JOURNALS

ASSESSMENT OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPETENCIES OFNOMADIC TEACHERS IN BAUCHI STATE

ASSESSMENT OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPETENCIES OFNOMADIC TEACHERS IN BAUCHI STATE

BY

HAMMAN, Mathew Joseph

Department of Education

Nigerian Army College of Education, Ilorin

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +2348036798962

Abstract

The study assessed the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers in Bauchi State. Descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study.  Two purpose of study and two research questions guided the conduct of the study. One hundred and twenty teachers were randomly selected from 24 nomadic schools in TafawaBalewa and Bauchi Local Governments in Bauchi State. Data were collected through a scale developed by the researcher on instructional competencies. The data were analyzed using t-test statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study showed a non-significant gender and qualification differences in the instructional competencies of Nomadic primary school teachers in Bauhi state. It was therefore recommended that; teachers should continue to intensify efforts so as to keep on with their competence level, and that Government should ensure that teachers are motivated so as to elicit high level of commitment from them at all time.

Key Words: Assessment, Instructional Competence and Nomadic

Introduction

Education is regarded as a social process for capacity building, socialization, social integration,   development and the maintenance of the society which aids meeting up with the modern challenges of life and globalization. As such, education is a vehicle of delivery; capable of equipping individual persons with knowledge and skills required so as to be able to compete favorably in the modern world of science, technology and globalization. Nigerian educational system is categorized into three segments that is, basic education, post basic education (junior and senior secondary education) and tertiary education. While early childhood care and development (ECCD) is viewed as part of basic education but is specialized for younger children who are yet of primary school age, nomadic education is part of basic education or may transcend it, as it can go as high as the post basic level.

In Nigeria context, nomadic education is essentially a primary and adult education (Basic Education) programme designed to wipe out illiteracy improve the productivity of the youth, promote social justice and equity and sensitize the nomads to their basic human and constitutional rights as Nigerians (Tahir, 2003). Nomadic education programme is a determined effort of the Federal Government aimed at intensifying efforts at increasing access, given equal opportunities to this category of unreached group educationally.  The extent to which the above mentioned goals could be achieved depends partly on the instructional competencies of the teachers transmitting the needed skills to the learners.

Instructional competency refers to the teachers' mastery of the subject field, teaching skills, classroom management and evaluation skills.  Instructional competence is a multi-faceted concept, with its definition falling within many domains. These domains range from “eligibility to teach” (Skinner, 2005) to teachers using “a variety of appropriate teaching methods and strategies to assess high-quality student learning; understand the developmental needs of their students; and who themselves are active and reflective in the ongoing strengthening of the professional skills of teaching and learning” (Glickman, 2002).

Teacher’s competence level is an important factor that might affect lesson delivery and consequently, his/her pupils’ academic achievement. Competence as defined by Trinder (2008) is the ability of a professional to apply knowledge, skills and experiences in performing activities within a given occupation so as to produce a required result. Required outcome can only be produced through proper application of acquired knowledge, skills and experiences. A Teacher must be competent in order to produce required learning outcome through the pupils.  It is competence that determines how teacher will convey units of knowledge, application, skills and experience to students (Anselmus 2011); for maximum academic growth and development. The right way as itemized by Anselmus includes knowledge of content, process, methods, and means of conveying content. Teacher’s competence also refers to the ability of the teacher to help guide and counsel his or her pupils to achieve high grades.

Teacher’s competence is characterized by ability to encourage students to reflect on social reality and empowers them to transform the existing conditions that will positively shape their world. A competent teacher must be able to engage students in dialogue in order to achieve genuine learning because when student and teachers are engaged in shared critical dialogue, they will mutually create and construct knowledge instead of passively transmitting it to his students. Through dialogue, they (students) can share their knowledge and experiences, reflect upon them and finally make critical evaluation regarding the way they themselves have obtained that knowledge and experiences.

Today’s classrooms require that instructors possess competencies for teaching all students/pupils. Robust instructional strategies and culturally sensitive curricula are critical, but more important are instructors who are sensitive and responsive to the unique differences of each student/pupils. Recognizing the need to strengthen specific competencies to reach and teach all pupils requires an understanding of new ideas and a willingness to view instruction through varied cultural lenses.

For teacher to effectively promote learning, he must possess adequate instructional skills known as teaching skills as well as teaching methods. A teacher must know not only what and which to teach, but also method(s) of communicating the contents of instruction as well as interpreting curriculum to its relevance to the pupils. Therefore, another essential requirement of effective teaching is the teaching approach with which the instruction will be communicated (Ornstein &Lunenburg, 2008). Dealing with pupils from diverse background requires creativity because all pupils have different levels of strengths and weaknesses. It is only through teaching method that a teacher can introduce creative and effective resolutions to the problems of the pupils irrespective of their strength and weakness level. Effective teachers, according to Hindman and Stronge (2006), know how to effectively use instructional methods, such as mastery learning and cooperative learning. When used correctly, these methods can result in student achievement that is at least one standard deviation higher than that of students taught without the use of methods.

