TEACHERS ROLES IN QUALITATIVE EDUCATON
ABDULSALAM, A.U.
Library Department, College of Education Ilorin, Kwara State.
And
ISSA, A.O.
Head of Department, Library and Information Science, Federal Polytechnic, Offa
Kwara State.
ABSTRACT
That the palace and role of the teacher is of central importance in any society
whose educational orientation is development-directed can hardly be a subject of
controversy anywhere and anyhow it is viewed. That the teacher is the society’s trustee in
the entire arena of socio-economic, political and moral development via the educational
system of any nation cannot also amount to an over-statement. This every society’s
educational goals and aspirations as well as the successes or otherwise of the system
depend, to a great extent, on the teacher also remains a fact which does not lead itself
easily to disputes.
However, that there is the back of an appreciation of this altruism about the nonsubstitutable role of the teacher in the specific instance of the Nigerian educational
system represents the main thesis of this paper. Examine this against the backdrop of the
deplorable state of the country’s educational system the paper seeks a better deal in all its
ramification for the teacher from all and sundry especially the educational stake-holders
like the government, parents and non-governmental organization if the quality of the
country’s educational product is to be worthwhile and thus comparable to anyone else
anywhere in the world.
Introduction
There is no gain saying the fact that every human society-past or present simple or
complex has its own system of education that is peculiar to it. It is a system through
which the society trains and educates its youth. This essentially so because education for
good life had always been considered as one the most persistent concerns of men through
the ages. But then, as typical of every other endeavors of man, the set foals and approach
method to be deployed toward their realization often differ from one place, nation and
people to the other. In other word, education is necessarily concerned with ends and
purposes, which vary from age to age, and from one community to the other. The
conception of the function of education is therefore dependent upon the nature of the
society in which it plays its part, and determined by the philosophy which implicitly or
explicitly governs relations between the individuals and the community.
Meanwhile, the concept education has been variously defined by several
authorities to such an extent that there cannot be any mutually exclusive definition of
what it is. However, ventral to an understanding of these definitions are features like
acquisition of knowledge, skills, abilities and character training involving guide towards
the development of the learners.
The idea above depicts education from a perspective that it as wholistic as it is all
encompassing. It agrees with the conceptualization of education as the sum total of
knowledge, experience and skills acquired b the individual which enable him/her to
become more functional member of the community thereby contributing his little, yet
significant, quota to its development. Thus, education can be referred to as the process by
which each successive age learns the accumulated knowledge of their community, the
transmission of which was necessitated by the need to enable people fit into the existent
pattern of life and associate with others in a predictable, efficient and humane way. In is
in this sense that Ukeje (1966:10) defines education as “a process by which people are
prepared to live effectively and efficiently in their environment”.
What About Quality in Education?
The Heritage illustrated Dictionary (1972) defines quality as the “degree or grade
of excellence” and qualitative as” or pertaining to, or concerning qualities (p. 1068). as
earlier pointed out, every educational system is an embodiment of its community’s
aspirations needs and desires. The community uses education as means of achieving these
goal using the school (and its curriculum) s an agent. A measure of the extent to which
the school delivers in this respect helps to determine the quality or how qualitative the
educational system of a particular society is. In other words, it is the extent to which the
educational system of a particular society responds, and therefore contributes to the
attainment of societal goals and aspirations that determines it quality. It is thus the duty of
the school system to coordinate its various activities and resources in the curriculum,
personnel and administration for the realization of the purposes of education.
In the old traditional Africa society for instance functionalism as the purpose of
education, stood out s its essential guiding, a situation where education was regarded as a
means by which ends could be reached rather than being the end in them. And since its
use as a tool for social introduction and a preparatory ground for adulthood was quite
instructive, “social responsibility, job orientation, political participation and spiritual and
moral values” were the major focus.
