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ROCARE / ERNWACA • Tel: (223) 20 21 16 12, Fax: (223) 20 21 21 15 • BP E 1854, Bamako, MALI
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www.rocare.org/ www.ernwaca.org
ERNWACA Research Grants Programme
2009 edition
A Critical Appraisal of the Mode of Implementation of Nigerian Secondary School Curriculum: Towards Socio-economic Empowerment of Y outh
Researchers • Ofoha Dorothy, (F) lecturer • Uchegbu Catherine Ngozi, (F) lecturer • Anyikwa Blessing, (F) lecturer • Nkemdirim Micheal (M) Doctoral student
Mentor: Dr. (Mrs.) Lucy Ekwueme, University of Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Research financed by
Education Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA)
With project support from UEMOA regional Centre of Excellence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
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Acknowledgements
This research has been made possible with funding support from Educational Research
Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA). To this Network, the research team expresses
profound gratitude for this unique opportunity.
We also thank the project mentor, Dr. Lucy Ekwueme for her significant contributions and
guidance.
We are also indebted in gratitude to members of ERNWACA National Coordination
including Prof. Kasali Adegoke, Prof. Temi Busari and Dr. Dayo Odukoya for their support and
encouragement, and not forgetting Mrs Kate Onuoha, as well as various other individuals who
contributed in one way or the other to making the project what it is.
Above all, we thank the Almighty God for giving us the privilege to undertake this study.
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Table of Contents
Title page …………………………………………………………………………....................................i Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………………………….ii Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………..iii List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………………...v Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………..vi
1.0. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………1 1.2. Statement of Problem…………………………………………………………………………………….2 1.3. Purpose of Study………………………………………………………………………………………….2
1.4. Significance of Study……………………………………………………………………………………..3 1.5. Research Questions……………………………………………………………………………………...3 1.6. Scope of Study…………………………………………………………………………………………….4 1.7. Operational Definition of Terms and Variables………………………………………………………...4
2.0. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Theoretical Framework –Functional Curriculum Theory……………………………………………….6 2.2. The Concept and Meaning of Curriculum………………………………………………………………..7 2.3. Nigerian Secondary Education Goals and Objectives………………………………………………….8 2.4. Curriculum for Wealth Creation /self-employment……………………………………………………..10 2.5. Concept of Vocational and Technical Education……………………………………………………....11 2.6. Secondary Education Curriculum Implementation in Nigeria…………………………………………12
3.0. CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research Design…………………………………………………………………………………………..17 3.2. Population………………………………………………………………………………………………….17 3.3. Sample and Sampling Technique……………………………………………………………………….17 3.4. Instruments………………………………………………………………………………………………...18 3.5. Pilot Study /Validation of Instruments…………………………………………………………………...20 3.6. Procedure for Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………20 3.7. Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………20
4.0. RESULTS
4.1. Testing of Research Question one: Appropriateness of the Nigerian secondary education in terms of goals, content, method, in meeting the philosophy of Nigerian educational system ……21
4.2. Testing of Research Question two: Teaching method used in implementing the curriculum in Nigeria secondary schools……………………………………………………………………………….21
4.3. Testing of Research Question three: Number of skill-based subjects taught in Nigerian secondary schools………………………………………………………………………………………...22
4.4. Testing of Research Question four: Infrastructural facilities available in Nigerian secondary schools……………………………………………………………………………………………………..23
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4.5. Testing of Research Question five: Proportion of specialist teachers available in Nigerian secondary schools………………………………………………………………………………………...24
4.6. Testing of Research Question six: Practical (entrepreneurial) skills students have learnt in school with which they can create self-employment…………………………………………………..25
4.7. Testing of Research Question seven: Students entrepreneurial capability i.e. Products and services students have produced on their own………………………………………………………..27
4.8. Testing of Research Question eight: Effect of school location on the mode of curriculum implementation…………………………………………………………………………………………….28
4.9. Testing of Research Question nine: Effect of school type on the mode of curriculum implementation…………………………………………………………………………………………….28
5.0. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION
5.1. Summary of findings………………………………………………………………………………………30 5.2. Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………………….31 5.3. Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………...35 5.4. Limitation of the study…………………………………………………………………………………….36 5.5. Conclusion and policy implication of the findings………………………………………………………36 5.6. Suggestions for further research………………………………………………………………………...36
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………………………………37
APPENDIX
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List of Tables
TABLE PAGE 1 Description of student-sample by zone, state, school type, class and gender………..18
4.2.1. Descriptive data of use of theoretical-based teaching……………………………………22 4.2.2. Descriptive data of use of practical-based teaching……………………………………...22 4.3. Descriptive data of skill-based subjects taught in study schools………………………..23 4.4. Descriptive data of infrastructural facilities available in study schools…………………24 4.5. Descriptive data of proportion of specialist teachers available in study school……….25 4.6.1. Descriptive data of practical (entrepreneurial) skills students have learnt in school by school type………………………………………………………………………………...26 4.6.2. Descriptive data of practical (entrepreneurial) skills students have learnt in school by state/school location…………………………………….....……………………………..28 4.6.3. Descriptive data of practical (entrepreneurial) skills students have learnt in school by class…………………………………………………………………………………….....29 4.7. Descriptive data of products and services students have produced……………………31 4.8a. Descriptive data of effect of school location on mode of curriculum implementation…32 4.8b. Chi-Square Test data of effect of school location on mode of curriculum Implementation……………………………………………………………………………….32 4.9a. Descriptive data of effect of school type on mode of curriculum implementation……..32 4.9b. Chi-Square Test data of effect of school location on mode of curriculum Implementation……………………………………………………………………………….33
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List of Appendices
APPENDIX PAGE 1. Teacher Assessment Questionnaire……………………………………… A1 2. Student Assessment Questionnaire………………………………………. A3 3. Focus Group Discussion Guide…………………………………………… A5 4. Observation Guide………………………………………………………….. A6 5. Practical /Performance Test……………………………………………….. A7 6a, b, c. Observation Data: Nasarawa, Imo, Lagos States……………….……… A8 7a, b, c. Focus Group Discussion Data: Nasarawa, Imo, Lagos States……….. A10 8a, b, c. Practical Test Data: Nasarawa, Imo, Lagos States…………………….. A13
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Executive Summary Nigeria, having realized the effectiveness of education as a powerful instrument for
national progress and development, adjusted her secondary school educational system to encompass diversified curriculum that integrates academic with technical and vocational subjects with a view to empowering the individual for self-employment. However, the educational system does not seem to achieve its purpose as majority of school leavers are not equipped with necessary skills to empower themselves. Consequently they cannot raise their socio-economic standard and therefore cannot contribute to nation building; hence, the need for this study.
The broad aim of the study was to assess how the curriculum was implemented in Nigerian secondary schools with a view to identifying the root cause of the problem. Some of the specific objectives include: determine the appropriateness of Nigeria secondary education curriculum; find out type of teaching method used in implementing the curriculum; determine number of skill-based subjects taught in school; identify practical [entrepreneurial] skills students have learnt in school with which they can create self-employment; identify products and services students have produced. Following the objectives, nine research questions were formulated.
Adopting the descriptive survey research design and in order to have data that is nationally representative, out of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, three were selected for the study - North Central, South East and South West. One state per zone was randomly selected. The subjects comprised 380 junior and senior secondary school [JSS and SSS] students and 120 teachers, selected from twelve secondary schools drawn across the three states. The schools comprised four categories: federal government school [FGS], state government school [SGS], high class private school [HCPS], and low class private school [LCPS]. In choosing the student-subjects, stratified random sampling technique was used. Teacher-subjects were selected from variety of disciplines. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques with practical test, observation, focus group discussion, teacher and student questionnaires as instruments used in data collection, Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential tools.
The study revealed remarkable findings some of which include: The curriculum was appropriate in terms of goals and content but found weak in its method of implementation; teaching method used in implementing the curriculum was mainly theoretical; Home Economics, Agricultural Science, Introductory Technology, Music, Fine Art, Food and Nutrition, Technical Drawing, Computer Science and Typing/Shorthand were the core vocational and technical subjects that were mostly taught while Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metal Work, Building Construction, Woodwork, Applied Electricity, Electronics and Auto Mechanic did not receive much attention; in the three states studied, SGS and LCPS lacked sufficient Infrastructural facilities needed for practical work; students have learnt significant self-employable entrepreneurial skills in the following areas: Fine Art [Drawing], Home Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science [Farming], Food & Nutrition [Cookery], Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music [singing]; students’ entrepreneurial capability was significantly low as there were no significant production of marketable goods and services to show for their practical knowledge. These findings are discussed and the policy implication highlighted.
Part of the recommendations proffered is the need for Federal/State Government to provide infrastructural facilities in all secondary schools across the nation with adequate provision of workshop equipment, Instructional materials, and tools to make teaching and learning of the skill-based subjects meaningful. This way, students will have opportunity to engage in practical works. Again, there is need for a change in the mind-set of youth to see self-employment as an option and be prepared psychologically for it. This will enable them to be motivated in identifying entrepreneurial opportunities; hence, entrepreneurship education should be made integral part of teaching-learning process.
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Evidence yielded by the study suggest there is seemingly gradual progression towards achieving the goals of secondary education system, however, the fundamental challenges as highlighted in the study should be effectively addressed for the curriculum to fully equip the youth with necessary entrepreneurial knowledge, skills, values and attitude for them to live as competent members of the society and contribute to nation building.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The universal declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in December 1948 guaranteed for the individual a whole range of basic freedom with
education serving as a basic right necessary for the achievement of all other freedoms.
The achievement of the right to education requires that young people be given the
opportunity necessary for the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which will
enable them lead happy and productive lives as individuals and discharge their social duties for
the betterment of life in the society.
Nigeria, having realized the effectiveness of education as a powerful instrument for
national progress and development, adjusted her educational philosophy and methodology to
march the ideals and challenges of changing economic and social structure of modern society
(National Policy on Education 1981, revised 2004). Consequently, in 1982, Nigeria adjusted her
secondary educational system to encompass diversified curriculum that integrates academic with
technical and vocational subject intended to empower the individual for self-employment (Igwe
2000). According to the National Policy on Education 1981; 2004, the broad aims and objectives
of secondary education in Nigerian educational system are preparation for useful living within the
society (self-employment) and preparation for higher education. (The area that concerns this
study is the first objective - preparation for self-employment).
However, more than two and half decades after adoption of the laudable initiative, majority
of Nigerian youth are idle and some are involved in various vices due to unemployment. They do
not have the required skills to either fit into many types of jobs that are available or create jobs
(Igwe 2007). It is no longer news that the nation’s youth unemployment rate has been shooting
up the sky. The federal government recently acknowledged that about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s
youth are unemployed and 10 per cent underemployed. And the Minister of Education, Sam
Egwu, recently noted that the poor quality of graduates is worrisome. The major policy speeches
of President Yar’Ardua these days revolve around his aspiration of transforming Nigeria into one
of the first 20 largest global economies by the year 2020. This vision cannot be achieved without
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youth empowerment for job creation and wealth generation. Adekoya (1999) claimed that for the
Nigerian youth to be empowered economically they should be given the necessary skill
acquisition and for this to be done the curriculum should be effectively implemented. Oli (2000)
believed that to ensure a positive future for Nigeria, the youth who are believed to be the future
leaders of the country ought to be well equipped with basic skills to drive the economy.