Since learning is a very complex process in which multiple variables correlate and interact with each other it becomes difficult to formulate hard and fast rules about which factors exclusively define instructional competence vis-à-vis student learning. This is because competence is also a matter of individual style and a matter of interacting with the environment (Klingstedt, 1972). Keeping this multiplicity of perspectives in mind, instructional competence is defined in terms of student teacher interaction in class. For the convenience of this study, a competent teacher is to be defined as an instructor who is able to impart knowledge to the students while engaging their active responses in an effectively disciplined environment. Keeping this operational definition in mind, six variables that reflect instructional competence are identified. These include: teacher’s support for the pupils; classroom discipline; pupils’ participation in the lessons; pupils’ satisfaction with the lessons; pupils’ perception of the classroom assessment environment; and attitudes of the pupils to the subject being taught.

However, some of the primary school teachers do not have the skills and competencies discussed above. It is on this background that the researchers set to assess the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers in Bauchi state.

Statement of the Problem

Among the reasons for engaging in teaching by the nomadic teachers is to assist learners gain literacy, develop skills and values to function well in the society, contribute to the well-being of the social, economic and business community. Surprisingly, most of the nomadic pupils are not equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills demanded by the society. This assertion is in line with Lawal (2009) who opined that some primary school leaving students cannot sit and pass common entrance examination that will qualify them for secondary education. If a primary school leaving certificate holders cannot further his education as a result of his inability to attend and pass entrance exanimation, such a student will have nothing to offer than to compound the existing problems of the society.

It is worth note that some the problem that causes nomadic pupil inability to develop appropriate knowledge and skills demanded by the society revolves around their teachers. Some of the nomadic teachers do not have the skills and competencies necessary for transmission of appropriate knowledge and skills demanded by the society revolves around their teachers. It is against this background that this study is undertaken to assess the competencies of nomadic teachers with respect to how gender and qualification relates to competence so as to complement the existing body of knowledge

Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study was to assess the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers in Bauchi state. Specifically, the study set to:

1. determine gender difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers
2. Examine the qualification difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers.

Research Hypotheses

1. There is no significant gender difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers
2. There is no significant qualification difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers.

Research Methodology

This study adopted survey research design. Population of the study comprised all nomadic teachers in Bauchi State. The sample for this study was made up of one hundred and twenty (120) nomadic teachers randomly selected from twenty four nomadic schools in TafawaBalewa and Bauchi Local Governments in Bauchi State. Research instrument titled ‘instructional competence scale, developed by the researcher was used to obtain information on the various variables of the study. Data obtained were analyzed using simple percentage, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with the use of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) method. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Results

Hypothesis One: There is no significant gender difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers

Table 1: t-test analysis showing gender difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers

Table 1 shows the t-calculated value of 0.819 and significant value (p-value) of 0.414. Since the calculated significant value is greater than the 0.05 alpha level of significance, the null hypothesis which states that there is no significant gender difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers was not rejected.  This means that there is significant gender difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers.

Hypothesis Two: There is no significant qualification difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers

Table 2: ANOVA analysis showing qualification difference in the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers

Table 2 shows the F-calculated value 1.74 and significant value (p-value) of .297. Since the calculated significant value is greater than the 0.05 alpha level of significance, the null hypothesis which states that there is no significant qualification difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers was not rejected. This means that there is significant qualification difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers.

Discussion of Findings        

The first hypothesis which states that there is no significant gender difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers was accepted. This means that gender does not affect instructional competency of nomadic teachers. This result is possible where both male and female teachers take their teaching job serious and never allow their gender role to interfere with their performance as a teacher. The result of this study revealed that instructional competence is independent of gender.

The hypothesis that states that there is no significant qualification difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers was also rejected because the analysis carried out on the data collected revealed a no significant qualification difference in the instructional competence of nomadic teachers. This means that teachers’ qualification does not determine nomadic teachers’ instructional competence. This result refuted the earlier finding of Zuzovsky (2003) who found a significant relationship between qualification and competence level. The variation in the result of the two studies could be due to difference in study location and characteristics of the respondent.

Conclusion and Recommendations

This study assessed the instructional competencies of nomadic teachers in Bauchi State. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that there is no gender and qualification differences in instructional competencies of nomadic teachers. Based on the findings, it is therefore recommended that;

1. Teachers should continue to intensify efforts so as to keep on with their competence level which considered good.
2. Government should ensure that teachers are motivated so as to elicit high level of commitment from them at all time.

References

Glickman, C. D. (2002). Leadership for Learning: How to Help Teachers Succeed.  Alexandria, V.A: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,

Hindman, J. L. and Stronge, J. H. (2006).The teacher quality index: A protocol for teacher selection. Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Klingstedt, J. L., & Burns, R. W. (1972).Competency-based education: An  introduction. USA: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data.

Ornstein, A. C., & Lunenburg, F. C. (2008).Educational administration: Concepts and practices. Thomson Higher Education.

Skinner, D. (2005). Get Set for teacher training. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Tahir, G. (2003). Basic education in Nigeria . Ibadan: Stirling-HordenPublishers(Nig.) Ltd.

Trinder, J. C. (2008). Competency Standards - A Measure of the Quality of a Workforce.The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial.Information Sciences, 37(6a),165-168.

Zuzovsky, R. (2003). Teachers’ Qualifications and their Impact on Student Achievement: Findings from TIMSS 2003 data for Israel. Center for Science and Technology Education.Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

• Prev
• Next