The Central Role of the Teacher in Educational Goal Attainment
It is importance to quickly emphasis there that regardless of the nature and or
circumstances of education, the indispensability of the role the teacher has to play in the
attainment of set goals and objectives cannot be subjected to any form of controversy. If
teacher as defined by Okoh (1993:2) is the art and science of facilitating learning” where
learning implies a relative change in the behavior of the learner which is due to planned
instruction. Viewed from a rather broad perspective, the teacher is one who impact
knowledge and skills in formal and non-formal educational settings. in the words of Tahir
(1996:3) “teachers are the ones that make or mar the growth and development of any
national through education”. Therefore, the essence of the role that the teacher plays in
the development of any nation, especially in bringing up of future leaders and
intellectuals is simply immeasurable and it is not then surprising to find this role of the
teacher linked, and inextricable tied, with the quality of education in a given society.
Apparently, some sorts of improvement in education can be brought about
through the allocation and judicious spending of more money through the construction of
better schools as well s by the determined introduction of new of study, new standards
and new equipment. However, the real significant change in respect of a more qualitative
education will come only through that much-desired back-up in human resources
especially in the form of sufficient, yet, qualified set of teachers evenly distributed across
the country. The teacher represents one main ingredient necessary for the realization
educational goals in any society. Although we need to have administrators and other
specialist in the school system. The role of the teacher simply basic and it must be so
considered to obvious reason. Ajayi (1998:16) captured this essence when he states that
“educational hold the key to modernization; but the teacher holds the key to that door. He
is the hub of any educational system and the determinant of its quality” since educational
is a matter which is concerned with the ultimate ends, the teachers is one that is
concerned with standards of valued, developing his own philosophy of life and society
this is because is education “for something” and the teacher is the one that answers the
question for what?
Essentials of a Good Teacher
In order for the teacher to live up to the above expectations. It becomes expedient
that certain conditions are fulfilled in his person. Those conditions are often referred to as
the characteristics that distinguish. A good teacher from one that is no some of which are
as follow:
One a good teacher is one who perceives his purpose in teaching as being one of
freeing rather than controlling students. That is to say he perceives the purpose of the
helping task as one of freeing assisting, releasing facilitating rather than as matter of
controlling, manipulating, coercing, blocking or inhibiting behavior. Secondly, a good
teacher is one that tends to be more concerned with larger and not smaller issues as he
vies events in a broad instead of a narrow perspective. Broad connotation of events
having long and more extensive implications and not the immediate and specific attracts
his attentions as he is not exclusively concerned with detains but can also perceive
beyond the immediate future.
Additionally, he is one that is more likely to be self revealing than self concealing,
always willing to disclose himself. He thus. Treats his feeling and short comings as
important and significant instead of covering or hiding them up. He always wants to be
himself. Similarly the trend is to be personally involved and not alienated as he sees his
appropriates role of one of the commitment to the helping process in a willingness to
enter into interaction instead remaining aloof. He is one who is interested in furthering
processes and not in achieving goal as he seems to see his role in the extent of
encouraging and facilitating the process of search and discovering as opposed to
promoting or working for a personal goal or a pre-conceived solution (Goading, 1964).
A useful rider to the foregoing will be to point out that qualities discussed above
represent a tall expectation of the so called good teacher. These expectations more than
anything else demand that the teacher be well trained and skilled in the art of teaching.
Hence, the need for the education, training and retraining of teachers themselves.
The Need for Teacher Education in Nigeria
Although arrangements of one kind or another for the education of the young
have existed at all times and in all societies. It is only recently that schools have emerged
as distinctive institutions for this purpose on a mass scale, and teachers as a distinctive
occupational category. Parent, elder priest and wise men have traditionally assumed the
role of passing on their knowledge and skills to the next generation. Meanwhile with the
vast educational expansion being witnessed in recent times, an adequate supply of
qualified teachers had since become the core of the educational problem This is for the
fact that there exists a direct relationship between the quality of the teaching personnel
and that of the educational process.