Curriculum is a vehicle through which education is attained (Offorma 2005). The
secondary school curriculum as presently implemented is far from achieving the goals of
secondary educational system (Obanya 2004a). Several authors have noted that the National
Policy on Education was well structured and the contents were adequately defined but the
implementation calls for question (Babafemi 2007; Dike 2009). Investigation gathered shows that
students’ potentials are not properly channeled as schools lack basic infrastructural facilities
necessary for effective curriculum implementation, there are inadequate specialist teachers, and
where available, focus more on theoretical aspect leaving out the practical component.
This situation calls for a critical appraisal of the mode of implementation of Nigerian
secondary school curriculum in order to identify the root cause of the problem as well as gaps
needed for reformation. This study is timely and useful in providing the much needed empirical
data that will assist the Federal Government of Nigeria through its curriculum development
agency, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), to gauge the level of
success of current implementation and be better able to plan towards an implementation that will
instill basic skills in Nigerian youth to ensure their socio-economic empowerment.
1.2 Statement of Problem
A good number of students who have completed their secondary education but do not wish to
continue with higher education are in dilemma. This is because they are not well equipped with
necessary skills to empower themselves. The training acquired at the end of secondary education
seems inadequate to make the school leavers competent and self-reliant, hence cannot contribute
to nation building. If the Nigerian society is not to be plagued by a breed of unemployable youth
who cannot raise the economic productivity of the country, it is desirable that a lasting solution be
provided. Thus, this study was designed to fill this gap.
1.3 Purpose of Study
The overall aim of the investigation was to assess how the curriculum was implemented in
Nigerian secondary schools with a view to identifying the root cause of the problem as well as the
underlying factors that might account for disparity, if any, on curriculum implementation.
Specifically, the objectives were to:
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1. determine the appropriateness of the Nigeria secondary education curriculum in terms of
the goals, content, method, in meeting the philosophy of Nigeria secondary educational
system.
2. find out type of teaching method used in implementing the curriculum in Nigerian
secondary schools.
3. determine number of skill-based subjects taught in Nigerian secondary schools.
4. assess infrastructural facilities available in Nigerian secondary schools.
5. assess availability of specialist teachers in Nigerian secondary schools.
6. identify practical (entrepreneurial) skills students have learnt in school with which they can
create self-employment
7. identify students’ entrepreneurial capability i.e. products and services students have
successfully produced/ marketed
8. determine the effect of school location on the mode of curriculum implementation.
9. find out if school type has effect on the mode of curriculum implementation.
1.4 Significance of Study
This study is significant in many ways. Most importantly, it will sensitize policy makers,
educational administrators, and curriculum planners on the need to plan towards effective
curriculum implementation in Nigerian secondary schools. This will go a long way in minimizing
the rate of unemployment among secondary school leavers thereby making them well adjusted
individuals who will raise the economic productivity of the country. Also, the result of the study will
contribute to policy formulation and practices, as inspectors from Federal and State Ministries of
Education will be sensitized on what to look out for during inspection. On a wider scale, African
countries will benefit from the study because its findings and recommendations will provide point
of reference. Above all, the Federal and state Ministries of Education as well as the Nigerian
Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will find the result of this study
valuable particularly in the current government effort towards implementation of the new 9-year
Basic Education Curriculum.
1.5 Research Questions
1. How appropriate is the present Nigeria secondary education curriculum in terms of the
goals, content, method, in meeting the philosophy of Nigerian secondary education
system?
2. What type of teaching method is used in implementing the curriculum in Nigerian
secondary schools?
3. How many skill-based subjects are taught in Nigerian secondary schools?
4. What are the infrastructural facilities available in Nigerian secondary schools?
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5. What is the proportion of specialist teachers available in Nigerian secondary schools?
6. What practical (entrepreneurial) skills have students learnt in school with which they can
create self-employment?
7. What products and services have students produced /marketed on their own?
8. What is the effect of school location on the mode of curriculum implementation?
9. What is the effect of school type on the mode of curriculum implementation?
1.6 Scope of Study
Nigeria is a large country with a lot of geographical differences. There are six geopolitical zones in
Nigeria each constituting several states. To ensure national coverage, three out of the six
geopolitical zones were purposely selected for the study, namely; North Central, South East and
South West. One state was randomly selected from each zone. A total of twelve secondary
schools comprising both public and private were drawn across the three states /zones. This was
considered adequate and sufficiently representative to make tentative generalization.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms and Variables
Critical – In this study, it means to point out fault constructively.
Appraisal – Hornby (2000) refers to it as assessment of the value or quality of something. In this
study, it refers to assessment of how the Nigerian secondary school curriculum is implemented.
Mode – Hornby (2000) refers to it as ‘way and manner in which something is done’. In this study,
Hornby’s definition is adopted. i.e. way and manner Nigerian secondary school curriculum is
implemented.
Implementation – Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary refers to it as putting into effect a plan
already mapped out. Obanya (2004) defined implementation of curriculum as day-to-day activities
which school management and classroom teachers undertake in the pursuit of the objective of
any given curriculum. In this study, it means processes involved in translating educational plan
into action to bring about change in the learner as they acquire the planned experiences, skills,
and knowledge that are aimed at enabling the learner function effectively in the society. In this
regard, implementation is seen as both the means and the means to an end.
Curriculum - According to Obanya (2004a), curriculum is the total package of what is to be
taught or learnt. He describes it as a process of translating national educational objectives into
‘within-school do-ables’. Offorma (2005) sees curriculum as the planned learning experiences
offered to the learner in the school. In this study, it refers to vocational and technical subjects
outlined in the National Curriculum for Secondary Schools manual as part of subjects for
secondary education.
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Skill-based subjects – As used in this study, these are practically-oriented subjects that are
designed to teach students skills which will empower them for job creation and self-reliance. The
subjects in this category fall under the vocational and technical field. Skill-based means the same
as practical-based and they are used interchangeably in this study. For purpose of this study,
subjects in the vocational field include Home Economics, Fine Art, Music, Typing and Shorthand,
Art and Craft, Clothing and Textile, Food & Nutrition, Home Management. While technical
subjects include Introductory Technology, Woodwork, Carpentry, Technical Drawing, Metal Work,
Agriculture Science, Computer Science, Auto Mechanic, Building Construction, Applied Electricity,
Theory-based – As used in the study, it means knowledge that is purely descriptive and devoid of
reference to purposeful action.
Practical-based – knowledge that deals with skills involving muscular dexterity and coordination
of mind and muscle (Aina 2009)
Socio-economic empowerment - It is used in this study to refer to ability of youth to organize
their finances, trade and industry for sustainable national development.
Youth - World Health Organization (WHO) defines youth as young people between the ages of
15-24 years. In this study, youth refers to young people between 10-24 years of age.
Specialist teachers – These are teachers trained in the vocational and technical field
Learner – It is used in this study to refer to secondary school students.
Infrastructural facilities – These refer to workshop rooms, equipments, and tools needed for
practical work in the skill-based subjects.
Entrepreneurial skills – Skills that will enable individual create employment or start up business.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter relevant conceptual and empirical literature are reviewed under the following
dimensions:
1. Theoretical Framework –Functional Curriculum Theory (Obanya 2004a)
2. The Concept and Meaning of Curriculum
3. Nigerian Secondary Education Goals and Objectives
4. Curriculum for Wealth Creation /self-employment
5. Concept of Vocational and Technical Education
6. Secondary Education Curriculum Implementation in Nigeria
2.1 Functional Curriculum Theory
The theoretical framework of the study is hinged on Obanya’s (2004b) functional
curriculum theory which posits that for Africa to get to the level at which it can contribute to the
world pool of knowledge, ideas, inventions, human and financial capitals and become fully
participating member of the global economy, it has to embrace a curriculum that is tripartite in
nature and practical. This could be done following these goal-setting:
a) Developing the deepest sense of pride in being African through a deep understanding of the
pride of Africa; the mother tongue or the community language, the African world view, Africa’s
contribution to world civilization over the ages, the nature and literature of Africa, the creativity of
African in various form, great Africans, past and present contemporary Africa’s plan for its future
in the emerging global community.
b) Access to a wide world of people, knowledge, techniques, ideas and practices; the official
languages and their literatures, mathematics science and technology, informatics, tools and
methods of social analysis western and orient philosophies and religion.
c) Personal development for contributions to social transformation: A variety of core skills for life
long learning, vocational awareness and vocational activities, entrepreneurship, creativity,
communication and interpersonal conduct, self awareness etc.
According to Obanya (2004), these three goals should be pushed simultaneously from the
beginning with their horizons broadening in responses to the level of maturity of the learner.
Elements from any of the goals can also be utilized to inject functional value to existing
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programmes. According to him, functional content education simply says that the situation in
which the child is growing, and the one she/he is going to live in should determine the way
education is carried out, including what is taught and how it is to be taught and learned.
Functional education states that the purpose of education is to acquire skills of adapting to
it and acting to influence it thereby contributing to its development. The later functions require
specific skills which education should seek to inculcate. According to him, the notion of functional
skills education has already been applied to the various aspects of education. In basic literacy
programs, it refers to the application of reading and writing to solving day-to-day problems,
including the improvement of ones living conditions. In the education of people with disabilities, it
refers to the skills required to overcome disabilities. In science education, it refers to the abilities
required to consolidate the habits of scientific behaviour. In the training of teachers, it means the
aptitudes and abilities needed to promote learning to get the best out of learner.
The conceptual framework of the present study was derived from Obanya’s (2004)
concept of functional curriculum to show the symbiotic relationship between curriculum package,
its implementation, the youth who acquires skills for self-employment and becomes economically
empowered leading to self improvement and the growth of the economy and national
development. This is represented in Figure 1 below:
(Independent variable) (Dependent variable) Input Intervening variables 1st output 2nd output Figure 1: showing conceptual framework of the study
2.2 The Concept and meaning of Curriculum
Curriculum development is not a new concept in our educational system today. However,
issues of Curriculum, either in an explicit or an implicit are inextricably linked to current thinking
and action on educational system around the world (Ajibola 2008). The encyclopedia of
educational research (1969) gives the following definitions of curriculum as all the experiences a
learner has at school under the guidance of the teacher. To him the teacher plays a vital role in
translating curriculum objectives. The Dictionary of Education defines curriculum as the total
learning activities or educative experience offered by an institution through its total institutional
programmes designed to achieve the prescribed objectives. Historically, the word curriculum was
derived from the Latin root Currus which means a race course or a Chariot. “Currus” originates
from word “Currer” (to run). Thus the term curriculum in its original context means runaway or
Effective implementation
of curriculum package
- Learner ability - Learner interest
- Learner responsiveness
-Learner talent
Skill acquisition for self-employment & socio-economic empowerment of youth
Growth of the economy and national development
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racecourse. Offorma (2005) sees curriculum as a planned learning experiences offered to a
learner in school, adding that it is a program of studies made up of three components: Program of
studies, program of activities and programme of Guidance.
