AFRICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSORS
ISSN-2536-7501, ISSN-2536-751X
JULY/SEPTEMBER 2017 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1,
Benchmark Journals
A Publication Of
FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL BENCHMARKERS IN NIGERIA
African Journal of Educational Assessors
ISSN-2536-7501 (online), ISSN-2536-751x (Print)
Editor in Chief
Professor SakyiBaidoo
University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
National Cordinator Executive Director
Dr.Aniedi Daniel Usoro Prof. Godwin A. Akpan
University of Uyo, Nigeria University of Uyo, Nigeria
Managing Editor
Dr. Michael Ogundele
University of Jos
Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Bonface Ngari Ireri
Prof.Dr. Sri Milfayett School of Science and Technology
State University of Medan North Africa Nazarene University, Kenya
Sumatera Indonesia Kenya
Sonny Dan Abia Prof. Ignatius Uduk
Miramar Florida, USA University of Uyo, Nigeria
Josephine Vida Dare Prof. E. B. Usoro
Uiversity of Education, Winneba, Ghana University of Uyo, Nigeria
Prof. A. O. Ekong Dr. T. C. Ogbuanya
University of Uyo, Nigeria University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Prof Ayodeji Badejo
Lagos State University
Guest Editors
Dr. Eno G. Ukpong
Dr. Fehintola Joseph
Dr. (Barr.) Arop Festus
Dr. Abdulmalik Sabitu
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Copyright © 2017 Forum of Educational Benchmarkers
© Benchmark Journals
Special Issue
Vol. 4, No. 1 July/September, 2017
©2017 articles in the journal are protected by copyright, which covers the exclusive right to reproduce
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The African Journal of Educational Assessors
(AJEA)
(PRINT: 2536-666, ONLINE: 2536-6653)
About this Journal
The African Journal of Educational Assessors (AJEA) is a multidisciplinary international, pear
reviewed journal published three (3) times a year by the Forum of Educational Benchmarkers in
Nigeria. This journal promotes the exchange of ideas by bringing together academics/researchers
across the globe. As research has become increasingly interdisciplinary, the essence of a
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For further enquiries, please write to
The Managing Editor
The African Journal of Educational Assessors
Department of Educational Foundations
Faculty of Education
University of Jos, P.M.B 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
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Papers are to be submitted to: [email protected]
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Educational Benchmarks and Sustainable National Development
Prof. Samuel I. Akinseinde
Former Director of Academic Planning
Delta State University, Abraka. Nigeria
Being a Keynote address delivered at the 1st Annual National Conference of the
Forum of Educational Benchmarkers in Nigeria, Held at OnyemaUgochukwu Hall,
University of Uyo. 5th – 7th April, 2017
Introduction
I consider it a great honour to be invited by the organizers of this conference to
present a keynote address at the 1st Annual National Conference of the Forum of Educational
Benchmarkers in the University of Uyo, scheduled for today, 5th April, 2017. I made no
hesitation in accepting the invitation because the theme you have chosen is not only timely
but appropriate in view of the present emphasis on quality education for every child (United
Nations, 2008).
Education is key to all other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has been
noted that education has a unique power to catalyze gains in other areas of SDGs (UN, 2015).
Without education, it will be difficult to achieve sustainable national development. Education
is important to protect the planet, promote prosperity, end poverty or even improve people’s
well-being. In this regard, how should the set benchmarks guarantee quality output of the
individuals and the nation?
Educational programmes of learning are designed to satisfy the needs of individuals
and societies. The problem facing education is that of continuous attempts to close the gap
between these needs and their actual fulfilment. In a broad sense, the purpose of
benchmarking is to help point the way toward closing this gap. In this way, benchmarking is
to support continuous quality improvement in learning for students and faculty.
Educational Benchmarks for Primary and Secondary Education
One of the goals of United Nations is to give every child in the world a basic primary
education by the end of 2015. This is to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable
and quality primary and secondary education (UN, 2015). It has been noted (Teboho, 2000;
Obioma and Ubani, 2014; Okoro, 2004) that the causes of low quality of education in Nigeria
include (1) lack of effective quality assurance/inspectorate system for basic education, (2)
poor/unfriendly learning environment, (3) inadequate teaching and learning facilities such as
water, electricity, communication facilities, roads, laboratories and classrooms. Besides, there
is high teacher-pupil ratio. In a similar study, UNICEF and UNESCO (1997) reported low
quality of education at the primary school level especially when pupils’performances were
measured on numeracy, literacy and life skills.
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If there is no strong foundation in primary and secondary schools, there will be no
quality in higher education. Okobiah (2002) declared that the performance of pupils at the
primary education level determines the performance and higher attainment at the secondary
and tertiary education levels. I am calling the attention of this conference to discuss this issue.
Achieving Sustainable Development through Technical and Vocational education
The United Nations (2015) emphasized quality education for all and gave special
attention to affordable quality technical and vocational education. This implies that our nation
needs to increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills in technical and
vocational skills for employment and entrepreneurship. Technical and vocational education
will have meaning and meet national goals and aspiration, if Nigeria maintains quality in
TVET service delivery by the recruitment and initial preparation of adequate number of
qualified teachers/instructors/trainers, provision and effective use of resources for education
and training, and continuous professional upgrading and updating of teachers (Akinseinde,
2014, Isyaku, 2014). It is important to have a variety of modern programmes and well
equipped laboratory/workshops to meet the training needs of our youth and adults. When the
standard for educational practice is created, technical and vocational education can be a
catalyst for human capital development and poverty reduction. These steps are necessary if
Nigeria is to take proper place in the committee of nations.
Benchmarks for Higher Education Programmes
Higher education institutions in Nigeria are controlled by three agencies that perform
regulatory and supervisory functions. These are (1) the National Universities Commission
(NUC) for universities; (2) the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for
Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Technical Colleges; and (3) the National Commission for
Colleges of Education (NCCE) for the Colleges of Education. These agencies perform similar
functions and have their benchmarks for their respective programmes.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) developed benchmarks for academic
programmes taught in Nigerian Universities in 1989, 2007 and 2014. More disciplines are
regularly added to the current Benchmarks Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) for the
disciplines in the Nigerian University System. This system of accrediting academic
programmes in Nigerian Universities has the following objectives.
i. To ensure that the provisions of the Benchmarks
Minimum Academic Standard documents are attained,
maintained and enhanced;
ii. To assure employers and other members of the
community that Nigerian graduates of all academic
programmes have attained an acceptable level of
competency in their areas of specialization; and\
iii. To certify to the international community that the
programmes offered in Nigerian universities are of high
standards and their graduates are adequate for
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employment and further studies nationally and
internationally. (NUC, 2012:5)
With several benchmarks for different programmes, the accrediting body needs to
make reasonable and informed judgement about each programme/discipline for which
accreditation is requested. The evaluation criteria developed by NUC addressed the following
accreditation parameters:
1. Academic Matters: Programme philosophy and objectives, curriculum, Admission
requirements, Academic regulations, Course evaluation, Students’ course evaluation and
external examiners system.
2. Staffing: Teaching staff, Non-teaching staff, Head of Department, and Staff
development.
3. Physical Facilities: Laboratory/clinic/studio, facilities and equipment, classroom
facilities and equipment.
4. Library: Books, Journals and e-learning facilities.
5. Funding: Allocation of funds for recurrent expenditure on staff salaries, maintenance of
facilities and purchase of consumables for classrooms, laboratories and workshops.
6. Employers rating of graduates: Employers level of satisfaction with performance of
students.
Effectiveness of each programme can be maintained if there is adequate support in
term of (a) Planning and operational processes, such as:
1. Quality and availability of instructional offerings
2. Capacity and condition of facilities and equipment
3. Teacher/pupil ratio,
4. Teacher qualification
5. Results of student achievement in terms of skills, knowledge, attitudes and readiness for
entering employment successfully
Higher Education and Quality Indicators
At present, Nigerian higher institutions comprise of 152 Universities, 107
Polytechnics and 85 Colleges of Education (NUC; NBTE; NCCE, 2017).
The National Policy on Education (NPE) stated that the goals of these tertiary
educations shall be to:
a. Contribute to national development through high level
manpower training;
b. Provide accessible and affordable quality learning
opportunities in formal and informal education in
response to the needs and interests of all Nigerians;
c. Provide high quality career counselling and lifelong
learning programmes that prepare students with the
knowledge and skills for self-reliance and the world of
work;
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d. Reduce skill shortages through the production of skilled
manpower relevant to the needs of the labour market;
e. Promote and encourage scholarship, entrepreneurship
and community service;
f. Forge and cement national unity; and
g. Promote national and international understanding and
interaction (FRN; 2013:52).
Tertiary education is given after secondary education in Universities, Polytechnics,
Monotechnics and Colleges of Education. Nigeria can boast of having the highest number of
tertiary institutions in West Africa and possibly in Africa. We have the right policies but need
to take responsive actions. These institutions which are owned by federal, state and private
bodies have the capacity to produce needed skilled professionals if the goals are well pursued
and enabling environment provided for learning and mold characters.
Table 1: Higher Education Institutions in Nigeria
Higher Institution Federal State Private Total
Universities 40 44 68 152
Polytechnics 26 41 40 107
Colleges of Education 22 47 16 85
Source: NUC, NBTE, NCCE Portal, 2017
The analysis above raised a number of questions with regard to access, quality and
management in a competitive world.
1. How can we effectively implement the goals of tertiary education for national
development?
2. How can we maintain high standards in the quality of facilities, services and resources in
our different programmes of study?
3. How can we foster inter-institutional cooperation and linkages?
4. Are we prepared to have quality students’ intake into different programmes based on
objective criteria which can benefit those who need it and can profit by it?
It has been noted (Saint, Hartnet and Strassner, 2004) that public and private
employers of university graduates consider the quality of university graduates to be
inadequate. Employers believe the university graduates are poorly trained and unproductive
on the job. Factors responsible for poor quality of graduates include strikes, poor employee
motivation, teacher shortages, corruption, admissions based on quota system rather than
merit, and inconsistency in funding by government. There are also reports of plagiarism,
examination malpractice, forcing students to purchase lecture notes/books, sexual harassment
and even falsification of curriculum vitae or resume (Nwana, 2008). Currently, these are
being checked as a result of improved institutional management.
Programme and Institutional Accreditation
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Before a new academic programme is accredited, a panel of experts from the NUC
visits the institution for resource verification/assessment of the programme. The purpose is to
ensure that quality is maintained and to determine whether or not the academic department is
ready for accreditation (Oladosu, 2012). The new programme is assessed for readiness to take
off based on the quality of academic content, staffing, physical facilities, library and funding.
The panel’s reports will be sent to NUC. Based on further analysis of the report, the National
Universities Commission will communicate the outcome of the resource verification to the
institution. If the commission upholds the panel’s recommendation that what is on ground is
good for a take-off, then the programme is adjudged ready for programme accreditation.
