VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ISSUES IN NIGERIA

2012-08-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

EVALUATION ISSUES IN NIGERIA'S VOCATONAL EDUCATON INSTITUTIONS

By,

Ma’aji Caleb Zonkwa (Technology and Computer Education)

KADUNA STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION,

QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT:

NIGERIA

AUGUST, 2012

CONTENT

1.CONTEXT IN EVALUATION,

2.OFFERING EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS,

3.THE NEED OF A DYNAMIC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, 4.OVERVIEW ON EVALUATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION,

5.CRITERION-REFERENCE EVALUATION.

CONTEXT IN EVALUATION

Experience has shown that, there are, of course, differences among educational systems in Nigerian schools from state to state (Private and Public schools) the industrial sectors, the university etc. They differ in size for those having responsibility for fewer than 20 (twenty) students found in industries, special technical schools and colleges to those with more than 40 (forty) to 1,000 per class, found in secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

These elements of the problems and issues of the their physical facilities range from a one-room elementary building found in informal schools to

hundreds of acres (square-meters of) general and special purpose workshops/laboratories sponsored by NGOS and government social commitment. There are public and private educational systems and secular with sectarian system within the private sector. Some educational systems offer:-

(a) generalized content, others

(b) very technical and specific contents.

There are different age grouped serve, some serve a special clients whose attendance is enforced (found as organizational sponsored), others

learners (student/pupils) who attend voluntarily. Some have a tax-raising authority (like in Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and Educational Tax- Fund found in Nigeria), others have large gift-seeking departments (found in religious groups, NGO's as club and societies). Their explicit and formalized governance structures ranges from frankly autocratic through technically Oligarchic and Democratic to Consensual (Rogers 1965, RUSK 1981, and Peters 1978.)

OFFERING EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS

It has been observed that there are great similarities among educational systems. They as well, have as a purpose the increase of their learner's skill competence in the content areas in which programme they offer. While the contents vary widely from programme to programme, it is observed that, the goal of all educational system is raising the level of the learner performance of the skills associated with the content (Okoro 2000 and Okorie 2001).

Experience has proved that most educational systems are functionally Oligarchic (Edem 1987, Olaitan 1999 and Grace 1994). According to Olaitan (1999) most educational system have a formally designated chief executive officer (Like Minister & Commissioners of education), below which are installed larger rank of less responsible personnel in various levels of authority. Where such formalised ranking is not present according Edem(1987) , there is an informal functional hierarchy (as in some religious sectors, NGO'S, Clubs and Societies ), which is necessary for a system to retain purpose and directed movement beyond that which is required for self-perpetuation . It is this commonality and continuity of purpose and functional structures among educational systems that allows the formulation of generalizeable model for evaluation — which is a dangerous trend where perfection ability is required for effective Learning/Teaching Science, Technology and Mathematical subjects which are Criterion — Reference evaluated. This type of evaluation (Criterion) is only commonly found in the military and industries in this country with few universities where Medical students are trained).

THE NEED OF A DYNAMIC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Since independence the Nigerian society has been continually subjected to changes both in governance and societal disposition. The concomitant effects today are that all educational system shares in having a degree of imperfection in the extent to which they accomplish their goals. With the changes demand in admission into different educational system, it is neither possible nor appropriate for educational system to be perfect, for perfection (in Engineering) is static. The societal context for which educational system operates its programmes, continuously changes (Smarth, 1984). Changes in the societal context, the demands on and expectations of educational system change. Thus, according to Grace (1994) and Okoro (2001) with Nwachukwu (2001), goals, change, as the goals are reflective of the milieu in which a system operates.

Therefore it will probably be fair and reasonable to conclude that these societal changes produce co temporal evaluation procedure problems and issues since independence. These elements of the problems and issues of the observed contemporary evaluation methodology is developed out of the tradition that produced the products and philosophy of the normative testing movement (in which our colleges of Education, Technical Teachers colleges, Polytechnics and Universities are having the familiar products of norm reference).

