Fig. K

The enrolment even though appears to be on the increase, it is far from satisfying the teachers need of the nation. To meet the nations need most of the Institutes of Education of Nigerian Universities offer sandwich programmes, which is a combination of vacation courses and correspondence courses that lead to the award of National Certificate in Education. The 23 regular Universities in Nigeria offer undergraduatcourses that lead to the award of Bachelor Degree in Education (B.Ed.)

The National Institute of Education Administration and Planning, set up in Ondo in 1992 organizes in-service training for principals, inspectors and educational planners on school administration, monitoring and evaluation.

A study commissioned by the National Council on Education and carried out by the NERDC showed that there are numerous unemployed NCE holders roaming the street. Largely because the local Government Education Authorities prefer to employ the Grade II teachers to reduce the amount spent on teacher salaries.

Instructional and learning materials are prerequisite to making learning meaningful, interesting and easy to internalise. Table 35 presents responses by class teachers’ on the availability and adequacy of instructional/learning materials in the sampled schools, where available and adequacy implies sufficiency, not available means that the facilities do not exist in the schools.

Chalkboard which is the most basic equipment for learning delivery was found to be completely lacking in about 10 percent of the sampled schools. From observation even in schools where they are available, most of the chalkboards were defaced and needed blackening.

Chalk which is a very basic teaching tool is either inadequate (54.2%) or completely lacking (9.8%) in the majority of schools.

Charts maps posters etc are used for demonstration to enhance meaningfulness. As observed for other teaching materials facilities like chart, maps and posters are lacking (42.0 percent) or inadequate (44.5 percent) in most of the sampled schools.

Only 2.5 percent of sampled schools indicated that the available science equipment were adequate. In most schools (88.8 percent) however, science equipment were completely lacking. This would make it difficult to convey meaningfulness in science, which is essentially a practical subject. Physical and health education is an important component of school curriculum. Even the most basic sporting facilities were not available in majority of the schools sampled. There was a serious dearth of games and sporting facilities including skipping ropes, loops, mats etc.

Although most of the schools used in this study were located in the rural farming communities only about 0.8 percent indicated that facilities available for agricultural science were not adequate. About 89.9 percent of the schools had no equipment for practical agriculture.

Teachers furniture are completing lacking in about 34.2 percent of sampled schools a situation which would contribute to the low motivation of teachers. Majority of the schools surveyed indicate pupils’ furniture as inadequate (62.0 percent) or not available (32.2%). In some of the sampled schools pupils were observed to be either standing, squatting or sitting on the floor for the duration of classes. The lack/inadequacy of pupils’ furniture does not provide for conducive conditions foe learning and places undue strain on pupils thereby making them disadvantaged.

Table 36: ADEQUACY OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES

SOURCE:- - MLA

- CEBS Studies predominantly rural/semi urban

Record keeping is an important aspect of school management. School records give vital information about the pupils, staff and facilities that would be used as reference for monitoring the efficiency of the school system. On the availability of school records the MLA study revealed that well kept school records are the School Diary, Admission and Attendance Registers and Continuous Assessment Records Books) indicated the highest percentages of 48.0%, 35.2% and 29.7 respectively in comparison with other school facilities. Similarly Table 37 On Community Education Base Study indicates that school log books, pupils admission and attendance registers as well as the staff movement and visitors books are the most widely available and well kept records in schools. Both studies however indicated that not all the schools had facilities for keeping/ storing these records.

Table 37: Frequency of Available and Well Kept School Records

Source: CEBS

AV = Available and properly completed

AN = Available but not put into effective use.

Routine visits to classes by Head Teachers, to monitor the progress of work in the classes is an important aspect of school administration.

The table 38 below indicates the responses by teachers to the items and regularity of supervision of lessons by headteacher in two separate studies, MLA (1996) and CEBS (1998).

Table 38: HEADTEACHERS’ VISIT TO CLASS

SOURCE: CEBS, MLA

In the MLA and CEBS study, about 70% and 51.2 respectively of the teachers reported that such visits were conducted on a daily basis. In some cases, MLA (21,3%) and CEBS (33.9%) the Headteacher visited the classes two or three times a week.

In situation where the curriculum, textbooks and instructional facilities are available, learning cannot be effective unless the teacher employ’s appropriate methodologies in lesson delivery he/she cannot promote meaningfulness. The teaching and learning methods teachers claim to employ in lesson delivery in the two studies MLA and CEB are indicated on table 39.

Table 39: Methods of Instruction Commonly used by Teachers

SOURCE: MLA, CEBS

It is obvious that teachers apply a wide range of methodologies in lesson delivery. It is however necessary to ensure, the appropriateness of any given method for a specific topic taught. The three most commonly used methods of instruction indicated by teachers were demonstration, question and answer method, and dramatization/story telling.

To confirm that the claims by teachers were actually put into practice, Data collectors were required independently to observe actual teaching in randomly selected classes in the CEB study. Table ------ indicates the frequency of usage of the various teaching methods by the teachers observed.

Table 40: Teaching Methodology as Reported by Data Collectors

NR = Not reported

SOURCE: CEBS, SAPA