The institutional accreditation measures the performance of a university based on
specific criteria which are:
i. Institutional vision, mission and strategic goals;
ii. Institutional governance and administration;
iii. Institutional resources;
iv. Quality of teaching, learning and research;
v. Institutional efficiency and effectiveness;
vi. Extension services and consultancies;
vii. Transparency, financial management and stability; and
viii. General ethos
(Bamiro, 2012; Oladosu, 2012; NUC/AAU, 2010)
Bamiro (2012) described the instrument for institutional self-accreditation to be
complementary because of the inadequacy of total reliance on programme accreditation for
handling quality assurance. He argued that we are in a world where nations and states commit
their resources to nurture world-class universities to face the challenges of globalization. It is
important to note that the NUC has been administering the perfected instruments to carryout
institutional accreditation in some universities. It may interest you to know that the highest
weighting score is allocated to the Vice Chancellor when considering the quality of
institutional governance and administration.
Quality Institutions for Sustainable National Development
Educational benchmarking is important because we need to catch up with the rest of
the world and to be ready to enter into the twenty first century competition which can be
made possible by professional teachers, scientists, engineers, technologists, craftsmen,
artisans to mention but a few. The Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education
produce these professionals. In view of the central role of tertiary education system as
primary drivers of knowledge-based economies, institutions must produce skilled personnel
with credible credentials. One can therefore hypothesize that sustainable national
development is caused by skilled human resources. Besides, the quality of teachers in the
tertiary institutions will determine the quality of their products. Bamiro (2012) advocated a
strong university-industry-government partnership. He emphasized the need for such
partnership because of competition in industrial places as a result of the on-going
globalization of world economies.
The consequences of globalization appear gloomy for Nigeria for now. Bamiro (2012)
suggested that we build our local economies, strengthen our industrial base, diversify the
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economy and let our universities commit themselves to the use of the triad of knowledge,
information and innovation (Bamiro, 2012:23).
Linking Knowledge and Skill to Economic Growth
How can Nigeria participate in the global knowledge economic and technological
advancement when we have not developed effective strategy to link knowledge to economic
growth. Developed nations continuously invest in research and development and the benefit
derived helped them to produce wealth. This conference should be able to address the
following questions: What are the benchmarks for (i) educational process, (ii) products, (iii)
curriculum, (iv) quality education, (v) educational assessment, (vi) teacher recruitment, and
(vii) educational funding in order to achieve sustainable development? I suggest we evaluate
these carefully since effective instruction creates opportunities for individuals and
communities to achieve their aspiration and reach the maximum of their potentials. If
achieved, it will give rise to increased employment, satisfaction of basic needs, improved
healthcare system and environmental protection.
Conclusion
Educational benchmarking is important to ensure that national standards are met and
the programme(s) as well as the academic activities are of quality and comparable with
international standard. Particular attention should be given to promoting quality education at
the primary and secondary school levels. Higher institutions intake emerge from secondary
schools while that of secondary schools emerge from primary schools. If there is no
successful primary, there can be no successful secondary. The same applies to the tertiary
level.
Participants at this conference should consider how to improve quality at the primary
and secondary education in the light of the present situation. Technical Vocational Education
is paramount for effective, realizable and sustainable human resource development. It is
recommended that tertiary education system should continue to improve their evaluation
instrument and be thorough with the accreditation exercise.
Thank you for your attention.
References
Akinseinde, S.I. (2014). Technical vocational education and training as catalyst for human
capital development and poverty reduction in Nigeria. In V.F. Peretomode (Ed.)
Compendium of Delta State University 2014 Inaugural Lectures. (pp.2-35). Abraka,
Delta State: Delta State University.
Bamiro, O.A. (2012). Tertiary education in Nigeria and the challenges of corporate
governance. Abuja: TETFund.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013).National Policy on education. 6th Ed. Yaba, Lagos:
NERDC
xi
Isyaku, K. (2014). Best practices and quality assurance in teacher education. In N.A.,
Nwagwu and U.M.O. Ivowi (Eds.).Education in Nigeria: Development and
Challenges. (pp.209-229). Lagos: Foremost Educational Services.
National Commission for Academic Accreditation of Assessment (2013).Self evaluation
scales for higher education programs. Saudi Arabia: Author.
National University Commission (2012).Manual of accreditation procedures for academic
programmes in Nigerian universities. Abuja, Nigeria: Author.
Nwana, O.C. (2008). University academics in Nigeria: Memoirs of an insider.Owerri:
Peacewise.
Obioma, G.O. &Ubani, C. (2014). Emerging public policies in the Nigerian education sector:
A focus on access and quality. In N.A. Nwagwu and U.M.O. Ivowi (Eds.), Education
in Nigeria: Development and Challenges (pp.381-396). Lagos: Foremost Educational
Services.
Okobiah, O.S. (2002). The educational imbalance between the northern and southern states
of Nigeria: A re-orientation of educational policies. 2nd Inaugural Lecture presented at
the Delta State University, Abraka, 13th March, 2002.
Okoro, D.C.U. (2014). Inspection and supervision for quality assurance in education.In N.A.
Nwagwu& U.M.O. Ivowi (Eds).Education in Nigeria: Development and Challenges.
(pp.37-62). Lagos: Foremost Educational Services.
Oladosu, A.G.A.S. (2012). Quality assurance in the University system.In I.I. Uvah
(Ed).Practical guide on academic planning in Nigerian universities. (pp.106-130).
Ibadan, Nigeria: CODAPNU.
Saint, W., Hartnett, T.A. &Strassner, E. (2004).Higher Education in Nigeria: A status report.
Retrieved October 2004, from fill://f:/WENR,%20September-
October%2004Higher%20Education%20Nigeria.
Teboho, M. (2000).Nigeria education sector analysis: An analytical synthesis of performance
and main issues. Paper produced for the World Bank. New York, NY: Department of
Administration, Leadership and Technology.
United Nations (2008).The United nations today. New York: United Nations Department of
Public Information.
United Nations (2015, August 6) Education is key to all of the new sustainable development
goals.Retrieved from http://theirworld.org/news/education-is-key-to-all-of-the-new-
sustainable-development-goals.
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The African Journal of Educational Assessors
(AJEA)
(PRINT: 2536-666, ONLINE: 2536-6653)
Contents
01-10 Ensuring Youths Involvement in Educational Decision Making for Sustainable National
Development in Abia State - 1Kalu-Mba, Evelyn Ph.D, 2Ogbonna, R. N. O. Ph.D & 3Ayine
Victoria O.
11- 20 Instructional Delivery Using PowerPoint for Educational Benchmark and Sustainable
Development in Public Secondary Schools in Uyo Education Committee - Idongesit
Akan Udi (Ph.D) & Glory Osaretin Ofili (Ph.D.)
21-28 - Relevance of Statistics Education in Sustainable Development- Fehintola, J. O. Ph.D
29-40 - Professional Competence in Guidance and Counselling Practice: Issues and Practices - Gertrude A.
Archibong (Ph.D).
41-50 - Effect of Teaching Styles on Senior Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Geometry in Hadejia
Education Zone, Jigawa State - Jimin Nguuma
51-63 - Implementation of Academic Policies and Achievement of Academic Excellence in Vocational and
Technical Education (VTE) at College of Education, AfahaNsit - Augustine Bassey Etuk, Ph. D
64-75 - Comparative Outlook of Teacher Education in Nigeria and India - Comparative Outlook of Teacher
Education in Nigeria and India - Muhammad BadamasiAbdullahi, Dr Danladi Sa’adu Ibrahim &
Dr. Abdullahi Sango
76-90 - Influence of Human Resource Management Practices on Productivity of Civil Servants in Rivers State
- Thomas Bariere & Effiong E. Asuquo (Ph.D)
91-97 - Reform and Quality Science Education in Nigeria: The Needed Benchmark for Sustainable
National Development - Iniobong Fred Akpan Ph.D
98 – 104 - Educational Benchmarks in Nigeria: Rational, Policy and Context: Appraisal of Mathematics
Improvement Program (2012-2014) In Katsina State, Nigeria - AminuYusuf1 & Anthony , O.
Ebubechukwu (Ph.D)2
105 -112 - Towards Financing of Nigerian Higher Education Benchmarks for a Sustainable National Development -
OGUNDELE, Micheal Olarewaju (Ph.D) & OPARINDE, Raheef Olayiwola (Ph.D)
113-124 - Benchmarking On Farmers’ Participation In Commercial Poultry Production Enterprise And Sustainable
Development In Akwa Ibom State - Etop Nkereuwem Essien, (Ph. D) & Saviour O. Nsa, (Ph. D)
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AFRICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSORS
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Benchmark Journals
Ensuring Youths Involvement in Educational Decision Making for
Sustainable National Development in Abia State
1Kalu-Mba, Evelyn Ph.D, 2Ogbonna, R. N. O. Ph.D &
3Ayine Victoria O.
1&3Department of Educational Administration/Planning
2Department of Curriculum & Teacher Education
Faculty of Education
Abia State Univeraity, Uturu, Nigeria
Abstract
Youths comprise one third of Nigeria’s population, hence, their actions or inactions would
always have impact on national development and sustainability. Involving them as
stakeholders on decision making, implementation of programmes and management, acts as a
catalyst for – radical positive change in the nation. This paper x-rays the extent of youth
involvement in educational decision making in Abia State. The study used the descriptive
survey design. The population comprised of all the students from Abia State College of
Education Technical Arochukwu (ASCETA). The sample was selected through random
sampling technique and 200 students (both male and female) from all the departments was
purposively drawn from the final year students. The instrument of a seventeen item
questionnaire titled Youths Involvement in Educational Decision Making Inventory
(YIEDMI) was used to collect the data which was administered to these students to elicit
information on the extent of their involvement in educational decision making process. The
data collected were analysed using frequency and percentages. The findings shows amongst
others that, though students were involved in some aspects of decision making, they were not
involved in curriculum planning and its implementation. Based on the findings, it was
recommended that there is need for students’ representative to be involved when curricula
issues are discussed/planned and their opinions should be taken into consideration.
Key Words: Youths, Involvement, Educational decision-making, management, curriculum
planning and its implementation Introduction
Introduction
One of the most crucial steps in the development of a nation is the provision of
education which consequently assures us of literacy and the expertise of managing our
natural and human resources. Education is believed, as not only an investment in human
resources but also a more important source of economic growth. In line with the importance
of education for national building, the National Curriculum Conference was held in 1969,
resulting in the formulation of the National Policy of Education.
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The National Policy on Education has, as one of its philosophies of education in
Nigeria, the use of education as an instrument for national development (FRN, 2013). To
fully implement this philosophy, the Nigerian government created special types of schools
such as Technical Colleges, Colleges of Education (Technical), Polytechnics and Universities
of Technology. These schools are one of the ways through which government hoped to
develop our nation by using education as a tool (FRN, 2013).
