Secondary School Teachers’ and Principals’ Knowledge and Perception of School-Based Supervision Practices

This study sought to find out teachers’ and principals’ knowledge and perception of school-based supervision practices in public secondary schools in Benin metropolis. To achieve this purpose, four research questions were raised. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of the teachers and principals in the Benin metropolis. A sample size of three hundred and sixty-three (363) principals and teachers was used. A structured questionnaire was used for the collection of data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation for the research questions while the Chi-square and independent sample t-test were used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that the teachers and principals were knowledgeable in the art of school-based supervision practices, and there were a lot of problems facing the effective practice of school-based supervision. The findings further revealed that years of experience was a determining factor in the art of carrying out school-based supervision. Therefore, appointing principals with at least ten years of experience and provision of modern facilities for school supervision were recommended.

Understanding the National Curriculum and Breaking Down Same Into Weekly Scheme of Work to Ensure Completion

This paper was aimed at identifying the importance of national curriculum in the development of educational in Nigeria. It further outlined the role of Syllabus, Scheme and Lesson plans in achieving quality education.

Psychosocial Predictors of the Changing Role of Husbands as Breadwinners in a Depressed Economy in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria

Changing roles of husbands as breadwinners among couples, particularly in a poor economy, has been a source of concern for most Nigerian families, resulting in many homes being broken (divorced and separated) and even children begging for alms on the streets. Despite the extensive literature on the effects of marital conflicts, parenting styles, and economic constraints on marital stability, few studies on how these factors interact to affect husbands' evolving status as breadwinners. This study, therefore, examined the psychological predictors (marital disagreement, parenting style and economic challenge) of the changing role of husbands as breadwinners in a depressed economy in the Ibadan metropolis of Oyo State, Nigeria. Marital communication and structural theories provided the framework, while the descriptive survey design was adopted. Three Local Government Areas (LGA) – Ibadan South-west, Ibadan North-west, and Ibadan North – were selected out of the nine LGA using stratified random sampling. Three hundred participants from (3 Churches 213, 2 Markets 81, and 1 School 6) were carefully chosen through a convenience sampling technique. The instruments used were changing role r = .79, marital disagreement r = .90, parenting style r = .89 scales. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The finding revealed that there were significant positive relationships between marital disagreement r = .487, p < 0.05, and economic challenge r = .249, p < 0.05 on changing roles while there was no relationship between parenting style r = -.089, p > 0.05 on changing roles. The three independent variables jointly accounted for 31.1% variance in predicting change in roles of the husband as breadwinner. The independent variables made a positive relative contribution to change in role in the following order: marital disagreement (β = -0.117, t = -2.407, p < 0.05, which had a relative contribution to changing role of husbands from breadwinner among couples in Ibadan metropolis. Specific roles and responsibilities should not be overemphasised among couples, rather the emphasis should be on improvements, achievements, and successes recorded together as husbands and wives, and not as individual people. This will reduce the increasing attitude toward self-oriented goals instead of “the family achievements.”

Jigsaw IV Cooperative Learning Strategy: Closing the Gender and School Type Gaps in Physics Achievement of Senior Secondary two Students

The study investigated the effects of jigsaw iv cooperative learning strategy (J4CLS) on secondary school students’ achievement in Physics in Jos metropolis, Nigeria. It employed the quasi-experimental research design of the non-equivalent control group pre-test, post-test type. One hundred and forty-five (145) senior secondary two (SS II) students from four co-educational secondary schools were used as samples for the study. A 50-item multiple-choice instrument called Heat Energy Achievement Test (HEAT) was used to test students on the concepts of heat energy measurements. The internal consistency of HEAT was estimated at 0.83, using Kuder-Richardson formula 20 on the SPSS Version 25. Three research questions were raised and answered using mean, while two hypotheses were formulated and tested at α = 0.05 using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed, amongst others, that students taught heat energy measurements using J4CLS achieve significantly higher than students taught under conventional lecture method (CLM); those who were taught heat energy measurements using J4CLS achieved high, without gender and school type bias. Based on the findings, recommendations were made which included encouraging physics teachers to employ J4CLS in teaching secondary school students, since the method has been found to enhance students’ achievement in heat energy measurements and it is gender-friendly and independent of school type in terms of improving their achievement in the subject.

Employers’ Expectation of Computer Technology Skills Required of Business Education Graduates from Colleges of Education in Rivers State

This study examined employers’ expectation of computer technology skills required of business education graduates from colleges of business education in Rivers State. To achieve the main purpose of the study, two research questions were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to elicit responses from a sample of 100 employers of business education graduates and 200 business education graduating students drawn out of the population of 150 employers and 345 business education final year students respectively during the 2019/2020 academic session. Data collected using checklist and questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage and bar chart. The findings reveal that employers of business education students in Rivers State expect the graduates to have high skills in the following computer application areas: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Desktop Publishing, Databases, Computer Networking, Website Application, POS Application, Payroll Application and Computer Internet. The findings also reveal that business education students rated their competency level in these computer application skills as low. These show that there is a gap between the expectation of the employers and the computer technology skills of business education graduates. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were put forward among others: employers of business education graduates should collaborate with the National Commission for Colleges of Education to review the curriculum content for computer application areas in business education to cover skills in areas needed for their productivity. Business education students who have already graduated and are lacking in the various computer technology skills highlighted in this study should endeavour to embark on personal development in order to develop such skills needed for employability.