According to Maduewesi (2007), the two basic philosophical issues in Nigerian education
emphasize integrating the individual so as to become a sound and effective citizen and providing
equal education for all citizens at primary through secondary and tertiary level. Maduewesi
reiterated the need for consistent change and review of Nigeria curriculum in other to integrate
new areas of concern. In the recent times, human activities and life have become highly
industrialized and technical hence the meaning of the term curriculum has also been changed to
meet the needs of education of different courses of studies. Curriculum in fact is an organized
plan of course outlined with the objectives and learning experiences to be used for achievement
of these objectives. In a wider perspective, it is a way of preparing individuals to become
productive citizens and useful members of the society to which they belong. Thus, curriculum is a
tool of education to educate and humanize the whole man.
2.3 Nigerian Secondary Education Goals and Objectiv es
The broad aims of secondary education within the overall Nigerian education policy are:
(1) Preparation for useful living within the society
(2) Preparation for higher education.
Education is described as the totality of life experiences that people acquire, and which
enables them to cope with and derive satisfaction from living in the world (Babafemi 2007). This is
said to enable people achieve social competence and optimum individual development. It is on
this premise that it is believed that the quality of a nation’s education is proportional to the level of
its prosperity. Economically, advanced nations of the world are distinguished by the excellence of
their educational system.
Following the political independence of Nigeria, there was a realization that the type of
education our colonial masters left with us needed a critical re-examination of the worth: of
content, objectives, relevance, methods, administration, evaluation, and so forth. According to
Ezeobata (2007), this period saw a state of affairs in Nigerian education where every subject had
to ‘prove its usefulness’ to retain a place in the school curriculum. This was said to have led the
then National Educational Research Council (NERC) to convey a historic curriculum conference
at Lagos in 1969. This conference recommended new set of goals and provided directions for
major curriculum revision upon which the National Policy on Education of 1977 and the revised
policy in 1981 and 2004 were based. Against this background of national aspirations, a new
educational system commonly referred to as the 6-3-3-4 system of education emerged. The
system consisted of six years of primary school education, three years of junior secondary school
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(JSS), three years of senior secondary school (SSS) and four years of post-secondary education
(Omotayo, Ihebereme, & Maduewesi, 2008).
The implementation of the 6-3-3-4 education system began in 1982 and brought many
reforms into the educational system in Nigeria. Among the innovations is the vocationalization of
the secondary school curriculum in Nigeria. At the junior secondary level pre-vocational subjects
were introduced into the curriculum while vocational subjects were introduced into the senior
secondary level. The focus of the pre-vocational was to expose students at the junior secondary
school level to the world of work through exploration. Such exposure would enable junior
secondary school students make intelligent career choice and also intelligent consumption
patterns. Among the pre-vocational subjects are practical Agriculture, Home Economics, and
Business Studies. Introductory Technology is an integration of components of woodwork,
metalwork, basic electronics, applied electricity, water flow technology, airflow technology, food
preservatives, automobile, technical drawing, physics, rubber technology, chemistry, plastics,
basic building technology, and ceramics. While Business Studies has typewriting, shorthand,
bookkeeping, office practice, commerce and computer science as components. Fafunwa (2002)
stated that the specific objectives of the Junior Secondary School Education are to develop in the
students’ Manipulative skills (Manual dexterity) invention, respect for dignity of labor and above all
healthy attitude towards things technical.
At the senior secondary level, recommended vocational /technical subjects include:
Agricultural Science, Clothing and Textile, Home Management, Food and Nutrition, Typewriting &
Shorthand, Principles of Accounts, Commerce, Woodwork, Technical Drawing, Basic Electronics,
Building Construction, Applied Electricity and Auto Mechanics (Senior Sec. National curriculum).
The most significant aspect of the National Policy on Education as noted by Dike (2009) is
the new focus it gives to Nigerian educational system, the need for the Industrialization of the
nation in which technical and vocational education play crucial roles and the realization to change
from white collar job oriented educational system to science, vocational and technical oriented
educational system which prepares individuals to be self-reliant and useful to the society. This is
said to have informed the Federal Government to lay emphases on technical education. Dike
(2009) further noted that the five National goals cannot be realized without developing technical
/vocational education, a well-rooted technical education that will definitely transform the economic,
social and political life-styles of our Nation from the third world to be the first would class.
According to Ajala (2002) “the new National Policy on education has all the necessary
ingredients for landing Nigeria into the future technologically, politically, Socially and Morally,
adding that the policy if well coordinated and implemented is a solid basis for the nation to launch
itself among the great nation”. Babafemi (2007) sees the 6-3-3-4 system of education as a step in
the right direction towards the technological development of the nation, describing it as laudable
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programme capable of ushering in an educational revolution in Nigeria, he however remarked that
the current situation on ground is far from this ideal as the system seems to be suffering from poor
and shoddy implementation
In more specific terms, the secondary school is intended, among other things, to raise a
generation of people (youth) who can think for themselves, respect the views and feelings of
others, respect the dignity of labour and appreciate those values specified under broad national
aims and live as good citizens (National Policy on Education 1998).
In line with the above, Akande (1999), in a study titled: “present Nigeria secondary school
curriculum and goals of Nigeria secondary education” formulated hypothesis on the influence of
secondary school curriculum on goal of Nigeria education. Akande used 120 students as sample
for the study and further applied the independent t-test statistical tool at 0.05 alpha level, to check
whether a significant influence of secondary school curriculum on the goals of Nigeria secondary
school education exists. At the end of the analysis, it was found that there is a positive influence
of the curriculum on the goals of Nigeria secondary education. This in any case, implied that the
present Nigeria secondary school curriculum meets the goals of Nigeria’s education.
Uyanya (1989) stated that the most important thing that ever happened to Nigeria is the
1981 National Policy on Education, which emphasizes the acquisition of vocational skill and self-
reliance. Puyate (2004) quoted Sower (1971) who observed that vocational/technical education is
a means towards industrialization of Nigeria. Olaitan (2007) defines vocational/technical education
as that aspect of education which is a skill acquisition-oriented form of training, based on
application of mathematics and scientific knowledge in specific field for self-actualization and
development.
The 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria is job oriented. It places premium on manual
activities, technical proficiency, and respect for dignity of labour and economic efficiency. It is to
provide the child with basic tools to prepare him for job creation and wealth generation. Anwuka
(2005) summarized the secondary education curriculum as immense and profound for teaching
and learning.
2.4 Curriculum for wealth creation /self-employment
Curriculum development is vital to educational success and nation building. Nations
expend vast amounts of time and resources on designing what ought to be learned in schools in
order to elevate social consciousness and improve economic viability. Nigeria is no exception.
Since its independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled with designing and implementing a
sustainable educational curriculum that adequately prepares its children for adulthood. Several
years later, the country faces the rising tide of an educated but unemployable workforce, as
Nigerian students graduate from secondary and tertiary institutions without essential workplace
skills. Based on inarticulate policies, inadequate research, and poor planning, curriculum
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implementation has become ineffective and lacks any useful feedback mechanism anchored in
review, analysis and redesign processes. School curriculum is expected to equip learners with
skills that will make them self-reliant, prepare them to enter into jobs and progress in them.
Recognizing the importance of this, the Phelps Stroke Commission of 1925 and the national
curriculum Conference of 1968 advocated for vocational as well as technical education as a way
of advancing entrepreneurial education in the country. The extent to which this has been achieved
is however questionable as evidence from various studies has shown that there is no link between
our school system and entrepreneurship education (Offorma 2005).
The diversity and wealth of its human capital provides Nigeria a unique opportunity to
position itself as a regional and international contender in global economics and development.
However, Nigeria’s curriculum lack effective implementation and does not adequately prepare
students for the demands of a competitive, talented workforce. Despite meaningful public policy
created to address the needs of Nigerian students, there remains systemic shortcomings that fail
to realize government goals.
The curriculum is expected to prepare people for entrepreneurship. It should prepare
people to be self-employed in various enterprises (Offorma 2005). There is growing dependence
of our youth on white collar jobs which are difficult to come by these days. Job employers do not
emphasize certificates but what one can do and urged youth to seek self-reliance through self-
employment.
Adekoya (2004) examined influence of practical skill acquisition and socio-economic
empowerment of youth in Nigeria, using random sample of 150 students. The finding revealed
that youth practical skill acquisition significantly influences their socio-economic empowerment in
the larger society. This implied that the joblessness of the Nigerian youth today stems from their
non-acquisition of skills. This has further aggravated the youth negative behaviour in the society
as most of the problems of youth violence, armed robbery, thuggery, and ethnic-political clashes
in Nigeria where youth are found in large numbers could be traced to the high rate of
unemployment
The Nigerian educational system is expected to attend to the challenge of equipping the
youth with skills for self-employment /wealth creation. This can be achieved through effective
implementation of vocational and technical curricular.
2.5 The Concept of Vocational and Technical Educati on
Vocational-technical education is that aspect of education that gives its recipients an
opportunity to acquire practical skills as well as some basic scientific knowledge (Nigerian
National Policy on education, (1981). Oni (2007) quoted Puding (1994) who defined vocational-
technical education as that type of education which fits the individual for gainful employment in
recognized occupation as semi-skilled workers or technicians or sub-professionals.
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Vocational education could be regarded as that aspect of education which provides the
recipients with the basic knowledge and practical skills needed for entry into the world of work as
employees or as self-employed (Oni 2007). Vocational education nurtures skills that are
necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic development and thus builds a
self-reliant nation. Oni (2007) quoted Adeyemi (1997) who depicted vocational education as that
aspect of the total education process that focuses on individual occupation, while Olaitan (2007)
explained vocational education as that type of education, which is considered with the
development of skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for success to any occupation.
Vocational education according to Oni (2007) includes technical education. While vocational
education provides for the training or retraining designed to prepare individuals to enter into a paid
employment in any recognized occupation, technical education is composed of theoretical and
practical instruction. Such instruction is said to be usually given to those who need to be
employed in commerce and industry or in any type of enterprise which involves the use of tools
and other machinery for their operational service.
Two of the aims of vocational-technical education as stated in the Nigerian National Policy
on Education (NPE, 1981, p.28) are: to give training and impart the necessary skills leading to the
production of craftsmen, technicians and other skilled personnel who will be enterprising and self-
reliant, and to enable Nigerian young men and women to have an intelligent understanding of the
increasing complexity of technology. The above aims of vocation-technical education were stated
about three decades ago. Today, according to Oni (2007), the nation still lacks quality vocation-
technical education programmes in technical institutions. He however suggested the need to
establish good vocational and technical institutions to provide the required training and impart the
necessary skills leading to the production of craftsmen, technicians and other skilled personnel
who will be enterprising and self-reliant. Quality vocational-technical education is also essential in
Nigerian institutions to sustain the nation’s populace where quality of life is still very poor. The
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that revitalizing
this important sector is among the ways to improve economic opportunities for the youth.