Youths comprise a considerable percentage of Nigeria’s population, they are actively
involved in most activities especially, those that affect them, at appropriate time, place and
level. Their actions or inactions would most likely have impact on the development of the
nation, while involving them as stakeholders on issues such as decision making,
implementation programmes and management, acts as a catalyst for bringing positive change
in the nation. This would also serve as a vehicle for sustainability. “Sustainability is the
effective use of available human, material and technological resources to meet the
community needs and at the same time ensuring that these resources meet the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”
United Nations’ World Commission on Environment (UNCED, 2007).
Sustainable development consists of the following two components: Sustainable
Human Development (SHD);, and Environmental Sustainability.
SHD stands for evolution of the classical concept of development; emphasis moved from the
material well-being of states to individual human well-being. SHD places people at the
center, as the principal actors and the ultimate goal of development. SHD creates room for
people to develop their full potential, thus living a life of dignity and freedom.
This study hinges on the involvement of youths in educational decision making
process for a smooth transition from the present day managers to the future. An education
which addresses the needs of the present generation while building the skills of future
generation can be considered sustainable in its approach and in line with the concept of
sustainable development.
Youths will inherit many of the environmental economic, and social problems created
over the past decades; hence, incorporating the opinions and concerns into policies at all
levels is critical to sustainable development. The zeal and capacity of youths to address
sustainability issues and become leaders in the 21st Century is also critical and needs to be
developed. Involving the youths in participating on matters that affect them is part of
fulfilling their human rights, shares a common purpose with Sustainable Human
Development to secure the well-being, freedom and dignity of all people everywhere.
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Managing for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is described by the World Commission on Environment and
Development as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Umoh, 2006). Accordingly,
sustainable development seems to stand on three pillars: Social and educational development,
economic development, and environmental protection. It appears that, actualizing the dream
of national development through Youth Involvement in Educational Decision Making
Process calls for the ability to encourage the youths and allow them to participate actively in
curriculum planning, all relevant levels of school management, including decision-making
processes because these affect their lives today and have implications for their futures. In
addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring
unique perspectives that need to be taken into account. At this, Yahaya (2003), advocated
that achieving sustainable development calls for one’s critical self-examination. They must
become critically conscious of their limitations and opportunities for self-development.
Therefore, youths must discover the need to change their mis-directed priorities, shed their
dependency or reliance gains skills and knowledge for self-empowerment so as to be able to
participate in economic development, hence ensuring sustainable development.
Decision Making
A decision is a choice between two or more alternatives. Decision-making is the
process of thought and deliberation that leads to a decision. It is a process of selecting
among available alternatives. We observed how individuals, principles, educational
administrators identify problem areas, consider potential solutions to problems and select the
most suitable solution (in the light of the particular situation).
Anuna (2004), identified three stages of decision-making. The first stage is
represented by intelligence activities. Individuals and groups attempts to recognize and
understand the nature of problems as well as search for the possible causes and potential
solution. In the second phase of the process, design activities, alternative course of action are
formulated and assessed in the light of known constraints. The third phase is represented by
choice activities, where the actual choice among possible alternative decisions is made. It is
believed that the quality of the resulting decision is largely influenced by the thoroughness of
the intelligence, with rationality and goals of the decision makers.
The Difference of Meaningful Student Involvement in Decision-Making
The purpose and practice of engaging students as decision-makers throughout
education is made obvious through meaningful student involvement. In our practice,
students identify multiple spheres where decision-making occurs in schools every day. Then
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they explore the intention and meaning of those activities. Students explore some of the most
frequently identified skills needed to successfully participate in decision-making in schools.
Research has shown how students are uniquely positioned in their personal
development to be attentive to the ethical implications of educational decision-making. The
other essential consideration of this practice is that leadership skill development cannot be
the exclusive domain of traditional student leaders.
Educational decision-making will also entail a focus on the curriculum, its planning,
implementation and those involved in these activities. Curriculum is defined as “The series
of things youths must do and experience by way of developing abilities to do things well that
make up the adult life; and to be in all respects what adults should” (Bobbit, 2010). It is
equally “a deliberately and systematically planned attempt to change the behaviours of the
young and inexperienced and also, to enable them to gain the insight that will enable them
build a better society” (Offorma, 2005). It involves both core-curricular activities for
instance, the development/preparation of scheme of work, time-table, organizing sports and
game clubs and societies, etc.
Curriculum implementation on the other hand, is the translation of the planned
curriculum into the operational curriculum. It is the execution of the curriculum document.
“Curriculum implementation is putting into action the planned curriculum. It is the
combined efforts of the teacher and the learners in putting into operation the curriculum
document” (Offorma, 2005). Selection and organization of curriculum content is for
ensuring optimum growth in meaning, because a learner benefits most, when the content
makes meaning to him (Oriaifo, 2005). How much of these aspects of educational decision-
making process are the students involved in?
Statement of the Problem
It is worrisome to realize that some of the young ones seem not able, to take decisions
on their own, without someone directing or watching over them. They rely so much on the
elders for directions even on simple tasks; and unable to manage simple responsibilities of
life. Oriaifo (2005) stated that “The present careless disposition of our school products, their
ill-prepared position and their inexpedient behaviours clearly show that the products are
hardly ready for the future and the survival struggle that lies ahead”. Going by this statement
and other concerns raised in different quarters about the alleged unpreparedness of the youths
to take up leadership from the older generation, one wonders how these young ones would
really be the leaders of tomorrow as they are often referred to. Are the youths being prepared
and given opportunity for leadership role in order to exercise their innate potentials and
human rights? Or are they being bossed, only to receive information and leap into leadership
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positions without prior practice? How will this aid sustainability? These constitute the
problems that necessitated for this study.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to find out specifically:
1. the extent to which students are involved in the decision making process in the
school.
2. the extent of students’ involvement in curriculum planning and implementation.
Research Questions
The following research questions were posed to guide the study.
1. To what extent are students involved in the decision making process in the school?
2. What is the extent of students’ involvement in curriculum planning and
implementation?
Scope
The study was a descriptive survey design, with the Abia State College of Education
Technical Arochukwu, Abia State serving as the area of study. The population made up of
all the students from the College. A sample of 200 students was purposively drawn from the
final year students who have spent three years in the school and they are more likely to
understand the workings of the school. They are both male and female students, from all the
departments in the school.
Instrument
The instrument for data collection was 17-item questionnaire, titled Youths
Involvement in Educational Decision-Making Inventory (YIEDMI) structured to access the
extent of youths’ involvement in decisional decision making and curriculum
planning/implementation. It was structured on a four-point scale of strongly agree, agree,
disagree and strongly disagree, weighted 4,3, 2,and 1 respectively. The reliability of the
instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha method and a reliability co-efficient of
0.75 was obtained. The instrument was subjected to scrutiny by experts in Educational
Administration and Planning, Measurement and Evaluation from Faculties of Education
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and Abia State University,
Uturu (ABSU). Their inputs were incorporated in the final copy of the instrument. The
instrument was administered to the 200 students and the return rate was 100% because the
researchers made a strict supervision on the respondents.
Method of Data Analysis
The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation and the table is
presented below for clarity.
Result
Research Question 1: To what extent are students involved in the decision making process
in the school?
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Table I: Participation in Decision Making
S/N Items SA A D SA ̅ SD RMK
(4) (3) (2) (1)
1 Students’ representatives are invited
when decisions concerning students
are taken in the school 100 50 30 20 3.15 0.31 Agree
2 Opinions of students are taken into
consideration for decision making 101 59 25 15 3.25 0.32 Agree
3 School authority makes it clear to
students the expectations,
responsibilities, scope of decision 110 60 20 10 3.35 0.33 Agree
making roles they are expected to play
4 The school authority communicates
and make students understand the
purpose of certain decisions taken in 105 65 22 8 3.34 0.33 Agree
the school.
5 Students are treated as equal
participants in the decision making 50 20 100 30 2.45 0.24 Disagr
process ee
6 Decision making in this school
involves students representing;
a. different departments 100 40 40 20 3.35 0.31 Agree
b. ethnic groups 30 20 50 100 1.90 0.91 Disagr
c. Gender (Males/Females) 40 30 50 80 2.15 0.21 ee
d. Religious groups 36 24 60 80 2.08 0.20 Disagr
ee
Disagr
ee
7 School authority communicates and
make students understand the effects
of certain decisions taken in the 110 60 20 10 3.35 0.33 Agree
school.
Grand Mean = 2.66 which is above the accepted mean of 2.50
Data on table 1 indicates that students are involved in most of the decision making
process tested, as seen from items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 which their means are 3.15, 3.23, 3.35,
3.34 and 3.35 which are above the accepted mean of 2.50, except item 5, which has below
the accepted mean which is 2.45, which means students are not treated as equal participants
in the decision making process in the school. For item 6, the response shows that the level of
students’ involvement in decision making is on departmental basis, rather than their gender,
ethnic or religious groupings. This implies that though students are involved in some decision
making process in the school, there is a limit or an extent to their participation.
Research Question 2: What is the extent of students’ involvement in curriculum planning
and implementation?
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Table 2: Involvement in Curriculum Planning and Implementation
S/N Items SA A D SA X SD RMK
(4) (3) (2) (1)
0.33 Dis
1 Students are involved in curriculum agree
planning by ensuring that, they know and 0.31 “
0.30 “
contribute to what, how well, why, where 43 17 100 40 2.32
0.32 “
and when they are learning. 0.31 “
0.47 “
2 Students are given opportunities to initiates 0.32 Agree
and direct projects, classes or activities 35 25 90 50 2.23
3 Students are involved in the planning of
school calendar, activities that build upon
their experiences, education, ideas and 25 15 120 40 2.13
opinion.
4 Items on the school curriculum are
discussed with the students before they are
implemented by the curriculum planners. 30 20 120 30 2.25
5 Students are allowed to decided what they
are to be taught, the teaching methods and 30 15 125 30 2.23
materials to be used
6 Students take part in deciding what extra-
curriculum activities to be engaged in 33 22 105 40 2.24
school.
7 Students are given opportunities to organize
tutorials for fellow students and periods are 110 51 30 9 3.31
allotted for them.
Grand mean = 2.38, which is below the accepted mean of 2.50
Table 2 dealing with curriculum planning and implementation indicates that
respondents disagree with most of the items (1, 2, 3, 4 5, and 6). Which mean scores are
2.32, 2.23, 2.13, 2.25, 2.23 and 2.24 showing that they are not involved in knowing and
contributing to why, how well, where, when and what they are learning; they are not given
opportunities to initiate and direct projects, classes or activities; students are not involved in
the planning of school calendar, activities that build upon their experiences, education, ideas
and opinions; Items on the school curriculum are not discussed with the students before they
are implemented; students are not allowed to take part in deciding what teaching methods
and materials are to be used; and students do not take part in deciding what extra-curricular
activities to be engaged in school. However, except item 7 which has mean score of 3.31
indicating that students are only given opportunities to organize tutorials for fellow students
and periods are allotted for them. The grand mean is 2.38 which means that it is lower than
the normal mean scale of 2.50 which means the students disagreed in their opinion.
