findings revealed that teachers have the knowledge of climate change impacts on man, animals, their environment, as well as the different mitigating strategies. Revealed also is the disparity between teachers’ knowledge of climate change in urban and rural secondary schools. The implication of the findings is that success of climate change education depends on the knowledge of the teacher on the subject. It is recommended that climate change education be introduced into the teacher training institutions and regular training and workshops be organized for teachers.
Keywords: Climate Change, Knowledge, Nigeria, Rivers State, Secondary Schools, Teachers
Leadership training: A predictor for principals’ leadership behavioural change (Review Completed - Accepted)
The expectation to ensure continuing in secondary schools education in most of the highly advance and third world countries today is determine by the principals’ leadership behaviour which could be measure based on the leadership training acquire by most school principals. This paper examines the influence of Leadership training as a predictor for principals’ leadership behavioural change towards students’ academic achievement. The study using secondary information with discuss analysis of existing supportive literature on the subject matter for its theoretical foundation to explore the principals’ leadership training and its relationship with the principals behavioural change which is mostly needed among schools principal in this ever changing world to sustain the growth and development of any nation. This paper revealed that, not much substantial packages are put in place to enhance the leadership of principals among secondary schools in Nigeria most especially in Niger State North Central part of the country. This paper concluded that, leadership training for school principals will assist in improving their behaviour to overcome the numerous challenges facing most school principals nowadays. Initiatives to improve leadership training among principals are recommended due to its esteemed value for Nigerian Nation.
Keywords: Behavioural Change, Leadership training, Nigeria, School Principals