Apparently, the defects of the present Nigerian educational system are partly the
result of poor teachers. Indeed, the real value of a sound educational principle lies in its
effective implementation. Consequent upon this is it is the teacher who, in the final
analysis, translates theory into practice. Hence, the vicious circle that is likely to be the
fall-out of a condition where qualitative school system and that of the teaching personnel
is guaranteed. It is instructive to understand that having good school is unfeasible unless
there are qualified teachers. It follows also that having this caliber of teachers will remain
unrealizable until and unless we have good schools to produce them. This definitely has
an implication for striking a balance between educational expansion and the quality of
teachers.
It is self-explanatory to state that the educator must themselves be educated first
and foremost. But the Nigerian case proves and exception to this universal rule. Here
situation exist where most educators were, at best or badly educated. This situation partly
accounts for the teaching learning situation commonly found in most of our school; and
at the same time why our educational system seems arid and barren. The teachers
perform at the limit (an sometimes beyond) off his knowledge in which case, there arises
the tendency of not being able to put the subject matter being taught in its true
perspective as he will certainly find it difficult to go beyond facts to their implications. In
that case, initiative and creativity became evidently absent; as such a teacher becomes a
slave to his notes, syllabus and the textbook. Consequently, teaching will be bound to
lack in enrichment and vitality while learning lacks direction and reflection, becoming
simple the acquisition of inert knowledge. We thus have a weak educational system, for
in the words of the Ashby Report, “No educational system can be stronger than its
teacher” (Ukeje, 1966:89)
The Teacher in a Profession
According to Datta (1988) “a profession is an occupation of a special kind three
aspects of which are conventionally emphasized namely: expertise, self-determination
and public identifying. Braanmely’s (1975) attempt to define profession by identifying
those characteristics that distinguish a profession from an occupation. These are as follow
namely:
1.
There will be a corpus of theoretical knowledge upon which professional practice
can be eased
2.
It will required a prolonged period of education and training before they would be
practitioner is accepted into the professional ranks
3.
There will be a professional determination to always act for the good of the
community. There will be an elaborate code of ethics designs to ensure that
practitioner will always act in the public interest.
4.
There will be a body, composed of member of the profession, which will
jealously guard the status, the conduct and the ethnical codes of the profession.
In other words, it is the application of intellectual techniques to the ordinary
business of life, acquired in the course of a prolonged and specialized training that
constitutes that main distinguishing feature of a profession from an occupation. But the
question often arises as to whether teaching is a profession in a true sense. Arguments
have gone to and for unendingly. Due to the fact that the nature of the activities that
constitute teaching depends more on the age of the leaders than any other one thing, it
becomes useful to recognize three subgroups to teachers viz: primary or elementary
school teachers, secondary school teachers and University teachers. According to
Britannica (1974) UNESCO had in 1967 estimated an approximate world wide ration of
62% 30% and 8% for the sub groupings respectively. Without prejudice to any divide in
the argument, this paper intends to make some observations on the subject matter. One
the qualification of teaching as a profession cannot be said to be a clearly stream-lined as
for those other age-long professions like law and medicine. This is as result of the very
nature of teaching occupation itself, which is rather open-ended with very little control
over entrant. People come in and go out at will with little or no sanctioning. This has a
far-reaching implication for a number of other related issues bordering on the claim that
teaching is a profession like other. One of such issues in this respect is the question of the
status of the teachers.
Factors Affecting the Status of the Teacher in Nigeria
The teacher in Nigeria, much like his counterparts elsewhere in Africa is a victim
of an unfavorable circumstance-a situation which further erodes his claims to
professionalism. For instance, the explosion witnesses in our education system in recent
times leading to an acute shortage of qualified teachers is one case in point. The rise in
the educational level expected of teacher results in a situation where a large number of
unqualified teachers flood the school, thereby bringing about the lowering of the status of
the teachers.