Discussion of the Findings
This study has revealed that in terms of decision making, students are largely allowed
to participate, as their representatives are invited when decisions concerning students are
taken; their opinions are also taken into consideration for decision making matters; school
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authority makes it clear to students the expectations, responsibilities, scope of decision
making they are expected to play and it communicates or make students understand the
purpose/effects of certain decisions taken in the school.
In terms of level of involvement, students are involved on departmental basis rather
than on ethnic, religious and gender groupings. This is a welcomed idea that is quite
encouraging because such involvement would make them feel accepted as part of the school,
improve their interest in schooling issues as well as prepare them for their future roles.
Moreover, Nwankwo and Lulsegged (1985) imputed that involving students in decision
making and all administration of crucial aspects of the school that affect them directly are
part of ways of maintaining discipline among students. However, the students are not,
understandably treated as equal participants in the decision making process.
On curriculum planning and implementation, as indicated above, students are not
involved in majority of the processes. In terms of planning, the result is not encouraging
because the students may not so much identify the curricular content, since they are not
involved in its planning. Moreover, Oriaifo (2005) had advocated their involvement since
“selection and organization of curriculum content is for ensuring optimum growth in
meaning, because a learner benefits most when the content makes meaning to him”. In terms
of implementation, the students’ non-involvement is not equally encouraging, and the result
is in contrast with Oforma (2005) assertion that curriculum implementation is the combined
efforts of the teacher and the learners in putting into operation the curriculum document.
This result contradicts the result as seen from students’ involvement in decision making,
wherein the respondents generally agreed that they are being involved.
One gets worried over the sincerity of the involvement of students in the curriculum
planning and implementation hence this calls for further investigation. It is worth noting that
education commitments, policies and curricula should be consistently the notion of human
development and the capacity building of the young in order to ensure sustainability.
Conclusion
An education that addresses the needs of the present human society while building the
skills/capacity of the future generation can be considered to be sustainable in its approach
and in line with sustainable development. The study has revealed that though the youths in
the school are to an extent involved in some aspects of decision making in the school, they
are not in any way involved in the curriculum planning and its implementation. Since the
students are not actively and effectively involved in all the educational decision making
process of the school which is part of school management activities, it implies that the youths
are not to some extent being prepared for their future roles/tasks as leaders of tomorrow.
The aim of allowing them to be part of decision making process to some extent is
somehow defeated since they are involved in the other aspects which are very crucial to their
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leadership growth and development. Perhaps, this is part of the reason why youths have
often protested against the older generation that occupies leadership positions for a long time
in this country; giving little or not opportunity to the young ones to partake. The older
generation defend their stance on leadership position on the basis of inexperience capacity of
the youth as we can see in Nigeria today.
It is imperative to note that, if the youths are not involved in decision making
concerning leadership the much talked about experience would hardly be achieved because
one learn by doing. It has been observed that all successful development initiatives are those
in which the intended beneficiaries are effectively involved, and participate fully in all
activities from the planning stage, through implementation and monitoring to the evaluations
stages. Success is granted in such initiatives because the beneficiaries, through their
involvement and participation, become part and parcel with the initiative/programmes and
fully identify with it. This is indeed required in national development and sustainability of
any nation.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:
1. Students’ representatives should be involved when curricula issues are
discussed/planned and their opinions taken into consideration.
2. The students should be carried along in all educational decision making process as it
concerns the curricula/extra curricula activities.
3. Students should be involved in most aspects of curricula/co-curriculaimplementation,
this would increase their interest in school activities and equally increase their
appreciation of the curricula content.
4. Since the students are the ultimate beneficiaries of educational programmes in the
schools, and nation at large, there is a strong need to involve them from the point of
inception of such programmes and their contributions should be taken into serious
consideration.
References
Adam, F. (2005).Students as Decision Makers.Lagos, Bolabay Publishers.
Anuna, M.C. (2004). Dynamics of organizational theory in education. Enugu. Valen
Publishing Co.
Bobbit, F. (2010). The curriculum of modern education. New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004).National Policy on Education. Lagos: NERDC Press.
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Nwankwo, J. I. and Lulsegged, A.M. (1985). Effective management for executive. Ibadan:
Spectrum Books Ltd.
Offorma, G.C. (2005). Curriculum Implementation for Functionality. In Oriaifo, S.O.,
Edozie, G.C. and Eze. D.N. (eds) Curriculum issues in contemporary education. Benin
City: Da-Sylva Influence.
Oriaifo, S.O. (2005). Curriculum Studies: An Overview of Some Significant Issues. In
Oriaifo S.O, Edozie, G.C. and Ezeh, D.N. (eds) curriculum issues in contemporary
education. Benin City: Da-Sylva Influence.
Umoh, O.J. (2006). Social Science Education and Sustainable Development in Developing
Nations. In K. Udoetuk (ed) University Education and Sustainable Development: A
forum. Lagos: Minder International, 129 – 142.
United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development (UNCED),
2007.Retrieved March 20, 2017. From http://frenshstart.ncat.org/articlewhatare.htm
Yahaya.M.K. (2003).Determinants of Participation in Change Programmes in Rural Nigeria.
Anthropologist, 5(3): 101 – 106.
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Instructional Delivery Using PowerPoint for Educational Benchmark
and Sustainable Development in Public Secondary Schools
inUyo Education Committee.
Idongesit Akan Udi (Ph.D) & Glory Osaretin Ofili (Ph.D.)
Department of Educational Technology and Library Sciences
University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Abstract
The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)tools through the use
of computer software such as PowerPoint in instructional delivery has become a major
benchmark for quality teaching and learning. It is based on this internationally accepted
benchmark that teachers should aspire to shift from traditional method of instructional
delivery to a strategy that is more innovative through the use of ICT. Therefore, this study
assessed the instructional delivery at secondary schools level using PowerPoint for
educational benchmark and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee. The study adopted survey research design and was guided by three
research questions and three hypotheses. The population of the study consisted 34872 public
secondary schools students and 1127 teachers in the 14 public secondary schools in the study
area. A sample of 225 teachers and 675 students were randomly selected using multi-stage
random sampling. The instruments used in data collection were Instructional Delivery Using
ICT and Sustainable Development Questionnaire (IDUIASDQ) and Power-Point Literacy
Questionnaire (PPLQ). These instruments were presented to experts to validate while the
reliability of the instruments were established using Cronbach Alpha method. The reliability
coefficients of 0.93 and 0.87 were obtained for IDUIASDQ and PPLQ respectively. Data
were analysed using means, standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment correlation and
independent t-test. Result revealed that teachers in public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee lack basic knowledge of the operation of PowerPoint and this
application is not used for instructional delivery despite its inherent advantages. The result
showed significant relationship between instructional delivery using PowerPoint and
sustainable development. The result also revealed that there is no significant difference in
instructional delivery using PowerPoint between male and female teachers and between
public secondary schools in the rural and urban. Recommendations made included the fact
that government should make computer available in schools and that training should be
organized for teachers on regular basis on the use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery.
Keywords: PowerPoint, Instructional Delivery, Sustainable Development, Benchmarking
Introduction
The development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has affected
virtually every aspect of human endevour. The field of education has not been spelt of this
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development. The advent of ICT has brought changes to the pattern of teaching at all facet of
educational system from primary, secondary to tertiary level. One of the areas ICT has
affected teaching and learning is instructional delivery. Instructional delivery at secondary
school level has gone beyond a teacher standing in the front of students and disseminating
information to them without students’ adequate participation (Ajayi, 2008). Teaching as a
modern concept at secondary school level is gradually shifting from the convectional teacher-
centered to student- centered with an interactive method of instructional delivery. To make
instructional delivery at secondary school level more captivating and interesting to students,
teachers must make use of ICT packages of which PowerPoint is one of them., purports this
fact through the five development indicators by the United nation’s Commission on Science
and Technology Development (UNCSTD) in agreement with IDRC that human development
will involve income, technology, governance and education and these points will ultimately
enhance eradication of poverty.
PowerPoint was developed by Microsoft in 1987. PowerPoint enhances instructional
delivery by reducing abstractness and motivates students which hereby enhancing better
understanding on the part of the learner (Sen, 2001). With the use of PowerPoint in
instructional delivery, the teacher will be able to insert slide transition, movies, sound,
animation into instructional delivery which therefore makes the lesson more interesting to
students. Furthermore, the use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery helps in providing
good structure and enable the teacher to maintains flow of the subject matter. It helps in
emphasizing key points, focus learner attention to some keys and aid student understanding
of what is been taught through the use of graphs, charts and other pictorial
representation(Arifalo, Kola , Adesanmi and Tola, 2013). Furthermore, some of the
benefits of use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery has been highlighted by Karen(2012)
to include, improving students focus, increase visual impact, engage student focus, increase
visual impact, engage multiple learning style, enrich curriculum with interdisciplinary,
increase wonders, analyse and synthesis competencies. In addition, Highton (2013) noted that
the use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery enhances teaching and learning by helping to
breakdown difficult topics into understandable points. All these points to the fact that the use
of PowerPoint in instructional delivery in very crucial in stimulating students’ motivation
towards learning.
Statement of the Problem
The use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery is novel in Nigerian public secondary
schools. Despite the popularity of the significance role computer software such as
PowerPoint play in effective instructional delivery in secondary schools, it appears that its
usage in instructional delivery has not been fully implemented in public secondary schools in
Uyo Education Committee (LEC). It seems many teachers in secondary schools have not
been able to fully integrate the use of PowerPoint in delivery of instruction in the classroom.
This therefore could undermine the quality education in Nigeria for sustainable development.
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It is expected that secondary school in Uyo Education Committee should be able to compete
favourably with students from other parts of the country and even with students from the
developed countries of the world. It is therefore very crucial to assess the instructional
delivery at secondary school level using PowerPoint for educational benchmarking and
sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee.
Purpose of the Study
The primary purpose of this study is to assess instructional delivery at secondary school level
using PowerPoint for educational benchmarking and sustainable development. The specific
objectives of this study include to:
1. assess the skills possessed by public secondary schools in Uyo education committee
on the application of PowerPoint.
2. determine the level of usage of PowerPoint in instructional delivery for educational
benchmarking and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee.
3. Determine possible factors that could hinder the use of PowerPoint in instructional
delivery in public secondary schools in Uyo education committee.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
1. What are the skills on PowerPoint possessed by public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee?
2. What is the level of usage of PowerPoint in instructional delivery for educational
benchmarking and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee?
3. What are the possible factors that could hinder the use of PowerPoint in instructional
delivery in public secondary schools in Uyo education committee?
Null Hypotheses
The following hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance.
1. There is no significant relationship between instructional delivery at secondary school
using PowerPoint and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo
Education committee.
2. There is no significant difference in the mean score between male and female
teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public secondary schools in
Uyo Education committee.
3. There is no significant difference in the mean score between rural and urban on
instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public secondary schools in Uyo Education
committee.