Evaluation of the Teaching Behaviours of Biology Teachers in Secondary Schools in Orlu Lga, Imo State

An evaluation of the teaching behaviours of biology teachers in secondary schools in Orlu LGA, Imo State was carried out using descriptive survey design. 194 respondents from SSS3 were used for the study. They were drawn from two boys' schools, one girls' school and one mixed school—94 male students and 100 female students. A five-point Likert questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items drawn from the activities of teaching behaviours as regards the teachers’ presentation of subject matter, class control and personality attributes. Data were analysed using mean scores, standard deviation and t-test statistics for hypothesis test. Results showed that biology teachers in Orlu Local Government Area performed to a very high extent in all the activities of teaching behaviours with respect to the concepts examined. Male and female students differed significantly (p<0.05) in the mean response ratings of the teaching behaviours of biology teachers. Since biology teachers in Orlu Local Government Area performed satisfactorily to a very high extent in their teaching behaviours, it implies that they are very conversant with the biology curriculum being used in secondary schools and should be commended. It is recommended that there should be periodic seminars and workshops geared towards improving teachers' efficiency with respect to all the teaching behaviour concepts, so as to maintain good biology achievement amongst the students.

School Plant Maintenance and Students Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Bayelsa State

This study investigates school plant maintenance and students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Bayelsa state. The correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study was eighty-two thousand, five hundred and eighty-two (82,582) students of the 191 public secondary schools in the eight (8) Local government areas of Bayelsa state. A sample of 300 students was drawn from 12 schools, having a total population of 5120 students was sampled for this study. The instrument that was used for data collection in this study was a self-structured 4-point Likert Scale Modified questionnaire titled: School Plant Maintenance and Students Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools Questionnaire. (SPMSAPPSSQ). A test–retest method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. The two sets of scores were computed using Pearson product moment correlation to determine the reliability index value 0.72 while the hypothesis is at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that maintenance of a blackboard helps the students to see clearly, thereby enhancing their academic performance; the maintenance of ICT building enables students to take part in ICT classes effectively and that steady maintenance of the library makes it possible for reliable and current books to be available for students to study widely. The study concludes by establishing the relationship between school plants maintenance and students’ academic performances in public senior secondary schools in Bayelsa State and recommended that government and schools board should often investigate the level of fitness and stability of school plants and embark on renovation and replacement of dilapidated and worn-out facilities in order to promote students’ academic performances.

Effect of Internship Experiential Learning on Students’ Academic Achievement in Utilization of Model Office Technologies in Federal Colleges of Education in South-South, Nigeria

This study determines the effect of internship experiential learning on students' academic achievement in utilization of model office technology in Federal Colleges of Education in south-south, Nigeria. Two specific purposes, two research questions and two hypotheses were posed to guide the study. Quasi-experimental research design with pretest, post-test, non-randomized groups was adopted. 86 N.C.E. Ill business education (OTME) students during the 2018/2019 academic session made up the population. The sample consisted of 45 and 41 N.C.E. III Business Education (OTME) students from Federal College of Education (Tech.), Asaba and 41 OTME students from Federal College of Education (Tech.), Omoku, Rivers State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample for study. A rating scale questionnaire was used for determining the students' academic achievement in model office technologies utilization. The instrument was validated by three lecturers from Faculty of Education, Nnarndi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State. The rating scale was subjected to reliability of stability using test-retest method to obtain r-value of 0.90. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean scores to answer research questions one. Independent t-test was used to test null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. All data were computed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 0.16. The findings revealed those exposed to model office technologies using internship experiential learning scored higher than those in control group. The findings also revealed that both male and female benefited from internship experiential learning activities used for teaching model office technologies. In same vein, the results revealed significant difference in the academic scores of experimental as against that of control group. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Business education (OTME option) lecturers should try as much as possible to adopt, design and implement internship experiential learning when handling any course that has to do with model office technologies utilization in order to assist students to acquire the needed practical skills content.

Diagnostic Assessment of Students' Misconceptions about Heat and Temperature Through the Use of Two-Tier Test Instrument

The research looked into the misconceptions held by Physics students about some selected heat and temperature concepts. The research design employed in this study was a diagnostic-descriptive research design. A sample of 56 Senior High School (SHS) two (2) students, drawn from Berekum Senior School in the Berekum Municipality, Ghana, were used for the study. An instrument known as the Two-Tier Test Instrument of Heat and Temperature Concepts (HTCT) was employed in data gathering. Mean score, standard deviation, frequencies, percentage were used to answer research questions one and two, while one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and correlational analysis was used to answer research question three. Results indicated that students used for this study hold misconceptions, lack understanding, and have difficulties explaining the selected heat and temperature concepts used in the HTCT instrument. The results also revealed that misconceptions about heat and temperature concepts non-significantly interact with student age (F .545 = .463, p > .05), but significantly interact with students' gender (F 4.541 = .038, p < .05). Based on the results obtained, the researchers recommended the use of two-tier test instruments and advanced organisers to identify students’ misconceptions of scientific concepts.

Kidnapping in Nigeria: A Social Threat to Educational Institutions, Human Existence and Unity

This paper examined the problem of kidnapping and its consequences in Nigeria. Kidnapping has the potential of creating social tension, psychological trauma (mental and emotional problems), insecurity, untimely death and others in the society. It has been observed and identified that kidnapping is not a new crime in Nigeria and other countries of the world. But the apparent problem of kidnapping is the current growth rate in all parts of the country and the benefits the perpetrators are deriving from this criminal activity. In this study, some challenges were identified. They include: poverty, unemployment, politics and religion. The mode of kidnappers' operations have been identified and its prevalence, apart from the causes attributed to the laxity in the implementation process to prosecute the offenders. As a result of these findings, it is suggested that the issue of ransom payment by the families/relatives of the victims to kidnappers should be seriously condemned. Government on their part, should endeavour to create employment for the teeming population of youths as this will help to reduce the proliferation of kidnappers. Security agents should be well equipped with sophisticated guns to wage war against kidnappers. This will no doubt help to restore peace and security in the country.