According to Dike (2009), vocational and technical education is designed to develop
occupational skills to give individuals the skills to “live, learn and work as productive citizens in a
global society’’. Oni further argues that vocational and technical education holds the key to
national development. For Aina (2009), it is an education for skill building and skill identity, which
ultimately becomes a means of livelihood.
According to Obanya (2007) vocational and technical education is part of integral
development of the ‘three Hs’ - the head, the heart, and the hands which must not be neglected,
as doing that will amount to a denial of an individual’s integrated personality development, further
adding that any meaningful programme of technical /vocation education is to be predicated on a
sound general education.
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2.6 Secondary Education Curriculum Implementation i n Nigeria
Many educationists have discussed the issue of curriculum implementation in Africa
identified as the major setback for attaining goals of education in Africa (Obanya 2007).
Curriculum implementation entails putting into practice the officially prescribed courses of
study, syllabuses and subjects (Chikumbi and Makamure 2000). Putting the curriculum into
operation requires an implementation agent. The teacher is identified as the agent in the
curriculum implementation process. Curriculum implementation therefore refers to how the
planned or officially designed course of study is translated by the teacher into syllabuses, scheme
of work and lessons to be delivered to students. Implementation is said to take place when the
teacher-constructed syllabus, the teacher personality, the teaching materials and the teaching
environment interact with the learner. Implementation further takes place as the learner acquires
the planned or intended experiences, skills, knowledge, ideas and attitudes that are aimed at
enabling the same learner to function effectively at the society. The learner is therefore seen as
the central figure of curriculum implementation process. Obanya (2004) defined implementation of
curriculum as day-to-day activities which school management and classroom teachers undertake
in the pursuit of the objective of any given curriculum. Obanya (2007) contends that effective
curriculum is the one that reflects what the learner eventually takes away from an educational
experience, which he termed ‘the learned curriculum’. Obanya noted that in many cases, there
would be gap between the intended curriculum and the learned curriculum, and defined effective
curriculum implementation as concerned with narrowing such a gap as much as possible
The teacher, teaching method, and infrastructural facilities are reviewed to see how they
influence curriculum implementation in Nigeria secondary education.
The Teacher
The importance of teachers in curriculum planning, development and most importantly
implementation cannot be overemphasized. Teachers most times are not involved during policy
formulation even though they are expected to implement this curriculum. A major setback in
effective curriculum implementation is the problem of unqualified teachers, especially specialist
teachers in areas like vocational and technical subjects. In recent times, curriculum is designed up
to implementation without adequate manpower to translate these documents into reality.
Sofalahan (1998) noted ‘at junior secondary school level, due to shortage of teachers, the
requirements of two Nigeria languages is no longer strictly observed. In addition, there remains an
acute shortage of specialist teachers for Introductory Technology, Creative and Cultural Arts,
Local Crafts, which are manifested in the poor implementation of the curriculum. Ajibola (2008)
also pointed out that most of the teachers are not qualified to teach the subjects introduced in the
curriculum.
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Amugo (1997) studied the relationship between availability of expert teachers and
implementation of secondary school curriculum in Nigeria. Her sample consisted of 50 secondary
school teachers who were randomly selected from the population of teachers in Lagos and Imo
States. She hypothesized that there will be no significant relationship between availability of
teachers and curriculum implementation in Nigeria and that available specialist teachers only use
theory methods in their classroom work without the practical aspect. The result of the study shows
there exists a significant relationship between the availability of subject teachers and
implementation of skilled-based secondary school curriculum in Nigeria. Amugo therefore
concluded that quality and quantity of teachers in Nigerian schools significantly affect the
implementation of curriculum in Nigerian schools, especially, at the secondary school level (Junior
and Senior)
Teaching method
The primary goal for teaching vocational and technical education is to teach students both
practical and theoretical of the subject matter but unfortunately, this is said not to be so in our
school (Omo-Ojugo and Ohiole Ohiwerei 2008). Several authors have identified factors causing
this problem to include the lack of adequate instructional materials and/or poor ineffective
teaching method. Kiboss (2002) has singled out the expository approach said to be the dominant
teaching method commonly used for instruction in schools. The expository approach, according to
him, is instruction in which the teacher stands most of the time giving verbal explanations in the
form of talk-and-chalk while the students listen and write notes from the chalk-board. Kiboss
describe such teaching method as inadequate and limited that tends to negatively affect the
learners’ views of practical concepts and associated methods. Kiboss and Ogunniyi (2003) opine
that unless urgent measures are taken to curb the problem, the poor attitude towards vocational
and technical education in Nigeria educational system will continue to persist.
Traditional, teacher-centered methods of teaching do little to advance conceptual
understanding and critical thinking. In Nigeria, however, evidence shows that this is the dominant
pedagogical mode. Oduolowu (2007) mentions that among other outdated instructional
techniques, rote learning, which focuses on the “memorization and regurgitation of facts” is still in
use. Ajibola (2008) points out that this form of instruction and learning hampers creativity and
does little to foster innate abilities for problem solving and decision-making. He calls for the need
to incorporate child-centered approaches in curriculum development. These approaches foster
cooperation, tolerance, self-reliance, and self-expression. According to Ajibola, when teaching
and learning is directed towards the needs of the child, there is an accompanying tendency to
make sure that he fully understands the material he is being taught. The focus is no longer on
how much a student can remember, but how he understands; what meaning he makes of his
understanding; and, whether he can apply the knowledge and meaning in real-world situations.
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This is the measure of an effective educational system. Amuseghan (2007), in discussing English
language instruction at the SSS level, points out that most teachers are “more concerned with
disseminating facts, information and principles on how to do this or that...than teaching language
skills or allowing students to do and learn, practice and engage in language activities aimed at
acquiring communicative skills or competence”.
Akuezuilo (2007) stated that the basic science and technology curriculum, including
vocational, is very practical in nature and should ideally be taught through methods that maximize
the active participation of the learner but lamented the lack of facilities in schools. Lack of
specialist teachers, according to Akuezuilo, equally hinders the implementation of the curriculum
whose key implementers are not well trained and/or oriented to the teaching of such curriculum.
Aloa (2001) carried out a study on the effective implementation of Nigeria secondary
school curriculum. Two hundred (200) sample were used to respond to questionnaires
constructed in order to find out whether the Nigeria secondary school system is well implemented
or not. The responses showed that 160 of the sampled students and teachers were of the opinion
that the curriculum of Nigeria secondary school lacks effective implementation, while 40
respondents agreed that the curriculum is effectively implemented. This result corresponds with
the assumptions widely held by Adams and Onyene (2001) that the Nigeria secondary school
curriculum implementation, which is the focal point in curriculum design, does not give the
students the necessary skills to earn a living in the society.
In support of the above findings, Adeleke (2006) believes that one of the problems of
Nigeria secondary school curriculum content is effective finishing of a product (implementation).
Adeleke opined that the poor implementation of the secondary school curriculum in Nigeria has
caused the missing link between the goals of Nigeria education and the achievement of the goals
Offorma (2005) quoted Nwagwu (2003) as noting that the vocational and technical
subjects are not effectively implemented as most of the subjects are not offered due to lack of
teachers, workshops for practical work, and further notes that where there are teachers the
delivery is usually theorized because of lack of competence on the part of the teacher or due to
lack of equipment, thus students graduate without any hands-on experience. Mohammed (2005)
opined that there has been tremendous expansion of education in Nigeria in terms of numbers but
regretted that the growth has not matched with quality in the type of education being delivered to
Nigerians and further observed that there are many computer science graduates who are
‘computer illiterates’ as they cannot use the computer effectively.
On the factors that can be attributed to the cause of poor implementation of Nigeria
curriculum at the secondary school level, Anyanwu (2000) tested a hypothesis which stated that
‘there will be no significant relationship between teaching method and implementation of Nigeria
secondary curriculum’. 150 participants were involved in the study and the Pearson Product
Moment Statistics was used to check if there is a significant relationship between the methods
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applied by teachers in the class and the consequent implementation of the school curriculum. The
result indicated a positive relationship between teaching method and curriculum implementation.
The implication of this result is that teachers as one of the main stakeholders of the school
curriculum do not seem to promote the effective implementation of Nigeria secondary school
curriculum, due to many factors ranging from lack of specialist teachers to lack of teaching
materials and non-availability of equipments in the school.
In analyzing the above result, Uzodinma (2004) posited that implementation has been the
bane of curriculum design in Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria has a very good curriculum based
on the lofty ideas embedded in the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria, in which youth are to
be educated and employed in four stages depending on their levels of cognition and skills.
Uzodinma observed that the 6-3-3-4 education system failed because it was not duly
implemented in Nigeria due to faulty method of teaching that is centered on theory only.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that Nigerian secondary school teachers use theoretical
method in the teaching-learning process and pay less attention to the practical aspect meant to
empower the youth for posterity and for wealth creation. In order for Nigerian students to meet the
demands of Nigerian society and global realities, curriculum development must involve
appropriate methods of teaching and learning.
Infrastructural facilities
Ajayi (1999) in a study on ‘’relationship between infrastructure availability and curriculum
implementation in Nigeria schools’’ and using 250 respondents found that no significant
relationship exists between school facilities availability in Nigeria secondary schools and
curriculum implementation in those schools. But in a review of this study, Anyakogu (2002) opined
that a relationship did exist between the availability of school facilities and implementation of
school curriculum. As he puts it, without the availability of functional infrastructures in the schools,
the skill-based curriculum will not be effectively implemented in Nigeria, and youth would lack skill
acquisition and economic empowerment. This is because, youth lack the ability to carry out some
meaningful work due to lack of acquisition of basic skills that promote effective work performance.
It is also noted most of the equipments, tools, and workshop facilities are either broken
down or damaged or dilapidated and they are not replaced neither renovated (Puyate, 2006).
Summary
Various studies that addressed the pertinent issues relating to this study were reviewed.
However, most of the studies focused more on the nature of curriculum implementation and
various factors that affect its effectiveness. Less attention was given to the root cause of the
problem facing Nigerian youth who after graduation from secondary school find themselves idle
and unable to contribute to nation building. This is the crux of this study.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. This method was deemed
appropriate as it involved the collection of extensive and cross-sectional data for the purpose of
describing and interpreting an existing situation under study. The independent variables include
gender, school type (FGS, SGS, HCPS, LCPS), school location (North Central, South East, South
West). The dependent variable is mode of curriculum implementation measured in terms of:
appropriateness of the Nigerian secondary education curriculum, teaching method [practical-
based and theory-based], number of skill-based subjects taught in secondary schools, availability
of infrastructural facilities, availability of specialist teachers, entrepreneurial skills students have
learnt in school, students entrepreneurial capability [products /services produced]
3.2 Population
The target population for this study included all students and teachers from public and
private secondary schools in Nigeria.
3.3 Sample and sampling technique
The study adopted multi-stage random sampling procedure. Out of the six geopolitical
zones in Nigeria, three zones were selected, namely; North Central, South East and South West.