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Review of Literature
The instructional delivery adopted by teacher play significant role in students’ skill
acquisition and meaningful learning. Instructional delivery in most in most secondary schools
in Nigeria is dominated by the use of the traditional method of instructional delivery. Despite
the innovation in the use of ICT in instructional delivery, most secondary schools still rely on
the traditional method which has been observed to be ineffective method of instructional
delivery for modern day teaching. The traditional method has been criticized for not been
able to store information for future use and that it does not support teaching for better
understanding of the learner like the use of ICT facilities. This emphasizes the need for
paradigm shift from traditional method of instructional delivery which is teachers centered to
interactive method through the use of ICT programmes. PowerPoint happens to be one of the
numerous ICT programmes that can be used for instructional delivery. PowerPoint is one of
the application bundles in Microsoft Office. This programme was developed in 1987 by
Microsoft. The package allows the user to add, correct, do spelling check, make appropriate
changes to lesson as well as use animation and other tools which could enhance the effective
instructional delivery. The programme consists of slides and information prepared on a
computer using PowerPoint can be used to deliver instruction to a large group using projector
(Asogwa, 2011). Also, the use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery offer the offer the
teacher the opportunity to combine computer and projector to display slides thereby giving
room for some silence points in the lesson to be presented in a way that aids the
understanding of the students. The importance of using PowerPoint has also been stressed to
include; it enhances students learning (Lowry, 1999), enhances explanation of complex
topics (Apperson, Laus and Scepansky, 2006) among others. Therefore, the use of
PowerPoint in instructional delivery at secondary school level cannot be overemphasized.
Some studies have found that the use of PowerPoint enhance students’ academic
achievement which is an indicator for sustainable educational development. Notable among
them is Dahunsi (2014) which examined the effectiveness of Microsoft Power point on the
academic achievement of students. The study was an experimental study which comprised of
experimental and control group. A twelve item multiple-choice test consisting of four
options was used for the Pre-test – Post-test on the groups and the statistical tool used in data
analysis was t- test statistic. he finding showed that students taught using PowerPoint
performed better than those that were taught using the traditional method. In similar vein,
Arifalo, Kola, Adesanmi and Tola(2013) examined the usage of PowerPoint by teachers to
enhance teaching and learning. The study found that training of teachers on the use of ICT
and provision of electricity will help improve teachers’ usage of ICT applications such as
PowerPoint in teaching and learning.
Methodology
This study adopted the survey design. The population of the study comprised 1127
teachers (312 males and 815 females) and 34872(5751 males and 8418 females) students in
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the 14 public secondary schools in Uyo Education committee. A sample of 225 teachers and
675 students were randomly selected using multi-stage random sampling. The instruments
used in data collection were Instructional Delivery Using ICT and Sustainable Development
Questionnaire (IDUIASDQ) and Power-Point Literacy Questionnaire (PPLQ) were used in
data collection. These instruments were validated by experts and its reliability were
established using Cronbach alpha method and the result yielded reliability coefficients of
0.93 and 0.87 for Instructional Delivery Using ICT and Sustainable Development
Questionnaire (IDUIASDQ) and Power-Point Literacy Questionnaire (PPLQ) respectively.
The instruments excluding the demographic characteristics were rated on four point rating
scale of strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. Data were analysed using
mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment correlation and independent t-test. All
hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance and p<0.05 was considered to be
statistically significant. To enhance data analysis, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS version 20.0) was used.
Results
Research Question 1: What are the skills on PowerPoint possessed by public secondary
schools in Uyo education committee?
Table 1: PowerPoint skills possessed by public secondary schools in Uyo education
committee
S/N Items Mean SD Remarks
1 I can install PowerPoint on a computer 2.35 1.07 Disagree
system
2 I can use PowerPoint to develop lesson note 2.44 0.58 Disagree
into slides
3 I can insert picture into presentation using 2.25 0.87 Disagree
PowerPoint
4 I know how to change font type and font size 2.27 0.91 Disagree
on PowerPoint.
5 I can connect any PowerPoint presentation in 2.35 0.80 Disagree
any computer to a projector
6 I know how to insert graphics, picture to 1.25 0.67 Strongly disagree
enhance message in PowerPoint
7 With the use of PowerPoint I can animate 2.01 1.16 Disagree
both text and chart
8 I can insert formula in PowerPoint 1.97 1.02 Disagree
Result in Table 1 shows that pubic secondary school teachers in Uyo
Educational committee disagree that they can install PowerPoint on a computer
system(Mean score =2.35), use PowerPoint to develop their lesson note into
slides(mean score =2.44), insert picture into presentation using PowerPoint(mean
score =2.25), connect any PowerPoint presentation in any computer to a
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projector(mean score= 2.27), animate both text, chart in PowerPoint(mean score
=2.01) and insert formula in PowerPoint(mean score =1.97). the result also reveals
that they strongly disagree that insert graphics, picture to enhance message(mean
score =1.25). This result indicates that public secondary school teachers in Uyo
Education Committee are not literate in the use of PowerPoint.
Research Question 2: What is the level of usage of PowerPoint in instructional delivery for
educational benchmarking and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo
education committee?
Table 2: Level of usage of PowerPoint in instructional delivery for educational benchmarking
and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo education
committee
S/N Items Mean SD Remarks
In my school, my teachers
1 Use PowerPoint to teach in the classroom 1.46 0.87 Strongly
disagree
2 Develop his or her lesson note in PowerPoint 2.27 0.91 Disagree
3 Make use of PowerPoint to highlight major 2.49 0.71 Disagree
topics so as to make the topic simple and
understandable
4 Insert images and graph in PowerPoint so as to 1.98 0.71 Disagree
explain some concept to the understanding of
the students.
5 Use PowerPoint to enhance his or her flow of 2.44 0.71 Disagree
ideas in the classroom
6 Captivates students attention during teaching 2.44 0.58 Disagree
using different tools in PowerPoint
7 Cannot teach without using PowerPoint. 2.27 0.91 Disagree
Result in Table 2 shows the level of use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery in
public secondary schools in Uyo Education committee. The result as presented in Table 2
reveals that public secondary school teachers in Uyo Education Committee do not use
PowerPoint to teach, lesson notes are not prepared using PowerPoint, major topics are not
highlighted to make the topic easy for students to understand using PowerPoint. The results
have shown generally instructional delivery are done in public secondary schools in the study
area without the use of PowerPoint. This result indicates that instructional delivery using
PowerPoint has not been fully integrated into public secondary schools in Uyo Education
Zone.
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Research Question 3: What are the possible factors that could hinder the use of PowerPoint
in instructional delivery in public secondary schools in Uyo education committee?
Table 3: Possible factors that could hinder the use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery in
public secondary schools in Uyo education committee
S/N Items Mean SD Remarks
The following hinder the use of PowerPoint
for instructional delivery:
1 Inadequate computers 2.56 0.58 Agree
2 Lack of accessibility to computer 2.75 0.87 Agree
3 Lack of alternative power supply 2.72 0.91 Agree
4 Lack of ICT technical support 2.63 1.07 Agree
5 Lack of computer skills among teachers 2.56 0.56 Agree
Result in Table 3 reveals that the respondents agree that inadequate computers, lack
of
accessibility to computers including alternative power supply, ICT technical support and
computer illiteracy among the teachers were factors that hinder effective instructional using
PowerPoint in public secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee.
Test of Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between instructional delivery at
secondary school using PowerPoint and sustainable development in public secondary schools
in Uyo Education committee.
Table 4: Relationship between instructional delivery at secondary school using PowerPoint
and sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo Education
committee
Variables X X 2 XY r-cal. r- crit. Decision at
Y Y 2 p<.05
Instructional delivery 18844 167530 1312341 0.373 0.178 *
using PowerPoint(X)
Sustainable 151830 10570892
development (Y)
* = significant at p<.05.
Result in Table 4 shows that the r-calculated (0.373) is greater than the t-critical (0.178), the
null hypothesis is rejected therefore there is a significant relationship between instructional
delivery using PowerPoint and sustainable development in the secondary education in Uyo
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Education Committee. This result indicates that the use of PowerPoint in instructional
delivery enhances sustainable development in public secondary schools in Uyo Education
Committee.
Null Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in the mean score between male and
female teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public secondary schools in
Uyo Education Committee.
Table 5: Independent t-test showing difference in the mean score between male and female
teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint.
Sex n Mean SD t-calc. t- crit. Decision at p<.05
Male 107 2.03 0.59 1.54 1.97 *
Female 118 2.15 0.56
* = significant at p<.05.
Result in Table 5 shows that the t-calculated (1.54) is not greater than the t-critical (1.97) at
0.05 level of significance. This means that there is no significant difference in the mean score
between male and female teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public
secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee.
Null Hypothesis 3: There is no significant difference in the mean score between rural and
urban on instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public secondary schools in Uyo
Education committee.
Table 6: Independent t-test showing difference in the mean score between rural and urban
teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint.
Sex n Mean SD t-calc. t- crit. Decision at p<.05
Rural 99 2.05 0.60 1.07 1.97 *
Urban 126 2.13 0.56
* = significant at p<.05.
Result in Table 6 reveals that the t-calculated (1.54) is not greater than the t-critical (1.97) at
0.05 level of significance. This means that there is no significant difference in the mean score
between rural and urban teachers on instructional delivery using PowerPoint in public
secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee.
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Discussion of Findings and Conclusion
The findings of this study showed that teachers in public secondary schools in Uyo
Education Committee lack basic knowledge on the use of PowerPoint in instructional
delivery. These findings also revealed that PowerPoint is not used for instructional delivery
in the study area. The findings identified possible factors that hinder the using PowerPoint in
the study area to include: inadequate computers, lack of accessibility, epileptic power supply,
lack of technical support services for teachers and lack of adequate skills on the use of
PowerPoint in instructional delivery by teachers. The finding also showed significant
relationship between instructional delivery using PowerPoint and sustainable development in
the educational sector among public secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee. This
finding implies that instructional delivery using PowerPoint can help enhance the effective
teaching and learning and invariable students’ academic achievement. This finding agrees
with that finding by Arifalo, Kola, Adesanmi and Tola (2013) andDahunsi (2014) that the
use of PowerPoint in instructional delivery help enhance students academic achievements.
Based on the findings of this study it was concluded that for secondary school students to be
able to meet up with the global benchmark for education, and to enhance the sustainability of
education in public secondary schools in Uyo Education Committee, instructional delivery
using PowerPoint is paramount.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following were recommended to enhance instructional
delivery using PowerPoint in secondary schools:
1. The government should improve on electricity supply and also provide an alternative
supply of electricity to all public secondary schools in the study area.
2. There is need for training and retraining of teachers on how to use PowerPoint in
instructional delivery.
3. There is need for the provision of more computers for all public secondary schools in
Uyo Education Committee.
4. Technical support services should be created in all public secondary schools. This
will help teachers get necessary assistance when the need arises.
References
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126.
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Arifalo, S, Kola, A., Adesanmi, A and Tola, E.(2013). PowerPoint as an ICT Tool for
Teaching and Learning in the Schools Focusing On Secondary and Tertiary Institutions
in Nigeria.International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, 2(8): 2519-
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Asogwa, U. D. (2011). Effect of PowerPoint presentations on secondary school student’s
achievement in Christian religious knowledge.International Journal of Education
Research, 11(1).