The familiar products of this movement in the educational systems include the IQ test, standardized achievement tests and the classroom test built on the normal curve. The elements of normative testing were in turn developed in a context of very limited purpose currently exemplified in our tertiary institutions for the training of Technical teachers, in the measurement and evaluation practices of the college admission officer, the school psychologist and the guidance counselor (Ezeji 2001).
OVERVIEW ON EVALUATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Each year, the learners of an educational system are constantly in flux. New students every season come into the system with skills and needs which is usually differing from those of prior students. Observations have shown that, these new students learn differently and uniquely. The system must adjust and move to account for this different set of skills, needs, and learning styles in its new users. The system staff returns bring in new skills and competencies with new attitudes and personal agenda into the system. New theories and discoveries (in this our age) expand the potential service system, (information technology). They must be digested and incorporated. New instructional resources are continually available to a system. These must be tested in its programs and accepted or rejected. As such, it is being suggested that the training of technical, science, and vocational teachers in methodology of measurement and evaluation should reflect the Criterion-References Evaluation if and only if, we want to move ahead and solve our societal problems in the use of latest technology.

CRITERION-REFERENCE EVALUATION

Okoro (1991) and Harbour-Peters(1999) informed us that, Criterion-Reference Evaluation System are specific measures of student achievement of curricula goals and objectives. They also stated that to gather this kind of specific information about achievement, a new measurement instrument (the criterion-referenced test) is incorporated into the model. They enormously agreed that the tests used for measurements must be produced in relationship to locally selected objectives to insure their relevance to the programs of the school district: i.e. pragmatic approaches to curricula and syllabus drafting and implementation.

This emphasis, under most conditions, the test production should also be a local operation so that changes can readily be made and the number of tests needed can be provided on a timely basis putting together richness and flexibility. Providing and guiding the need for a shift from homogeneous curriculum in the country to heterogeneous curriculum spaces in solving societal problems. Deduction from (Okoro and Harbour-Peters) their text clearly shows in the model - criterion reference — a test production capability is included as an integral component. This means that educator, as actors should have gone through proper training before teaching/training, testing and evaluating learner on specific work.

The criterion — reference tests are techniques that test items are not typically written for high discrimination capability. Rather, test items and tests are developed to measure whether or not students can perform objectives (as found in science, Technology and Mathematics subjects) to a specified level or criterion of achievement. They contain only test items related directly to previously stated desired student outcome. Generally the results of criterion — referenced testing are reported in terms of whether students or group could meet the achievement, criteria or not. Which vocational Teachers Education should rely on in training teachers: considering and potting in mind the norm—reference which is only and mostly use for discrimination purposes.

REFERENCE

CHAMBERS TWENTIETH CENTURY DICTIONARY (1976) Endinbory, England.

Edem, D.A. (1987) 'Introduction to Educational Administration in Nigeria' Ibadan; Adeyemi press Ltd Passim.

Ezeji, S.C.O.A (2001) 'Guidance and counseling in Education' NSUKKA: Chulbson International press: Passim.

Grace, C.D. (1994) 'Curriculum theory and planing' Uni — word Education publishers (Nig) Ltd Passim.

Harbor - Peters, V.F. Ajoke (1999) Note worthy point on 'Measurement and Evalvation' Enugu, Snaap press Ltd.

Lacey, A.R. (1978) 'A dictionary of philosophy' London Routledge & kegan Paul. Passim.

Nwachuku, Chris E. (2001) 'Designing appropriate methodology in vocational

and Technical Education for Nigera' NSUKKA; Fulladu publishing company.

Okorie, J.U. (2001) 'Vocational Industrial Education' Bauchi: League of reseachers in Nigeria Ltd. Passim.

Okoro, O.M. (2000) 'Measurement and Evaluation in Education' Pacitic publishers, Nigeria. Passim.

Olaitan, S.O. et al (1999) 'Curriculum development and management in Vocational Technical Education. Onitsha; Cape publishers International Ltd. Passim.

Peters R.S. (1978) 'ethics & education' London: George Allen & UNWIN.
Roger, B. (1965) ' Social psychology London' Collier — Macmillan Ltd.
Rusk, R.R. (1971) 'Doctrines of the great Educators' Macmillan press Ltd

Smart, Minian (1984) 'The Religious, experience of mankind'. Glasgow. Williams Collins Son & Ltd Passim.

EVALUATION ISSUES IN NIGERIA'S VOCATONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ISSUES IN NIGERIA