Their selection was purposeful in order to have a data that is nationally representative. North
Central zone was made up of seven states, South East had five while South West had six. Using
the ballot technique, one state per zone was selected, namely; Nasarawa, Imo and Lagos
respectively. In each state, four school categories were used: federal government-owned school
[FGS], state government-owned school [SGS], high class private school [HCPS], low class private
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school [LCPS]. The criteria used in the selection of HCPS and LCPS include: school environment
(school climate /facilities), quality of teachers, school plant /building, school fees, school location.
The subjects for the study comprised two sample groups – students and teachers.
Student-sample consisted of 380 junior and senior secondary students [JSS 1-3 and SSS 1-3]
randomly selected from twelve secondary schools. In choosing the subjects, stratified random
sampling technique was used. Stratification was by class, number of classrooms, and gender with
members of each stratum selected by use of table of random numbers. The average age of Junior
students was 12.6 years while that of senior students was 15.3 years [The initial sample size was
480 but information supplied by 380 was used due to completion defects]. The composition of
student-sample by zone, state, school type, class and gender is summarized in Table 1.
Table 1 Composition of student-sample by zone, state, school type, class and gender
North Central South East South West Nasarawa State Imo State Lagos State
Public school Private school Public school Private school Public school Private school School type FGS SGS HCPS LCPS FGS SGS HCPS LCPS FGS SGS HCPS LCPS
Total
No. of schls 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 12 Male 8 6 6 5 8 6 8 5 7 6 10 7 82 JSS Fem 7 3 9 7 8 9 12 8 9 9 12 7 100 Male 5 8 14 12 5 7 8 8 7 7 7 6 94 SSS Fem 5 5 18 6 6 7 12 8 8 8 11 10 104
Total 25 22 47 30 27 29 40 29 31 30 40 30 380 KEY: FGS = federal government school, SGS = state government school, HCPS = high class private school, LCPS = low class private school
For teacher-sample, a total of 120 were drawn from the twelve selected schools and
derived from variety of disciplines including humanities, sciences, commercial, technical and
vocational. The composition of the sample is summarized as follows: On sex, 60 (55%)
constituted male while 55 [45.8%] were female, (5 [4.2%] did not indicate their sex). On age, 12
[10.1%] were 20-25 years, 25 [21%] were 26-30 years, 46 [38.7%] were 31-35 years, 16 [13.4%]
36-40 years, while 20 [16.8%] were above 41 years. On educational qualification, 15 [12.7%] had
NCE, 34 [28.8%] had OND/HND, 51 [43.2%] had B.A /BSc /B.Ed, 17 [14.4%] had M.A / MSc /
M.Ed, while1 [0.8%] had M.Phil / PhD. On years of service, 47 [39.8%] had served 1-5 years, 31
[26.3%] 6-10 years, 29 [24.6%] 11-20 years, 11 [9.3%] had served over 21 years.
3.4 Instruments
This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques for purpose of enriching the
findings. The following five instruments were used in data collection: Practical Test, Observation
Guide, Teacher Assessment Questionnaire [TAQ], Student Assessment Questionnaire [SAQ],
and Focus Group Discussion [FGD].
xxvi
1. Practical test – Vocational and technical subjects were used for practical test. A total of
24 teachers from the selected schools (two from each school) carried out teaching during which
they were rated on degree of practical skill demonstration as well as usage of instructional
materials. The rating was structured on a four Likert-type scale of very much, much, a little, not at
all. Students were also rated on the degree of practical skills acquired based on their practical
activities in the class. The rating guide had two parts each for vocational and technical subject
taught. To ensure validity and reliability, both teachers and students were not aware they were
rated. In all, a total of 24 practical test sessions were held.
2. Observation Guide – With the use of guide, observation was conducted in all selected
schools by the research team. The observation guide had three parts. Part A contained checklist
of infrastructural facilities to check facilities available in school. Part B required assessment of the
quality of the available facilities on a four Likert-type scale of very good, good, bad, very bad. Part
C contained list of 18 vocational and technical subjects on which to identify type of instructional
materials available as well as products and services produced by teachers and student.
3. Teacher Assessment Questionnaire [TAQ] - The TAQ was designed by the researchers
to measure how the curriculum was implemented in Nigerian secondary schools. It had three
parts. Part one sought necessary background information on respondents’ age, gender,
educational qualification, number of years of service, etc. Part two contained fourteen questions
requesting respondents to indicate: subjects they teach, use of scheme of work, how often they
write /use lesson note, skills they have imparted on students, instructional materials used,
products they have produced in the course of teaching, constraints encountered, etc. Part three
had eleven main items divided into five sections, each section measuring different variables under
study, thus: items 1-5 sought information on teaching method structured on four Likert scale of
strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. Items 6 and 11 each contained list of 18
vocational /technical subjects requesting respondents to indicate the one(s) offered in school and
the one(s) taught by specialist teachers, respectively. Item 7 had list of 14 infrastructural facilities
for respondents to indicate the available one(s) in schools.
4. Student Assessment Questionnaire [SAQ] - The SAQ was designed by the researchers
to assess the mode of curriculum implementation from students’ perspective. It had two parts.
Part one sought necessary background information in respondents’ age, gender, class, and
school location. Part two contained eleven items. Items1-3 requested respondents to assess
teaching method used by their teachers on agree /disagree scale. These items were intended to
crosscheck the responses of their teachers. Items 4, 7 and 9 each contained list of 18 vocational
/technical subjects requesting respondents to indicate the one(s) offered in school, frequency of
practical work on the subjects offered and the subject(s) that offer the most practical skill in the
course of their studies, respectively. Item 5 had list of 14 infrastructural facilities requesting
xxvii
respondents to indicate the one(s) available in school. Item 6 contained list of 36 practical
(entrepreneurial) skills for respondents to indicate the one(s) they had learnt in school with which
they could create self-employment, Items 8 and 10 each contained list of 22 entrepreneurial
trades for respondents to indicate the one(s) they could do well and the one(s) they had tried on
their own, respectively. Item 11 contained list of 24 products and services requesting respondents
to indicate the one(s) they had produced /marketed in the course of their studies.
5. Focus Group Discussion [FGD] - The researchers conducted focus groups with
teachers. Ten teachers from each of the twelve schools took part. The FGD guide contained
eleven open-ended question guides designed to elicit information on: appropriateness of
secondary education curriculum, how teaching is conducted, why students lack basic skills,
teacher effort at ensuring student skill acquisition, challenges encountered in the course of
teaching, constraints hindering effective curriculum implementation, suggestions on way forward.
The researchers moderated the focus group sessions while the research assistants took notes
and also operated the tape recorders. In all, twelve focus group sessions were held.
3. 5 Pilot study /Validation of Instruments
The face and content validity of the instruments were determined through experts’ judgment
including the project mentor and three other experts in the field of research and curriculum. Their
suggestions and recommendations were affected to produce a final draft. It was then pilot-tested
to check for its internal consistency as well as for clarity and ambiguity. The pilot study was
administered in state not used for the main study and under conditions as similar as possible to
those anticipated in the main study. Thus, four secondary school categories [FGS, SGS, HCPS,
LCPS] were used. In each school, ten teachers and forty students took part. No ambiguity was
detected in the instruments. For reliability, the test-retest method was employed with two weeks
interval between first and second administration. The correlation coefficient values of 0.89, 0.87,
0.88, and 0.89 were obtained for FGS, SGS, HCPS, and LCPS respectively.
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection
Three research assistants were recruited and trained to assist in the administration of the
questionnaires as well as serve as note takers during the focus group sessions. Data for the study
were collected during regular school hours in the first term of 2009/2010 academic session.
Permission was sought from both the Federal Ministry of Education as well as State Ministries of
Education to allow the use of schools in respective states. Permission granted, the principals of
the selected schools were contacted and briefed about the purpose of the study who in turn gave
their full cooperation and assigned specific teachers for assistance.
In each school visited, instruments were administered following same sequence: First,
selected students were assembled and administered with SAQ questionnaire, followed by
xxviii
teachers’ questionnaire (TAQ) which were administered in their respective staff offices and
collected back. Then, the research team was taken round school for observation of available
infrastructural facilities, instructional materials, as well as products /services produced by teachers
and students. Thereafter, focus groups with selected teachers were conducted. And lastly,
selected vocational and technical teachers carried out practical teaching during which both
teachers and students were rated on practical skill demonstration and usage of instructional
materials.
3.8 Data Analysis
Data collected were subjected to appropriate quantitative and qualitative analyses using
basic descriptive statistics including frequency counts and percentages for easy interpretation, as
well as chi-square test.
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS The results obtained, sequel to analysis of data collected in the course of this study, are
presented in this chapter using the research questions as guideline.
4.1 Appropriateness of current Nigerian secondary s chool curriculum
Qualitative data obtained via focus group discussion [FGD] and observation revealed that the
Nigerian secondary school curriculum was appropriate in terms of goals and content. However, it
was found weak in its method of implementation. See Appendix 7a, b, c for details.
4.2 Type of teaching method used in implementing the c urriculum
Table 4.2.1: Teachers use more theory than practica l demonstration
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent No 122 32.1 32.1 32.1 Yes 258 67.9 67.9 100.0
Valid
Total 380 100.0 100.0
Table 4.2.2: Teachers use mainly practical demonstr ation when teaching
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent No 220 57.9 57.9 57.9 Valid
Yes 160 42.1 42.1 100.0
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Total 380 100.0 100.0
N= 380 [Students] Source : Field Data [2009]
Tables 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 show that majority of the sampled students [67.9%] perceived the
teaching methods used in the implementation of the Nigerian secondary school curriculum during
the period of this study as theoretical.
From the focus group discussion held in Nasarawa State, 70% of the respondents
reported that real practical work was not done in the state government and high class private
schools while 40% of the respondents from the low class private schools reported same. To
corroborate this observation, 70% to 100% of the respondents from the three categories of
schools in Nasarawa State further reported that the teachings in the schools were more theory
based than practical. See Appendix 7a for details.
From the focus group discussion held in Imo State, 100% of the respondents from state
government, high class private and low class private schools reported there was no real practical
work done. Eighty percent [80%] of the respondents from the federal government school in the
same state gave the same report. 70% to 100% of the respondents affirmed that their teachings
were more theoretical than practical.
From the focus group discussion held in Lagos State, the trend appeared to be reversed
as 60% to 80% of the respondents from federal government, high class private and low class
private schools reported that real practical works were done. However, 70% of the respondents
from the Lagos state government school reported that no real practical works were done.
Ironically, in the same focus group discussion, 70% to 100% of the Lagos respondents
reported that teachings in their schools were more theoretical than practical. The exception was
in the federal government colleges located in Lagos State where only 40% of the respondents
reported that their teachings had a blend of theoretical and practical.