Ajayi, I. A. (2008).Towards effective use of information and communication technology for
teaching in Nigerian Colleges of Education.Asian J. Inf. Technology,7(5): 210 – 214.
Dahunsi T. O.(2014).Effectiveness of Microsoft Power Point on the Academic Achievement
of Students in FCT, Nigeria.International Journal of Science and Research, 3(2): 147-
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Highton., M.(2013). Good Practice of PowerPoint for the Learning and Teaching.
University of Leads.
Karen, L S.(2012). Teaching and Learning with PowerPoint. UCF Standard for Opportunity.
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Lowry, R. B (1999), “Electronic Presentation of Lectrers Effect Upon Students Performance”
University Chemistry Education in Sclimoglu S.K. Faculty of Economics & Business
Administration, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey &Arsoy A.P. Faculty of
Economics & Business Administration, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey. Available
at:www.tojde.anadoluedu.tr/tojde33/article. Retrieved on 5th May, 2017.
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Udi, I. A. (2015).The Place of Cell Phones in Visual Arts Entrepreneurial Education in Post-
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Relevance of Statistics Education in Sustainable Development
FEHINTOLA, J. O. Ph.D
Dept. of Counselling & Human Development Studies
University Of Ibadan, Ibadan,
Nigeria
Abstract
This study is designed to examine the relevance of Statistics in sustainable development.
Current thinking about statistics should be in all human development and practices which
reveals that the application of statistics and statistical methods in the construction of
scientific knowledge in business, economics, accounting, banking, management &
administration, astronomy, natural sciences, research, politics & election process, housing
system, health sciences and weather forecasts as well as, to propose some improvement
actions cannot be rule out, it is highly important. Statistics should no longer be seen as a side
attraction but to be tolerated and allowed in all sectors. The challenges confronting the
nation could be discussed and statistics has provided solutions and an eye opener for all.
Finally, it was observed that for a nation to develop and be sustainable statistics should be
implemented.
Key Words: Relevance, Statistics, Sustainable, Development.
Introduction
Sustainability is the process of living within the limits of available physical, natural
and social resources in ways that allow the living systems in which humans are embedded to
thrive in perpetuity. The definition of “sustainability” is the study of how natural systems
function, remain diverse and produce everything it needs for the ecology to remain in
balance. It also acknowledges that human civilisation takes resources to sustain our modern
way of life. There are countless examples throughout human history where a civilisation has
damaged its own environment and seriously affected its own survival chances. Sustainability
takes into account how we might live in harmony with the natural world around us,
protecting it from damage and destruction.
We now live in a modern, consumerist and largely urban existence throughout the
developed world and we consume a lot of natural resources every day. In our urban centers,
we consume more power than those who live in rural settingsand urban centers use a lot more
power than average, keeping our streets and civic buildings lit, to power our appliances, our
heating and other public and household power requirements. That's not to say that sustainable
living should only focus on people who live in urban centers though, there are improvements
to be made everywhere. Sustainability and sustainable development focuses on balancing that
fine line between competing needs - our need to move forward technologically and
economically, and the needs to protect the environments in which we and others live.
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Sustainability is not just about the environment, it's also about our health as a society in
ensuring that no people or areas of life suffer as a result of environmental legislation, and it's
also about examining the longer term effects of the actions humanity takes and asking
questions about how it may be improved.
Statistics are sets of mathematical equations that are used to analyze what is
happening in the world around us. You have heard that today we live in the Information Age
where we understand a great deal about the world around us. Much of this information was
determined mathematically by using statistics. When used correctly, statistics tell us any
trends in what happened in the past and can be useful in predicting what may happen in the
future.Let's look at some examples of how statistics shape your life when you don't even
know it. If you’re taking a statistics class right now, you might be wondering just when
exactly you are going to use this. Most people who aren’t business majors or math majors
often wonder what they need statistics for as it seems to be something only majors similar to
those would need. However, statistics plays an important role in a great number of different
fields, some of which you might not have expected. Here’s a list of fields that use statistics
and why it’s important to each field. The fields are: business, economics, accounting,
banking, management & administration, astronomy, natural sciences, research, politics &
election process, housing system, health sciences and weather forecasts to mention but few.
The Role of Statistics in Businessand Stock Market
A defining business trend in the Digital Age has been the growth in the volume and
the use of quantitative data. Increasingly, decisions once based on management intuition and
experience now rely on empirical evidence drawn from statistical data. As the volume of data
sets grows larger, the term "big data" has become an exhortation. Statistical evidence can
inform business leaders about how their companies perform the effectiveness of their
business operations and information about their customers. If you are a business major, you
are familiar with the role statistics plays in your field. However, if you have not gotten to that
point yet, here is some information on statistics in the business field. Statistics involves
making decisions, and in the business world, you often have to make a quick decision then
and there.
Using statistics, one can plan the production according to what the customer likes and
wants, and you can check the quality of the products far more efficiently with statistical
methods. In fact, many business activities can be completed with statistics including deciding
a new location, marketing the product, and estimating what the profit will be on a new
product. Blalock (2006) once said that what gets measured in business is what gets done.
With this in mind, many business leaders rely on key performance indicators, (KPI) to
measure how well their companies operate. The Balanced Scorecard Institute reported that
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KPIs enable companies to measure results and determine what successful operations look
like. Examples of KPIs include quarterly profits, customer satisfaction, and project
completion rates, all of which can be quantitatively measured. KPIs require reliable statistical
data, which companies then analyze on a regular basis to determine if they are meeting
success measures. Another topic that you hear a lot about in the news is the stock market.
Stock analysts also use statistical computer models to forecast what is happening in the
economy.
The Role of Statistics in Mathematics
It should seem obvious that statistics plays a key role in mathematics considering it is
a branch of applied mathematics. However, statistics is more than just its own separate
branch of maths. You can find statistical techniques in integration, differentiation, and
algebra and you can find those in statistics as well. Much of mathematics is based on
probability and theories, and statistical methods help make those mathematical theories that
much more accurate. Using averages, dispersions, and estimation allows you to come up with
conclusions that are closer to the real answer than just taking a wild guess.
The Role of Statistics in Economics
Much of economics depend on statistics. Economists use statistics to collect
information, analyze data, and test hypotheses. Relationships between supply and demand
and imports and exports are found using statistical information. The same can be said for
figuring out the inflation rate, the per capita income, and even the national income account. A
good example of statistics and economics in the real world would be the Census Bureau and
the information they collect and use to decide many other political items. Companies in many
industrial sectors rely on statistics for other purposes, too. Orubuloye and Folakemi (2000)
reported that some companies rely on data and statistics to enhance their abilities to compete
with other firms. For other companies, statistics inform their efforts to develop better
products and services. Some firms use data from sensors embedded in their products to offer
such services as proactive maintenance, according to Orubuloye and Folakemi.
The Role of Statistics in Accounting
Ott (2008), Accounting involves mostly basic arithmetic, but when it comes to
creating accounting reports, statistics plays a key role. When balancing and checking
accounts, exactness is very important, but when using those reports to decide how well the
company is doing and the trends within the business. You can also use statistics in
accounting to create projections for the next fiscal year. Various statistical presentations like
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histogram, bar-chart, pie-chart, frequency table etc can be used to explain to the
understanding of every individual.
The Role of Statistics in Banking
Banks use statistics for a great number of the services they offer. A bank works on the
idea that someone will deposit their money and not withdraw all of it later on. They earn their
profit by lending money to others with interest, and the money they use is the money other
people deposit. Ott (2008), Bankers use statistical approaches to estimate the number of
people who will be making deposits compared to the number of people requesting loans. A
great example of statistics used in banking is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s
quarterly publication called “Statistics on Banking”.
The Role of Statistics in Management and Administration
A nation’s government runs on statistics. They use statistical data to make their
decisions regarding any number of things. Most federal and provincial budgets are designed
upon statistical data because it is the most accurate data available when estimating expected
expenditures and revenue. Another great example of statistics in the government is figuring
out whether or not to raise the minimum wage due to a rise in the cost of living. Statistical
data gives the government the best idea regarding whether or not the cost of living will
continue to rise. Statistics not only help measure business performance, but can also provide
a means for boosting it. Selltiz, Jahoda, Deutsch and Cook (2009) calls statistical data a
frontier for business innovation, reporting that, as companies collect and store more data,
they can gain insight into such issues as employee sick days and product inventories, looking
for ways to improve performance. Some firms even use data and statistics to experiment with
ways to improve management decisions, Selltiz et al reported.
The Role of Statistics in Astronomy
It is impossible to take out a ruler and measure the distance of the Earth from the sun.
However, it would likely take you a very long time to measure such a distance anyway.
Instead, astronomers use estimates and mathematical theories to devise their best guess to
justify how far items in the universe are away from each other. This is why when you read a
news report that a star will likely be going supernova “any day now,” you have to understand
that “any day now” could mean tomorrow, a year from now, or even ten thousand years from
now.
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The Role of Statistics in the Natural and Social Sciences
Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Sociology, Communication, and even
information technology all use statistics. Fehintola (2016) reported that for many of these
categories (courses), the use of statistics in that field involves collecting data, analyzing it,
coming up with a hypothesis, and testing that hypothesis. In biology, the use of statistics
within that field is known as biostatistics, biometry, or biometrics. Biostatistics often
involves the design of experiments in medicine, agriculture, and fishery. It also involves
collecting, summarizing, and analyzing the data received from those experiments as well as
the decided results. Medical biostatistics is a separate branch that deals mainly with medicine
and health. Physics uses probability theory and statistics dealing mainly with the estimation
of large populations. In fact, the phenomenological results of thermodynamics were
developed using the mechanics of statistics. There are further examples of statistics in these
sciences fields including analytical chemistry, which involves the presentation of problems in
data analysis and demonstrating steps to solve them. Meteorology uses statistics in
stochastic-dynamic prediction, weather forecasting, probability forecasting, and a number of
other fields. Sociology uses statistics to describe, explain, and predict from data received.
Like many of the sciences, communication uses statistical methods to communicate data
received. Information technology also uses statistics to predict particular outcomes.
Agricultural Statistics is of prime importance as far as the Agriculture Industry is concerned.
Agricultural Statistics ascertain the crop production, crop yield, qualities of the crops
produced. It also furnishes information about the different operations and the different
methods which can be adopted for improving the crop output.
In some countries, Agriculture Industry makes up the major segment of economy. The
entire population of that country in some way or the other depends on (AgricultureSelltiz,
Jahoda, Deutsch and Cook (2009)). Agriculture Statistics in such countries also provide
information about the employment it provides to the innumerable individuals. Agriculture
statistics in the countries dominated by agriculture imply that Agriculture industry
contributes approximately 24% of the GDP or Gross Domestic Products. It helps us to
compare the different yields of crops, quality check of crops compared to the quality of crops
produced in other parts. It furnishes a rough outline of the incidence of various operations
with regard to the Agriculture industry.
