Introduction to Teacher Education

Introduction to Teacher Education

It is well known that the quality and extent of learner achievement are determined primarily by teacher competence, sensitivity and teacher motivation.

The National Council for Teacher Education has defined teacher education as a programme of education, research and training of persons to teach from pre-primary to higher education level. Teacher education is a programme that is related to the development of teacher proficiency and competence that would enable and empower the teacher to meet the requirements of the profession and face the challenges therein.

 According to Goods Dictionary of Education Teacher education means, all the formal and non-formal activities and experiences that help to qualify a person to assume responsibilities of a member of the educational profession or to discharge his responsibilities more effectively.

Teacher education (TE) or teacher training refers to the policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school, and wider community. The professionals who engage in this activity are called teacher educators (or, in some contexts, teacher trainers).

There is a longstanding and ongoing debate about the most appropriate term to describe these activities. The term 'teacher training' (which may give the impression that the activity involves training staff to undertake relatively routine tasks) seems to be losing ground, at least in the U.S., to 'teacher education' (with its connotation of preparing staff for a professional role as a reflective practitioner).

Challenges Facing Teacher Education in Nigeria

Teachers form the hub of the education process. It is in this context that teacher education becomes a matter of great concern. The challenge facing the teacher education system in Nigeria appears herculean, prominent among these are:

Inadequate funding

Inadequate funding of the education sector has been a major challenge facing the sector. Researchers, Aina (2002), Durosaro (2006), Amadi (2007); Balogun (2010) lamented over the inadequacy of fund in the education sector. It is not an understatement to note that the Nigerian government, over the years has not been meeting the UNESCO recommendations of 26% of the total budgetary allocation to the education sector. For example, the allocation to Education in the National Budget for 2003, 2004 and 2005 were 7%, 12% and 11%(FRN 2005). According to Akindutire (2001) the poor funding of the teacher education since the 1980s has become a cause of worry to educationists as it affects the merits and standard of the certificates awarded to education graduates.

Poor society perception of teacher education

Another formidable problem of teacher education in Nigeria today is the lack of interest on the part of the secondary school leavers in the teaching profession, because of the poor image associated with the status of teachers in the society. According to Durosaro (2006), the low status accorded to teachers in the country, does not make students enrol and be trained as teachers. The few who enrol do so because they have no choice.

Lack of commitment

It is no understatement to observe that most teachers nowadays are not committed to the teaching job. Ajayi and Shofoyeke (2003) posited that a number of interrelated factors like poor income, delay in payment of salaries, lack of job satisfaction, contribute to the seemingly declining attitude and commitment of teachers to their professional calling. The lack of commitment manifests in the areas of lack of enthusiasm to work; lack of concern for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities; inadequate preparation for lessons; failure to write lesson notes; careless handling of statutory records among others.

The Way Forward (Solutions)

Despite the enormous challenges facing teacher education in Nigeria as earlier discussed, a lot can still be done in order to enjoy the multi-farious benefits abound in teacher education. The following are suggested:

True Professionalization of the Teaching Profession

 It is necessary to play politics with the professionalization of the teaching profession. By professionalization, the code of ethics will be respected and the profession will not be open to every Tom, Dick and Harry. In making a professional teaching qualification mandatory, government should make it compulsory for all in the teaching jobs, at all levels, to acquire teaching qualifications. Government should give another deadline within a convenient time-frame to ensure that by 2015, all teachers would have become professionals, because the 2006 deadline as seen in the TRC Act had failed, 2006 had come and gone and nothing much had been done to ensure that all teachers are professionalized. Thanks tosome state Governments in Nigeria that gave a salary differential in the payment of the Teachers Salary Structure (TSS). While teachers with educational background enjoy 27.5%, those without education certificate enjoy 12.5%.

Positive Perception of Teaching

For teacher education to get its pride of place in this democratic dispensation there is the need to change the orientation of people as regards their perception of teachers and the teaching job. The profession must be recognized by the government, as well as, the public to be able to attract young ones into the profession. Akindutire (2005) lamented that Nigerian schools are staffed with unenthusiastic, ill-motivated, reluctant and “burn-out” teachers. How will teachers be motivated to work when a Local Government Councillor earns better pay than a university professor? When teachers’ salaries are not paid at the appropriate time? No wonder a lot of people use the profession as ‘a stepping stone’ towards getting a better offer that earns better public recognition.

Needs for Curriculum Overhauling

For the teacher to keep abreast of the goings in the world and in his area of specialization there is the need for the teacher to be ICT compliant. The teacher education curriculum needs to be reviewed so as to incorporate ICT in all levels of teacher education.

Improved Welfare Packages

Motivation for teachers should be considered as a means of improving output and productivity in the school system. Welfare package does not mean increase in salary alone, it entails regular payment of salary and improved conditions of service. The following are the hints on how to improve conditions of service: teachers with relevant additional qualification should be appropriately upgraded; teacher can transfer from one state to another without loss of status;

Conclusion

The quality of education in Nigeria has been a source of concern to all stakeholders in recent times. It has been observed that there is poor quality of products from all levels of the education system. It is accepted that teachers constitute the most important input in the system that determines the quality of output, more important than the amount of resources on ground. If the teachers in any nation are not committed, not inspired, not motivated, and are lazy, immoral and antisocial, the entire nation is doomed. Teacher

Reference

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