Secondly, the enormous expansion of the school system has made it difficult for
the government to match the material emolument of teachers with those of the civil law
not to speak of the established professional like medicine. Besides that is the general
improvement of the general standard of educated? For instance, during the colonial era
the teacher has seen as the most educated if not the most sophisticated in the community.
Today, such is not the same again in spite of the advancement that had occurred in his
educational standard. Due to his status had been comparatively eroded.
as if it is not enough. The large population of woman in teacher especially at the
primary school level impact negatively on the teacher’s status. Nature, teaching has been
found to be attractive to women than to men probably due to the fact that they tend to
have a greater aptitude for dealing with young ones and enjoy their companies. Besides
long holidays affords them added advantage of combing school work with child bearing
and care at home. Similarly, teaching especially at the lower level is further characterized
by considerable flexibility of location such that when their husbands are transferred
female difficulty. At any rate, the growing number of women in primary school teaching
tends to lower its status in the public eye in most male dominated societies especially
where the women’s independent role in society is not firmly recognized.
Even when one uses the criteria for determining the public ranking of occupations
it still does not augur well for the teacher’s status I a society like ours.
Looking at such yardsticks as salaries and other material incentive, working
conditions social prestige or recognition, qualifications and experience needed for the
performance of the occupational role. Etc. further attest to the teacher’s predicament in
Nigeria. Due to these undesirable conditions surrounding him, the teacher in Nigeria
hardly finds relevance for professionalism.
The Way Forward
In view of the following, there arises the need for urgent steps to the taken by all
and sundry that has stakes in the educational enterprise. Noteworthy is the fact that
administrative procedures, building curricula, education acts are all dependents for their
ultimate success upon the personal qualities of the teacher, his professional knowledge
and skills.
A starting point here could be the recruitment and educational of the teacher. This
should be thought out in relation to the nature of the society in which the teacher is to
carry out his work. This is because the result of a well informed opinion will reveal that
the right education of the teacher will prove to be one the most fruitful means of adjusting
educational procedure to the needs of the Nigerian society then the government through
the school system should think about attracting and holding talents. It is desirable that the
talents are not just attracted and held but more importantly not to chew them up and then
spit them out as use up people, as is the common practice today teachers themselves
should know that the need for solving problem is much grater than any possible
advantage that could accrue to any individual or any individual or any group of teacher,
by being separate. The time cry for a single, merged teacher’s organization. A situation
whereby teacher unity continues to suffer in perpetual setback is inimical and counter –
productive and must therefore be terminated.
Similarly, we could do a great deal to improve our educational system by ensuring
a more harmonious relationship between teachers and administration. There should not be
this harp line of demarcation as is usually the case. As a matter of fact, teachers should be
involved in educational policy. It is unfair to hold them responsible for polices and
reforms when they were not contributors. They do not have a right to set policies. There
are a number of legitimate interest groups, which should share in this responsibility. All
these groups should realize that the teachers are the only group that can bring rationality
to education. There should be regular machinery for discussion between administrators
and teachers as a matter of general policy. It should be possible for teachers to play their
part in initiating policy; for an authority which sees its teachers merely as employees and
not as collaborates will signally fail to ensure the best service which the teachers can
render. In these ways, the teacher is sure to get a good deal on his remuneration, social
status and recognition and his entire welfare issues from all concerned. His lots will
certainly be better while his profession becomes attractive to skeptical potential entrants.
Conclusion
The paper has been able to chronicles the essential issues performing to the
significant role of teacher plays in facilitating quality education general. The need for
qualitative education and in disperse rule of the teacher, it realization were also
underscored. It also attempted the enumeration of the features of a good teacher as it has
a great implication for qualitative education and the need to educate the Nigerian teachers
themselves. The status of the teacher was examined in the context of his profession by the
exposition of some of his predicament in our society. The paper ended on a
recommendation note as to the way forward, the need for which was premised on the
belief that no educational system can be stronger than its teachers.
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