Agricultural Statistics covers Rainfall Statistics, Area Statistics comprising the data on
Land Use, Area & Production and Yield Statistics of various crops produced in the state.
Estimate crop size, livestock production, model weather, and export/import. It’s everywhere
in Agriculture down to chemical application and fertilizer application. There is a whole
agency devoted to statistics in agriculture called National Agriculture Statistics Service.
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The Role of Statistics in Research
Statistics is not a total of rules and recipes for the analysis of data. It is not exhausted in
the use of complicated computerized programs and nice graphs. Fehintola (2016), reported
that it requires a good knowledge of the observed phenomenon, the organization of
observation, good knowledge of gathered data, and description and examination of
hypotheses for the parameters of the analyzed phenomenon. In the level of Higher Education
Statistics is taught as an obligatory subject in all university departments with a main goal the
students’ comprehension for the use of statistical techniques orientated to the specific field of
knowledge. Although students of so-called “theoretical”departments consider that they do
not have a good relation with numbers, mathematics, statistics and computers, the need of
experimental research leads them to the need of understanding and using not only of simple
descriptive methods, but especially advanced statistical techniques which demand mainly
“mathematical thought”, that is the ability of constructing, using and explaining abstract
models from daily examples.
The Role of Statistics in Election Process and Political Campaigns
Whenever there is an election, the news organizations consult their models when they try
to predict who the winner is. Candidates consult voter polls to determine where and how they
campaigned. Statistics play a part in whom your elected government officials will be.
Speaking of statistical surveys, one of the serious professional issues in survey design is
determining how to ask questions so they will be understood properly and will elicit sensible
answers. When the survey is in pencil and paper form, rather than through personal or
telephone interview, the issues in the design of that form are very similar to the issues in the
design of ballots. Parikh, Hazra, Mukherjee and Gogtay (2010) reported that professional
survey statisticians know that any such design must be tested either in a laboratory or in the
field or both. Because of this expertise, they are exceptionally well equipped to assist election
officials to avoid ballot design-induced voting errors. Qualified poll observers should fill out
forms showing how well each part of the election plan worked at each polling place. Plans
for future elections should rely on statistical analyses of such data to clarify how well the
election system served the voters and help identify needed improvements.” That is an
essential element of process quality control. Also from that same column, “Exit polls and
post-election surveys are inherently statistical. As always, samples must be random and
scientifically designed. Proper analysis and interpretation of such data can help explain
results that may appear to be wrong on the surface. Maintaining checks on every election is
the best way to make sure any errors or problems with an election process are found and
fixed.”
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The Role of Statistics in the Housing System
The Housing Statistics Strategy will assist the development of a range of consistent
data sets, within an agreed framework, capable of informing discussion on key housing
issues. Housing statistics must be relevant, timely and accurate, and disseminated efficiently.
The development of high quality housing statistics will help central and regional government
formulate and evaluate housing policy, as well as informing either the federal, state or local
government about local housing markets. Parikh, Hazra, Mukherjee and Gogtay (2010) said
housing problems are geographical in nature, occur in a local context and should not be
obscured by a purely national framework. Understanding housing issues in local
communities, where there is housing need, is essential to help diminish housing disparities
and to generate effective housing policy at both a regional and national level. While specific
in nature, local housing issues do reflect national concerns, ensuring that the building of
housing knowledge at a regional level will also help construct a national picture of housing.
The Ministry of Work and Housing administers the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Its
principal functions are to receive and invest bond monies from residential tenancies, and to
refund them when lawfully due; to provide information, advice and a disputes resolution
services to tenants and landlords, and to advise Ministers on governance and the performance
of Housing ministry.
The Role of Statistics in Weather Forecasts
Do you watch the weather forecast sometime during the day? How do you use that
information? Have you ever heard the forecaster talk about weather models? These computer
models are built using statistics that compare prior weather conditions with current weather
to predict future weather. Newton and Rudestain (2009), asked, what happens if the forecast
indicates that a hurricane is imminent or that tornadoes are likely to occur? Emergency
management agency’s move into high gear to be ready to rescue people. Emergency teams
rely on statistics to tell them when danger may occur.
The Role of Statistics in Medical & Genetics studies
Lots of times on the news reports, statistics about a disease are reported. If the
reporter simply reports the number of people who either have the disease or who have died
from it, it's an interesting fact but it might not mean much to your life. But when statistics
become involved, you have a better idea of how that disease may affect you. For example,
studies have shown that 85 to 95 percent of lung cancers are smoking related. Newton and
Rudestain (2009) said the statistic should tell you that almost all lung cancers are related to
smoking and that if you want to have a good chance of avoiding lung cancer, you shouldn't
smoke. Scientists must show a statistically valid rate of effectiveness before any drug can be
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prescribed. Statistics are behind every medical study you hear about. Many people are
afflicted with diseases that come from their genetic make-up and these diseases can
potentially be passed on to their children. Statistics are critical in determining the chances of
a new baby being affected by the disease.
The Role of Statistics in Quality Testing & Consumer Goods
Companies make thousands of products every day and each company must make sure
that a good quality item is sold. But a company can't test each and every item that they ship
to you, the consumer. So the company uses statistics to test just a few, called a sample, of
what they make. If the sample passes quality tests, then the company assumes that all the
items made in the group, called a batch, are good. Worldwide leading retailer, keeps track of
everything they sell and use statistics to calculate what to supply to each store and when.
From analyzing their vast store of information, for example, supplier decided that people buy
one good or the others when a given weather is predicted. So they ship the product that is
relevant to stores based upon the weather forecast.
Conclusion
If the knowledge of statistics is put into use as it pointed out in the above outlines it
will help a lot to reduce the problems and challenges we are facing in this country. Because a
majority of problems and challenges we are facing stems out from the fact that we do not
know the total number of the people living in this country and we do not know their
immediate needs that why we are facing the problems and challenges at hand. If statistics
knowledge is used as expects the government will know the number of people that needs one
thing or the other.
References
Blalock, H.M. (2006). Social Statistics, 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill
Cohen M.J. (2008). Medical Statistics: A Common-sense Approach , 2nd Edn. Chichester:
Wiley Publication.
Fehintola, J.O. (2016). Evaluation of Fallacies and Pitfalls of Postgraduate Experimental
Research studies University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. African Journal of Higher
Education Studies and Development. Vol5.
Newton, P. and Rudestain G. (2009). In: Statistical Methods in Medical Research . Oxford:
Blackwell Scientific Publications.
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Orubuloye, I.O. and Folakemi, O. (2000).The study of Human Populations. Centre of
Population and health Research, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
Ott, L, Larson, R.F. and Menden-Hall, W. (2008). Statistics: A Tool for the Social Sciences.
Third Edition, Boston, Massachusetts: Duxbury Press.
Parikh M.N; Hazra A, Mukherjee J, and Gogtay, N. (2010).Research methodology
simplified: Every clinician a researcher. New Delhi: Hypothesis testing and choice of
statistical tests; pp. 121–128.
Selltiz, C., Jahoda, M, Deutsch, M; and Cook S.W. (2009). Research Methods in Social
Relations, Revised One-Volume Edition. London: Methuen & CO.Ltd.
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Professional Competence in Guidance and Counselling Practice:
Issues and Practices
Gertrude A. Archibong (Ph.D).
Department of Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counselling,
Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Uyo.
Abstract
Competence is a part of the personal moral qualities expected of counselors. This paper
examined the issue of professional competence as one of the ethical issues in guidance and
counselling practice in Nigeria. In doing so, it provided insights into the purposes and the
needs for ethical monitoring and elements of professionalism. The paper also highlights the
issues of competencies and responsibility. Other topics such as counselling profession and
the role of professional associations and personal characteristics of effective counsellors;
were also discussed. It was concluded that counselors protect the integrity of, dignity and
welfare of the client regardless of who the client is. It was recommended that newly-
graduated counsellors, even seasoned counselors must consult other professionals because
consultation is now the cornerstone of good, ethical counselling practice; and that
counsellors should adhere to a strict code of ethics even if their company or industry does
not have a written code, they should display ethical behaviour at all times.
Keywords: Professional, Competence, Ethical Issues, Professionalism, Professional
Association
Introduction
Counselling as an intimate form of learning demands a practitioner who is willing to
shed stereotyped roles and be a real person in a relationship. Counselling is a process by
which clients are invited to look honestly at their behaviour and lifestyle and make certain
decisions about how they want to modify the quality of their life.Counsellors can learn about
themselves if they really think about their experiences in helping other persons. The first
thing is that these others are persons, individual human beings, more than cases, clients, or
patients. Lessening counsellors stress is a by-product of knowing how to use themselves in a
mature, professional manner in their work. One of the most important instruments one has to
work with as a counselor is oneself as a person. In preparing to become a competent
counsellor, one needs to acquire knowledge about theories of personality, learn diagnostic
and intervention techniques, and discover the dynamics of human behaviour.
These intervention and skills are essential but are not by themselves sufficient for
establishing and maintaining effective therapeutic relationships (Corey, 2005). The
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counsellor brings his/her human qualities and the experiences that have influenced him/her to
every therapy session. Whether a counselor works at helping others full or part-time, the
most important objective is to develop a professional attitude towards him/herself,
counsellees and the work. This sense of professionalism also enables cooperation with other
professional helpers in an intelligent and productive manner. Human dimension is one of the
most powerful determinants of the professional competence in guidance and counselling
practice. As observed by Corey (2005), counsellor need not hide behind the safety of the
professional role as this will make the clients hide themselves from the counsellor.
The fundamental values of counselling and psychotherapy according to British
Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (2010) include a commitment to: respecting
human rights and dignity; protecting the safety of clients; ensuring the integrity of
practitioner-client relationships; enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its
application; alleviating personal distress and suffering; fostering a sense of self that is
meaningful to the person(s) concerned; increasing personal effectiveness; enhancing the
quality of relationships between people; appreciating the variety of human experience and
culture; striving for the fair and adequate provision of counselling and psychotherapy
services. A professional counselor needs a graduate-level degree from an accredited
university. They should also complete supervised experience before they're allowed to
practice on their own.
Counsellors who are merely technical experts leaving their own reactions, values and
self out of their work ends up in sterile counselling. It is only a counsellor who is genuine
and alive to his/her responsibilities that can significantly touch the lives of his clients.
Counsellors should be well educated, make life oriented choices, radiate a zest for life and
are real in their relationships with their clients in order to inspire them to develop these
internal resources. Counsellors serve as models for the clients. Counsellors who model
incongruent behaviour, low risk activity and remain hidden should know that client will
imitate this behavior. Modeling realness by engaging in appropriate self disclosure as
observed by Kennedy and Charles (2002), will make the client to be honest with the
counsellor in therapeutic relationship.
Corey (2005) pointed out that the degree of aliveness and psychological health of the
counsellor are important variables that determine the professional competence of the
counsellor. It is a mark of courage for counsellors to willingly recognize and deal with their
anxieties instead of denying them by pretenses. A counsellor should be him/herself. He
should not be bound up in maintaining stereotyped role expectations that little of them as a
person shows through (VanHoose&Kotller, 1995). Counsellors should avoid perfectionism
for no one is perfect except God. Counsellors need to be honest about their limitations.