4.3 Skill-based subjects taught in Nigerian secondary schools
Table 4.3: Skill-based [vocational /technical] subj ects offered in Nigerian schools
Subjects Frequency of Selection % 1 Home Economics 287 75.5 2 Agriculture Science 286 75.3 3 Introductory Technology 284 74.7 4 Music 268 70.5 5 Fine Art 236 62.1 6 Food & Nutrition 224 58.9 7 Technical Drawing 215 56.6 8 Computer Science 207 54.5 9 Typing and Shorthand 163 42.9
10 Arts & Craft 140 36.8 11 Clothing & Textile 101 26.6
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12 Metal work 74 19.5 13 Building 69 18.2 14 Woodwork 62 16.3 15 Applied Electricity 37 9.7 16 Electronics 36 9.5 17 Auto-Mechanic 11 2.9
N= 380 Source: Field Data [2009] – Students
Using 40% as the cut off mark, it is apparent from Table 4.3 that Home Economics,
Agricultural Science, Introductory Technology, Music, Fine Art, Food and Nutrition, Technical
Drawing, Computer Science and Typing/Shorthand were the core skill-based vocational and
technical subjects that received priority attention in Nigerian secondary schools to date. On the
contrary, Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metal Work, Building, Woodwork, Applied Electricity,
Electronics and Auto Mechanic appeared to be poorly handled in Nigerian secondary schools.
From the focus group discussion, it was reported in Nasarawa state that only 4 to 5 skill-
based vocational subjects were regularly taught in the sampled schools. In Imo State,
respondents from state government and low class private schools reported that only one skill-
based vocational subject was taught in their schools. Respondents from Lagos State government
schools also reported they had only one skilled-based vocational subject taught. See Appendix
7a, b, c for details.
4.4 Infrastructural facilities available in Niger ian secondary schools
Table 4.4: Proportion of Facilities Available in Ni gerian Schools Facility Freq %
1 Computer Science Room 60 50.0 2 Home Economics Laboratory 59 49.2 3 Agriculture Science Farmland 46 38.3 4 Introductory Technology Workshop 45 37.5 5 Music room 41 34.2 6 Typing Room 28 23.3 7 Technical Drawing Room 24 20.0 8 Art & Craft Workshop 24 20.0 9 Woodwork Workshop 21 17.5
10 Carpentry Workshop 21 17.5 11 Metal workshop 17 14.2 12 Auto-Mechanic Workshop 15 12.5 13 Electronic Workshop 14 11.7 Note: 1445 Respondents [35.4%] were of the opinion that these workshops were well maintained; N=120 [Teachers]
Using the 40% cut off point, it is apparent from Table 4.4 that only Computer Science
laboratory and Home Economics laboratory were fairly equipped with basic facilities in Nigerian
Secondary schools.
From the focus group discussion held in Nasarawa, Lagos and Imo state, respondents
from state and low class private schools were of the opinion that the infrastructural facilities in
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their schools were not sufficient. However, 80% of the respondents from the high class private
schools reported they had sufficient infrastructural facilities. In Nasarawa, Imo and Lagos state,
respondents from the federal government schools reported they had sufficient infrastructural
facilities.
Observations made by the researchers during field work in Nasarawa state high class
private schools revealed that well maintained infrastructural facilities were only available for
Computer Science laboratory, Agricultural Science farmland and Technical Drawing room.
Though the state government schools had facilities in the Introductory Technology workshop and
Agricultural farmland, they were in very bad condition. The science laboratory sighted in some of
the low class private schools was also in bad condition.
In Imo state, the federal government school and high class private school sampled had the
following infrastructural facilities Introductory Technology workshop, Agriculture Science farmland,
Computer Science room, Technical Drawing room, Home Economics laboratory, Metal Work
workshop, Art and Craft workshop, Music room, Electronics workshop and Typing /Shorthand
room and they were in good condition. No facility was observed in the sampled low class private
schools while the few facilities observed in the state government schools were in bad state.
Observation of the sampled schools in Lagos State revealed the state has more
infrastructural facilities in all school categories except state government schools. Only the
facilities in the low class private schools were in bad condition.
4.5 Proportion of specialist teachers available in Nige rian secondary schools
Table 4.5: Proportion of specialist teachers availa ble in Nigerian secondary schools
Subject No. % 1 Agriculture Science 90 75.0 2 Home Economics 84 70.0 3 Introductory Technology 83 69.2 4 Food and Nutrition 76 63.3 5 Fine Art 61 50.8 6 Music 58 48.3 7 Computer Science 47 39.2 8 Technical Drawing 45 37.5 9 Metal work 35 29.2 10 Typing & Shorthand 28 23.3 11 Clothing & Textile 28 23.3 12 Art & Craft 27 22.5 13 Home Management 27 22.5 14 Woodwork 22 18.3 15 Building Construction 16 13.3 16 Applied Electricity 16 13.3 17 Auto Mechanic 11 9.2
N= 120; Source: Field Data [2009] - Teachers
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Using 40% as cut off point, Table 4.5 indicates that the subjects that predominantly
enjoyed the service of specialist teachers in Nigerian secondary schools were Agricultural
Science, Home Economics, Fine Art, Introductory Technology, Food and Nutrition, Fine Art and
Music. On the contrary, the following subjects appeared to lack enough specialist teachers:
Computer Science, Technical Drawing, Typing & Shorthand, Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles,
Metalwork, Home Management, Woodwork, Applied Electricity, Building Construction, and Auto
Mechanic.
From the focus group discussion held in Nasarawa, Lagos and Imo states, virtually all the
respondents from state and low class private schools were of the opinion that the number of
specialist teachers in their schools was not sufficient. However, 70% to 100% of the respondents
from the federal government schools and high class private schools from Imo and Lagos states
reported they had sufficient specialist teachers.
4.6 Practical (entrepreneurial) skills students hav e learnt in school with which they can create self-employment
Table 4.6.1: Students who felt they have acquired basic e ntrepreneurial skill by school type
S/N Entrepreneurial Skill FGC % SGS % HCPS % LCPS % Total % 1 Drawing (Fine Art) 55 14.5 35 9.2 97 25.5 27 7.1 214 56.3 2 Sewing (Home Economics) 56 14.7 29 7.6 60 15.8 47 12.4 192 50.5 3 Farming (Agric Science) 41 10.8 34 8.9 58 15.3 45 11.8 178 46.8 4 Cookery (Food & Nutrition) 57 15.0 45 11.8 45 11.8 22 5.8 169 44.5 5 Electrical work (Introductory Tech) 46 5.0 37 9.7 44 11.6 29 7.6 156 41.1 6 Singing (Music) 36 9.5 27 7.1 63 16.6 26 6.8 152 40.0
Keys : FGS [Federal Govt. School] SGS [State Government Schools] HCPS [High Class Private Schools] LCPS [Low Class Private Schools] N=380
Still going by the cut off point of 40%, and going by school type, Table 4.6.1 indicates that
only in Fine Art [Drawing], Home Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science [Farming], Food &
Nutrition [Cookery], Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music [singing] did the
sampled students signify having acquired significant self-employable entrepreneurial skill. The
proportion of students’ indication in other vocational areas was rather low Except in Cookery,
which was led by federal government colleges, high class private schools consistently led with
high margin in all the areas listed above. Vocational areas where sample students indicated low
entrepreneurial skill acquisition include: painting [Art & Craft], typing & shorthand [typing], interior
decoration [Home Economics], tie & dye [Fine Art] [Clothing & Textile], composing songs [Music],
data processing [Computer Science], computer services [Computer Science], catering [Home
Economics], weaving [Art & Craft], poultry [Agricultural Science], sculpture [Fine Art], carving [Fine
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Art], dress making [Clothing & Textile], fishery [Agricultural Science], electrical work [Applied
Electricity] [Introductory Technology], furniture making [Wood Work], gardening [Home
Management], mechanical work, welding [Metal Work], bricklaying [Building Construction],
draughtsmanship [Building Construction], flower arrangement [Home Management], TV and radio
work, carpentry [Wood Work], auto mechanic [Metal Work], calligraphy/sign writing [Fine Art].
From the focus group discussion held in Nasarawa, Lagos and Imo states, 100% of the
respondents from state government and low class private schools consented that the practical
skill that students were taught was not sufficient to allow for their self-employment. However,
40% of the sampled teachers from the high class private schools and 80% of the sampled
teachers from the federal government school located in Imo state reported that the practical skill
taught could earn their students self-employment. Seventy percent [70%] of the sampled
teachers from the federal government school and 40% of the sampled teachers from high class
private schools in Lagos state reported that the practical skills taught could earn their students
self-employment.
Table 4.6.2: Students who felt they have acquired b asic entrepreneurial skill by stat e/school location
S/N Entrepreneurial Skill Imo % Lagos % Nasarawa % Total %
1 Drawing (Fine/Art) 77 20.3 97 25.5 40 10.5 214 56.3
2 Sewing (Home Economics) 70 18.4 77 20.3 45 11.8 192 50.5
3 Farming (Agric Science.) 61 16.1 51 13.4 66 17.4 178 46.8
4 Cookery (Food & Nutrition) 68 17.9 70 18.4 31 8.2 169 44.5
5 Electrical work (Introductory Tech) 50 13.2 70 18.4 36 9.5 156 41.1
6 Singing (Music) 57 15.0 63 16.6 32 8.4 152 40.0
With the cut off point of 40%, and going by state, Table 4.6.2 further confirms that only in
Fine Art [Drawing], Home Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science [Farming], Food & Nutrition
[Cookery], Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music [singing] did students signify
having acquired significant self-employable entrepreneurial skill. The proportion of students’
indication in other vocational areas was rather low (i.e. painting, typing & shorthand, interior
decoration, tie & dye, composing songs, data processing, computer services, catering, weaving,
poultry, sculpture, carving, dress making, fishery, electrical work, furniture making, gardening,
mechanical work, welding, bricklaying, draughtsmanship, flower arrangement, TV and radio work,
carpentry, auto mechanic, calligraphy/sign writing). Except in farming which was led by
Nassarawa state, Lagos state consistently led with high margin in all the areas listed above
Table 4.6.3: Students who felt they have acquired b asic entrepreneurial skill by class
S/N Entrepreneurial Skill JSS1 % JSS2 % JSS3 % SS1 % SS2 % SS3 % Total %
1 Drawing (Fine Art) 5 1.3 31 8.2 63 16.6 8 2.1 42 11.1 65 17.1 214 56.3
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2 Sewing (Home Economics) 6 1.6 37 9.7 54 14.2 8 2.1 26 6.8 61 16.1 192 50.5
3 Farming (Agriculture Science) 4 1.1 16 4.2 57 15.0 0 0.0 38 10.0 63 16.6 178 46.8
4 Cookery (Food & Nutrition) 5 1.3 16 4.2 27 7.1 4 1.1 32 8.4 85 22.4 169 44.5
5 Electrical work (Introductory Tech) 2 0.5 21 5.5 52 13.7 6 1.6 29 7.6 46 12.1 156 41.1
6 Singing (Music) 8 2.1 20 5.3 45 11.8 7 1.8 17 4.5 55 14.5 152 40.0
With the cut off point of 40%, and going by class in school, Table 4.6.3 indicates that only
in Fine Art [Drawing], Home Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science [Farming], Food & Nutrition
[Cookery], Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music [singing] did students signify
having acquired significant self-employable entrepreneurial skill. The proportion of students’
indication in other vocational areas was rather low [i.e. painting, typing & shorthand, interior
decoration, tie & dye, composing songs, data processing, computer services, catering, weaving,
poultry, sculpture, carving, dress making, fishery, electrical work, furniture making, gardening,
mechanical work, welding, bricklaying, draughtsmanship, flower arrangement, TV and radio work,
carpentry, auto mechanic, calligraphy/sign writing]. Except in Introductory Technology [Electrical
work], which was led by junior secondary students [JSS] 3, senior secondary students [SSS] 3
consistently led in all the other subject areas listed above.