Silence should be acknowledged and the meaning of the client’s silence should be explored
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with the client. Demands from clients must be dealt with carefully by the counsellor
declaring his/her expectations and boundaries from the initial counselling session.
When working with involuntary clients, counsellors must begin by openly discussing
the nature of the relationship. Counsellors need not promise confidentially as well as any
other factors that may affect the course of therapy. There should be optimum balance in
sharing responsibility with the clients to prevent early burn out. It is not proper for
counsellors to give advice but should rather help clients discover their own solutions and
recognize their own freedom to act. The counsellor’s job is to help clients make independent
choices and accept the consequences of their choices. A counsellor must define and clarify
his/her professional role as attached at various theoretical orientations. This is based on the
central function of counselling which is to help clients recognize their own strengths,
discover what is preventing them from using their strengths, and clarify what kind of person
they want to be.
The counsellor should know that his/her role will not be defined once and for all, that
he/she will have to reassess the nature of his/her role at various times. Counsellors should
know how to use techniques appropriately to help clients make therapeutic progress. Corey,
Corey and Callanan (1998) asserted that it is essential to understand the theoretical rationale
for each technique used and to be sure the techniques are congruent with the goals of therapy.
Individual counsellors need to develop his/her counselling style as there is no right way to
conduct therapy due to wide variations in approach that can be effective. Borrowing from
others is advocated by experts but an individual counsellor should come up with a way that is
distinctive to the counsellor.
Counsellors need to periodically assess the direction of their lives to determine if they
are living the way they want and should. Pope and Vasquez (1991) are of the view that
counsellors need to be in tune with themselves, by having experience of centeredness and
solidness and by feeling a sense of personal power; they have the basis for integrating their
life experiences with their professional experiences. They concluded that such a synthesis
can provide the basis for being an effective, professional competent counsellor. The focus of
this paper is on a close look at the issue of professional competence in guidance and
counselling practice.
Purpose and the Need for Ethical Monitoring
Ethics is one of the components of a major branch of philosophy called Axiology.
Ethics deals with issues that bother on what kinds of things are right or wrong. Ethics
prescribe the norms or rules for human activities and show how, according to these norms a
man ought to direct his actions. Ethics are the principles and values an individual uses to
govern his activities and decisions. Moreover, ethics does not only direct a man on how to
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act if he wishes to be morally good, but sets before him the absolute obligation he is under of
doing good and avoiding evil. Ethics has a system or method of checking moral values. It is
in this light that Etuk (2003) refer to ethics as the fundamental principles of the moral law or
guide.
Unlike the empirical sciences, ethics deals with what ought to be the case. The
empirical sciences deals with facts only, while ethics deals with facts and values. From all
this, it can be seen that, the focus of ethics is to order and re-order the life of man in the
world so that the goal of life is achieved. The study of ethics enables the individual to
become better human beings. The purposes of ethical codes as highlighted in Nugent (2009)
are: to help clarify the professional’s responsibilities to clients; help clarify the professional’s
responsibilities to the society; provide standards of practice to help professionals resolve
conflicts between responsibilities to clients and the society; protect the public from unethical
or incompetent professionals; and protect the profession from unethical practices of any of its
members.
Professional ethics emanate from the definition of professions as occupations whose
members receive their licenses in return for their pledge to put the interest of the served
society above their own self-interests while acting in the licensed role. Professional ethics
therefore is perceived as a set of principles which discusses in broad terms the professions
responsibilities to the public, to clients and to fellow practitioners, and emerge for the
following reasons as put forward by Jenfa (2006 : 28):
a) it helps the counsellor to determine the propriety of his conduct in his professional
relationship;
b) it indicates the kind of professional posture the counsellor must maintain if he is to
succeed;
c) it gives clients a basis to have the confident that the professional sincerely desires to
serve them well and places service above material reward;
d) it gives clients assurance that standards of competence, independence and integrity
shall remain the goal post of the counselor;
e) it enables member bodies and regulatory authorities to fulfill their responsibility of
ensuring that the professional counsellors have the capabilities and competence
expected of them by employers, clients and the public; and
f) the public interest is protected and the credibility of the profession is enhanced.
In the view of Omoregbe (1990), the most important aspect of development is the
moral development of human personality. This is because no meaningful development can
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be possible without ethical re-orientation and standards to guide socio-political and economic
conducts of a nation. To separate ethics from society is to destroy it. Morality is the soul of
society therefore; any endeavour that is carried out at the exclusion of ethics is defective.
Elements of Professionalism
Professionalism is often defined as the strict adherence to courtesy, honesty and
responsibility when dealing with individuals or other companies in the business environment.
An online dictionary defines professionalism as the skill, good judgment, and polite
behaviour that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well (Merriam-Webster,
2017). Professionalism can also be seen as the conducts, aims, or qualities that characterize
or mark a profession or a professional person. This trait often includes a high level of
excellence going above and beyond basic requirements. Professionalism is considered an
important trait that all professionals should possess. The traits may vary from one profession
to another, but there are several that carry over. Professionalism means sticking with
something until the job is completed. One of the important features of developing
professional sense is creating time for regular study. Many people who engage in counselling
activity almost every day seldom consult the literature or even their textbooks.
They feel perhaps because they went through an educational system that confined
learning to the length of the school session that they have completed their formal study
because they have passed certain courses. It must be known that all professionals go on
learning throughout their lives. This is due to the fact that learning is a skill that itself must
be learned (Francis, 2016). Therefore, no matter how much experience one may have, it is
always helpful to study again the particular psychological dynamics that may be involved in
a current counselling responsibility. It is not out of place to assert that counsellors should
recognize that on-going education is the natural state of things for all professionals at the
present time. The heart of this is the desire to continue educating ourselves, to continue
learning more about ourselves and the subject matter of our counselling work. For instance,
if a counsellor hypothesize that a client has an obsessive compulsive personality disorder, the
counsellor may turn back to some book that deals with this subject. As observed by Kennedy
and Charles (2002), such reading will differ after clinical experience because the counsellor
will have seen new facts of the obsessive style that he or she had not previously noticed. A
thorough reading of at least one treatment of the obsessive compulsive personality will bring
out added dimensions in the current counselling experience.
This type of study does not give information as if for examination, but helps one to grow
into a more informed sense of oneself as a counsellor. Professionalism includes: learning
every aspect of a job and doing it to the best of one’s ability. Professionals look, speak, and
dress accordingly to maintain an image of someone who takes pride in their behaviour and
appearance. Professionals complete high quality work and are detail oriented. Professionals
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are accountable for their actions at all times. A professional can quickly and easily find what
is needed. A professional must maintain his poise even when facing a difficult situation. For
example, if a colleague or client treats you in a belligerent manner, you should not resort to
the same type of behavior.
Professionals must adhere to a strict code of ethics in guidance and counselling.
Professionals strive to become experts in their field, which sets them apart from the rest of
the pack. This can mean continuing your education by taking courses, attending seminars and
attaining any related professional designations. Responding to people promptly and
following through on promises in a timely manner is also important, as this demonstrates
reliability. Professionals complete projects as soon as possible and avoid letting uncompleted
projects pile up. Elements of professionalism include all of the behaviour above in addition
to providing a positive role model for others.
Competence and Responsibility
Competence is one of the components of ethical issues in guidance and counselling.
Competence is the ability to identify requirements in complex situations and to solve
complex tasks through the activation of specialist knowledge, skills, experiences, feelings,
values, interests and motivations, and to act independently and purposefully according to the
analysis of the situation (Maughan, Coyle, McGowan, and Wroe 2016). Competence is
defined as the effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do what is
required (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 2010). Competence further
comprises the ability to (self) critically reflect and assess one’s activities regarding the
situation and results, in order to learn from future challenges. The acquisition of these
competencies is a life-long task of personal and professional development underpinned by a
willingness to engage constantly in reflexive practice in order to master the theoretical
knowledge and skills base required.
Counsellors in seeking to facilitate effective functioning through the application of
scientific and professional principles, method and techniques have the obligation to maintain
the highest standards of competences, and clients on this basis have the right to receive
services of the highest quality. Competence according to Caroll, Schneider and Wesley
(2005) is commonly defined in terms of formal education, professional training and
supervised experience in the knowledge and techniques necessary to effect desired change.
Encarta dictionaries online defines competence as the ability to do something well, measured
against a standard, especially ability acquired through experience or training. The
counsellor’s awareness of ethical and practice guidelines for the delivery of specific
counselling services is as critical as knowledge and understanding of the local and state laws
that govern one’s practice.
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Counsellors are required to practice only within the boundaries of their competence.
Counsellors need to maintain and enhance their professional competence through various
forms of continuing education. Counsellors must limit their practice to their demonstrated
areas of competence as defined by verifiable training and experience given the extensive
array of settings in which professional service are provided. As observed by Nugent (2009),
competent professional service includes the counsellor’s sensitivity to his or her own implicit
biases and to overcoming stereotypic thinking and value judgements based on gender, race,
age or sexual orientation. Equally important is the knowledge and understanding of the
client’s socio-cultural background and situational demands. The counsellor must guard
against interpreting a client’s problems in terms of group rather than individual factors and
characteristics.
Counsellors must obtain pertinent training/appropriate supervision when extending
services beyond the range of their usual practice. Where there is little or no established
opportunity to gain such experiences, empirical validation and discussion of treatment
options with experienced colleagues is required (Pope & Vasquez, 2011). Counsellors
should alert clients when they are utilizing techniques that are new if therapeutically feasible.
Services should not be withheld from potential clients on the basis of race, gender, national,
origin or sexual orientation. However, they may be a situation where the counsellor can
withhold services if offering such services would require going outside one’s area of
demonstrated competence: for example where a battery of neuropsychological tests rather
than standard psychological test are appropriate for the client’s presenting problem, refer to
the expert in such tests.
In the course of counselling, new problems may arise that differ dramatically from
those presented by the client at the outset of treatment. For example, a client may have
requested career counselling, but later reveal that he or she is a substance abuser. The
counsellor must decide in such a situation whether he or she can handle the situation or
should be referred to a specialist in the particular area of concern. To practice competently
also means that counsellors must monitor their own psychological health so that personal
distress or dysfunction does not impair their ability to provide adequate services (Maughan,
Coyle, McGowan &Wroe, 2016). The reason is that personal problems under most
professional ethics codes do not exercise incompetence. Counsellors need to be alert to signs
of fatigue or burn out that may interfere with professional effectiveness. They need to be
aware that the work of counselling itself may sometimes produce stress that may temporarily
impair the quality of services.
Competence is defined as the effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do
what is required (Merriam Webster,2017).In particular, counsellors are required to practice
only within the boundaries of their competence and sticking to this is a sign of integrity and
putting the clients’ interests. Competence in counselling includes plans for interruptions in
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