The Practical /Performance Test administered by the researchers showed that the
sampled teachers and students from federal government and high class private schools in Lagos
State consistently demonstrated high degree of practical skill as opposed to teachers and
students from low class private schools and state government schools. It was the same pattern in
Imo State. In Nasarawa State Government Schools, sampled teachers displayed high degree of
practical skill while their students were poor in practical skill. See appendix 8a, b, c for details.
4.7 Products and services students have produced /marketed on their own Table 4.7: Products and services successfully produ ced /marketed by students while in school by school type
FGS SGS HCPS LCPS Total Product/Service No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % 1 Cake Production 30 8.0 29 7.8 35 9.4 20 5.3 114 30.5 2 Farm Produce 31 8.3 20 5.3 18 4.8 9 2.4 78 20.9 3 Acting 7 1.9 10 2.7 36 9.6 17 4.5 70 18.7 4 Art Work 10 2.7 19 5.1 34 9.1 5 1.3 68 18.2 5 Cookery 12 3.2 22 5.9 16 4.3 17 4.5 67 17.9 6 Tie & dye 19 5.1 9 2.4 20 5.3 17 4.5 65 17.4 7 Typing 23 6.1 6 1.6 28 7.5 5 1.3 62 16.6 8 Dress Making 19 5.1 12 3.2 13 3.5 6 1.6 50 13.4 9 Song Composition 4 1.1 8 2.1 15 4.0 8 2.1 35 9.4 10 Weaving 9 2.4 5 1.3 9 2.4 10 2.7 33 8.8 11 Computer Services 4 1.1 3 0.8 13 3.5 10 2.7 30 8.0 12 Calligraphy 8 2.1 4 1.1 0 0.0 6 1.6 18 4.8 13 Woodwork 2 0.5 0 0.0 11 2.9 4 1.1 17 4.5
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14 Mechanical 0 0.0 9 2.4 5 1.3 1 0.3 15 4.0 15 Throw Pillow 5 1.3 3 0.8 2 0.5 4 1.1 14 3.7 16 Electrical repairs 0 0.0 1 0.3 4 1.1 8 2.1 13 3.5 17 Bricklaying 4 1.1 2 0.5 0 0.0 6 1.6 12 3.2 18 Carving 0 0.0 1 0.3 5 1.3 5 1.3 11 2.9 19 Sculpture 1 0.3 1 0.3 2 0.5 4 1.1 8 2.1 20 TV Repairs 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.3 7 1.9 8 2.1 21 Radio Repairs 0 0.0 2 0.5 1 0.3 4 1.1 7 1.9 22 Welding 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 4 1.1 4 1.1 23 Furniture 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.5 0 0.0 2 0.5
N= 374
With the cut off point of 40%, it is apparent from Table 4.7 that there is no significant
production of marketable goods and services by Nigerian secondary students within this period of
study. Nevertheless, Cake production [30.5%], Farm produce [20.9%], Acting [18.7%], Art work
[18.2%], Cookery [17.9%], Tie & Dye [17.4%] and Typing [16.6%] topped the list of goods and
services some students have been able to successfully produce.
Observation made by the researchers showed that except in Fine Art, Computer Studies,
Music and Technical Drawing, teachers and students had no product or service to show for their
practical knowledge in Nasarawa and Imo, in all the school categories sampled. Lagos State also
furnished more students’ and teachers’ products and services than the other states sampled. See
appendix 6a, b, c for details.
4.8 Effect of school location on the mode of cur riculum implementation
Table 4.8a: effect of school location on the mode o f curriculum implementation
State in which the school is located Total
Imo Lagos Nassarawa No 28 55 39 122 teacher use more theory
than practical demonstration Yes 97 (77.7%) 76 (58.0%) 85 (68.5%) 258
Total 125 131 124 380
Table 4.8b: Chi-Square Tests
Value Df Asymp. Sig.
(2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 11.292 2 .004 Likelihood Ratio 11.396 2 .003 Linear-by-Linear Association 2.355 1 .125
N of Valid Cases 380
The results in Tables 4.8a & b students reported that a greater proportion of teachers use
more theoretical approach in the implementation of the curriculum in Imo [77.6%] followed by
Nasarawa [68.5%] and Lagos state [58.0%] in that order. The Chi-square test result indicates that
the difference observed here is significant at .05 level of significance. This result tend to suggest
xxxvi
that Imo state schools were the poorest in terms of usage of practical teaching, followed by
Nasarawa state schools.
4.8 Effect of school type on the mode of curricul um implementation
Table 4.9a: Effect of school type on mode of curric ulum implementation
School type Total
FGS SGS HCPS LCPS No 19 30 41 32 122 Teacher use more theory
than practical demonstration Yes 64 (77.1%) 51 (63.0%) 86 (67.7%) 57 (64.0%) 258
Total 83 81 127 89 380
Table 4.9b: Chi-Square Tests
Value Df Asymp. Sig.
(2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 4.743 3 .192 Likelihood Ratio 4.912 3 .178 Linear-by-Linear Association 2.274 1 .132
N of Valid Cases 380
Majority of the students who participated in this study were of the opinion that their
teachers use more theoretical than practical method in the implementation of the curriculum in the
four school types. However, the highest percentage of students who held this opinion were from
federal government schools [77.1%], followed by high class private schools [67.7%], low class
private schools [64%] and state government schools [63%]. The Chi square test indicates that the
difference observed was not significant at p < 0.05. This tends to suggest that the school type did
not have significant effect on mode of implementation of the Nigerian secondary school
curriculum.
xxxvii
CHAPTER 5
Discussion of findings, Recommendations, and Conclu sion
This chapter presents summary of findings, discussion, recommendations, limitation of study,
suggestion for further study and conclusion.
5. 1 Summary of Findings
The results revealed the following major findings:
1. Nigerian secondary school curriculum was considered appropriate in terms of goals and
content in meeting the philosophy of Nigerian secondary educational system but found
weak in its method of implementation.
2. The teaching method used in the implementation of Nigerian secondary school curriculum
was mainly theoretical, with exception of few sample schools where teaching had a blend
of theoretical and practical demonstration. The practical test conducted showed teachers
and students from FGS and HCPS in Lagos State demonstrated high degree of practical
skill as opposed to SGS and LCPS. The same pattern was found in Imo State. In
Nasarawa State, teachers displayed high practical skill but their students did not.
3. Home Economics, Agricultural Science, Introductory Technology, Music, Fine Art, Food
and Nutrition, Technical Drawing, Computer Science and Typing/Shorthand were the core
xxxviii
vocational and technical subjects that were mostly taught in Nigerian secondary schools.
On the contrary, Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metal Work, Building, Woodwork, Applied
Electricity, Electronics and Auto Mechanic did not receive much attention.
4. In all three states studied, SGS and LCPS lacked sufficient Infrastructural facilities needed
for practical work, available facilities were just computer science laboratory and home
economics laboratory, which were fairly equipped. FGS schools and most HCPS schools
had sufficient facilities that were well maintained. Facilities observed in the state
government schools were in bad state.
5. Skill-based subjects that predominantly enjoyed the services of specialist teachers in
Nigerian secondary schools include Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Fine Art,
Introductory Technology, Food and Nutrition and Music. On the other hand, the following
subjects appeared to lack enough specialist teachers: Computer Science, Technical
Drawing, Typing & Shorthand, Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metalwork, Home
Management, Woodwork, Applied Electricity, Building Construction and Auto Mechanic.
SGS and LCPS had fewer number of specialist teachers as opposed to FGS and HCPS.
6. Students from SGS and LCPS have not learnt sufficient practical [entrepreneurial] skills to
allow for self-employment, while those from FGS have learnt sufficient skills to allow for
self-employment. In all, Nigerian secondary students have learnt significant self-
employable entrepreneurial skills in the following areas: Fine Art [Drawing], Home
Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science [Farming], Food & Nutrition [Cookery],
Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music [singing]. Going by school type,
HCPS consistently led with high margin in all the areas listed. By state, Lagos led with
high margin with exception of Nasarawa that led in Agriculture science [farming]
7. Students’ entrepreneurial capability was significantly low as there were no significant
production of marketable goods and services to show for their practical knowledge.
Nevertheless, Cake production, Farm produce, Acting, Art work, Cookery, Tie & Dye and
Typing topped the list of goods and services some students were able to successfully
produce. Observation conducted in Nasarawa and Imo States showed that except in Fine
Art, Computer Science, Music and Technical Drawing, teachers and students had no
product or service to show for their practical knowledge, in all school categories.
8. School location had significant effect on the mode of curriculum implementation with Imo
state schools being the poorest in terms of usage of practical teaching followed by
Nassarawa state schools, and lastly Lagos state schools.
9. There was no significant difference in the mode of curriculum implementation at the four
school categories.
5. 2 Discussion
xxxix
The first research question probed the appropriateness of Nigerian secondary school
curriculum in meeting the philosophy of Nigerian secondary educational system. The focus group
discussion held with teachers revealed that the curriculum is appropriate in terms of goals and
content but weak in its method of implementation. This notion was shared by virtually all the
teachers in the three sampled states. This result is not surprising as it justifies the reason for
undertaking this study. The result clearly indicates that Nigeria educational system, though with its
inherent advantages, does not seem to achieve its purpose, as it has not provided adequate
opportunity for skill learning and practical experience needed for self-employment and self-
reliance to our teeming jobless youth who are product of the system. This finding validates several
other views expressed by Ajala (2002), Babafemi (2007) who described Nigerian secondary
education system as laudable but seems to suffer from poor implementation. Commenting on the
poor implementation, Igwe (2007) noted that the secondary school curriculum only prepares
secondary school leavers to seek admission to the university as the only option available.
Fabunmi (2009) corroborated this view and observed that the school curriculum is not structured
to make students self-employable upon graduation. It is therefore pertinent to remind that the
goals and objectives of secondary education in Nigeria, which are linked to the philosophy of
education, are clearly stipulated in the National Policy on Education (2004). As noted by Offorma
(2005), these are laudable goals which if earnestly pursued would produce functional Nigerian
citizens who would contribute to the political, social, economic, educational, scientific and
technological development of the nation.
The testing of the second research question revealed that the teaching method used in
implementing the curriculum in Nigerian secondary schools was mainly theoretical, with exception
of FGS and HCPS where teaching had a blend of theoretical and real practical. This result
contradicts several authors (Ajibola 2008; Offorma 2005; Kiboss 2002) who consider theory based
teaching as the dominant pedagogical mode used in Nigerian secondary schools. Focus groups
with teachers revealed the following factors as responsible for use of theory method: lack of
adequate instructional materials and lack of workshops for practical work. Focus group further
revealed that majority of teachers in the three states studied used improvisation in the absence of
instructional materials and learning equipments. Essentially, the primary education goal for
teaching vocational and technical subjects is to teach students both practical and theory as such
subjects are very practical in nature and should ideally be taught through methods that maximize
the active participation of the learner (Aina 2009). Teachers are therefore expected to properly
blend theory with practice for effective learning and transfer of knowledge. More so, students will
have more interest in what they see, touch and work with than what they are taught in abstract.
On the other hand, teachers (and schools) should not be expected to perform miracles when they
lack teaching and learning tools.
xl
The third research question on the number of skill-based subjects taught in Nigerian
secondary schools revealed the following subjects mostly taught: Home Economics, Agricultural
Science, Introductory Technology, Music, Fine Art, Food and Nutrition, Technical Drawing,
Computer Science and Typing/Shorthand. While Art & Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metal Work,
Building, Woodwork, Applied Electricity, Electronics and Auto Mechanic did not receive much
attention. This result shows that vocational and technical subjects are offered in schools though in
limited number. Going by states and school type, SGS and LCPS in Imo State, as well as SGS in
Lagos State offered between one to two vocational subjects. Four to five were taught in Nasarawa
sample schools, while FGS had up to seven /eight subjects. In line with the goals of secondary
education, each school is required to include a range of skill-based subjects to cater for individual
differences and designed to prepare students for self-employment. Focus group with teachers
further revealed that because of the bias against vocational education and the public perception of
vocational and technical education being for school dropouts, Nigerian parents seem to prefer the
academic subjects to vocational and technical subjects. This could possibly explain why some
schools seem to play down on vocational/technical subjects, forgetting that the secondary school
curriculum requires individuals to possess a combination of academic knowledge as well as
practical skills, which Obanya (2007) termed the three Hs’ – the head, the heart and the hand, all
three considered important for the individual’s integrated personality development.
The fourth research question on availability of infrastructural facilities revealed that SGS
and LCPS in the sample schools were found to lack sufficient Infrastructural facilities needed for
practical work on the skill-based subjects, available functional facilities include computer science
laboratory and home economics laboratory, which were fairly equipped. On the contrary, FGS and
most HCPS had practically sufficient facilities that were well maintained. The explanation is that
federal government schools are well funded by the Federal Government as they are supposed to be
model schools carrying and maintaining the ideals of secondary education for Nigerian students.
Similarly, HCPS schools are owned by business people who recognize that they offer a service to
customers and they stand to lose their valuable customers and their profitability if service delivery
is not satisfactory. State-owned secondary schools on the other hand are funded by each state
government and are not comparable to the federal government schools. Be that as it may, schools
and their owners should be aware that students will acquire skills when they are exposed to regular
workshop practice with adequate equipment and instructional materials. These measures will
concretize teaching/ learning and make learning to be permanent in the students. One wonders why
Nigeria cannot adequately fund its schools with its huge oil earnings over the years. Nigeria will be
facing more difficult problems if the leaders fail to provide the necessary infrastructure for good
quality education. Again, without channeling adequate resources to the education sector and
xli
without motivating the teachers to provide good quality education to the youth, Nigeria will
continue to lag behind socially, politically and economically.
The fifth research question on the proportion of specialist teachers available in Nigerian
secondary schools revealed the following six subjects that predominantly enjoyed the services of
specialist teachers: Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Fine Art, Introductory Technology,
Food and Nutrition and Music. On the other hand, the following ten subjects appeared to lack
enough specialist teachers: Computer Science, Technical Drawing, Typing & Shorthand, Art &
Craft, Clothing & Textiles, Metalwork, Home Management, Woodwork, Applied Electricity, Building
Construction and Auto Mechanic. Judging from the result, there are more technical than
vocational subjects that lacked specialist teachers, suggesting the need for Nigerian technical
institutions to adequately train both vocational and technical teachers so that such trained
teachers can in turn provide necessary training for students who are required for the sustenance
of manpower and technological development in the country.
The sixth question was on practical [entrepreneurial] skills students had learnt in school
with which they could create self-employment. Results derived from focus groups indicated that
sampled students from SGS and LCPS were not taught sufficient practical [entrepreneurial] skills
to allow for self-employment, as opposed to FGS and HCPS. However, further analysis showed
that generally Nigerian secondary students have learnt significant self-employable entrepreneurial
skills in the following areas: Fine Art [Drawing], Home Economics [Sewing], Agricultural Science
[Farming], Food & Nutrition [Cookery], Introductory Technology [Electrical Works] and Music
[singing]. If properly harnessed, these areas offer income-generating ventures with opportunity for
job creation where young people could start up businesses. Unfortunately, Nigerian environment
is not business-friendly as electricity situation does not promote entrepreneurship. The fact
remains that without first fixing power problem, it is difficult to empower the youth for job creation
and wealth generation. This result partially contradicts studies and opinions of experts who
indicated that products of Nigeria secondary school lack basic skills needed for self-employment.
The analysis of data testing seventh question revealed students’ entrepreneurial capability
was significantly low as there were no significant production of marketable goods and services to
show for their practical knowledge. Nevertheless, Cake production, Farm produce, Acting, Art
work, Cookery, Tie & Dye and Typing topped the list of goods and services some students were
able to successfully produce. There is a strong possibility that students’ low entrepreneurial
capability resulted from lack of entrepreneurial knowledge, not knowing they could create wealth
with skills acquired. This calls for the need to integrate entrepreneurship education in the teaching
/learning process. It could also be due to their lack of interest resulting from public bias against
vocational and technical education, in which case adequate public enlightenment campaigns be
xlii
carried out to emphasize their importance. Without entrepreneurial skills for self-employment, our
youth cannot function as the real catalyst of the socio-economic agenda to make Nigeria great.
The testing of the eighth research question revealed that school location had significant
effect on the mode of curriculum implementation, with Imo state schools being the poorest in
terms of usage of practical teaching followed by Nasarawa state schools, and lastly Lagos state.
This result is somehow surprising and not in the predicted direction. One would have expected
Nasarawa state, which is situated in Northern part of Nigeria where education is perceived less
valued, to have achieved the poorest result. This finding suggests that the perception is
inaccurate and demonstrates that Northern Nigeria is as favourably disposed to education as the
southern part.
The analysis of data testing the ninth research question revealed a non-significant
difference in the mode of curriculum implementation at the four school categories. This result is
quite surprising as inspection of the qualitative data revealed otherwise. FGS and HCPS in the
three states studied appear to lead with high margin in almost all the variables studied. For
instance, FGS was found to have greater number of skill-based subjects, sufficient infrastructural
facilities that were well maintained, and demonstrated higher degree of practical skill, more than
SGS and LCPS. However, the direction of the result should not be overemphasized, what is
important is for both public and private schools to work hand in hand to foster growth in Nigerian
educational system by ensuring proper development of students’ potentials and providing
conducive learning environment necessary for achieving the goals of secondary education. Again,
schools should endeavour to adequately maximize human and material resources required for
effective implementation of the curriculum for the benefit of the youth.
5.3 Recommendations
Results of the research study revealed several remarkable findings. Based on the findings, the
following recommendations are made.
1. The Federal and State Government should make it a point of duty to build infrastructural
facilities including functional workshops in all secondary schools across the nation with
adequate provision of workshop equipment, Instructional materials, and tools to make
teaching and learning of the skill-based subjects meaningful. This way, students will have
the opportunity to engage in practical works, which is the major aspect of the curriculum.
2. Students should be encouraged to have interest in the skill-based [vocational and
technical] subjects, hence should be accorded appropriate recognition. There is need for a
change in the mind-set of youth to see self-employment as an option and be prepared
psychologically and emotionally for it. This will enable them to be more motivated in
identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. To this end, entrepreneurship education should
be made integral part of vocational and technical teaching-learning process.
xliii
3. With the recent emphasis on the need for youth self-employment, the Federal Government
is equally expected to create the enabling environment that will promote entrepreneurship
by ensuring constant power supply in the country, without this the youth will become
discouraged and return to idleness.
4. The best of theories in education has opined that no educational system could rise above
the level of quality of its teachers. Vocational and technical teachers must be highly trained
and acquire enough skills to be able to communicate their skills to students effectively.
5. It is a known fact that society accord inferior status to vocational and technical education.
Therefore, the negative attitude of many parents towards vocational and technical
education should be changed. Adequate enlightenment campaigns should be carried out
to emphasize their importance in light of the prevailing economic circumstances of the
nation and the unemployment rate, which is on the increase.
6. Practical project work in vocational and technical subjects should be made compulsory for
JSS 3 and SSS 3 students as part of their requirements for graduation. Each student is to
produce marketable product or service and such products should be put up for exhibition.
This will further create motivation for entrepreneurship.
7. Teachers should be supported through continuing professional development & motivation
to enable them prepare the youth for success in the competitive global economy
8. Parents, teachers, principals, students, policy makers and other education stakeholders
should be made aware of the findings of this study, during such fora as Parent-Teachers
Association meetings, Town Hall meetings, seminars, conferences and workshops.
5.4 Limitation of the study
A number of factors militated against this study. The major set back was the strike action
embarked upon by Nigerian public secondary school teachers around the period of the study. The
study was also limited by certain constraints including uncooperative attitude of most teachers
during the focus group session who did not want their contribution tape recorded for fear of
implication, despite assurance of anonymity and confidentiality. In such cases, note taking became
the only option, thus prolonged the FGD sessions. Again, getting permission from relevant
authorities for use of schools for fieldwork was Herculean task due to bureaucratic formalities.
These limitations not withstanding, the experience had been worthwhile.
5.5 Conclusion and policy implication of the findin gs
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The findings of the study revealed that Nigerian secondary school curriculum is fairly but
not effectively implemented. Evidence yielded by the study revealed the following factors as the
root cause of the problem: theory-based teaching method, insufficient specialist teachers, lack of
infrastructural facilities and workshops for practical work, lack of entrepreneurial knowledge.
Further evidence yielded by the study suggest there is seemingly gradual progression towards
achieving the goals of secondary education system, however, the fundamental challenges as
highlighted in the study should be effectively addressed for the curriculum to fully equip the youth
with the necessary entrepreneurial knowledge, skills, values and attitude for them to live as
competent members of the society and contribute to nation building.
The findings of the study have some policy implication. The current Nigeria education
curriculum structure on which this study hinged is on the verge of being phased out come 2011 to
be replaced with the new 9-year Basic Education Curriculum and Senior Secondary School
Curriculum structure, with stronger emphasis on the need for skill acquisition, job creation, and
wealth generation, among other objectives (Obioma 2009). In effect, this study is considered
timely and useful in providing the much needed data that will assist the Federal Government of
Nigeria through its curriculum development agency, Nigerian Educational Research and
Development Council (NERDC), to gauge the level of success of current implementation and be
better able to plan towards an implementation that will instill basic skills in Nigerian youth to
ensure their socio-economic empowerment.
5.6 Suggestions for further research
The findings of this study have opened up several noteworthy areas for future research some of
which include:
1. Research on technical & vocational institutions to assess their training programmes
2. Research on suitability of Nigerian environment for entrepreneurship
3. Determination of link between skill acquisition and desire for self-employment
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