PROFESSIONAL TRAINING NEEDS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Because of societal and technological advancements, instructors are confronted with higher demands in this globalizing context (Moeini, O.E, 2008). "Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world," according to the National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983), and American students are falling behind those in other countries, highlighting the need for educational reforms. The importance of assessing agricultural education teachers' attitudes of teaching agriculture in the twenty-first century and their in-service training requirements for preparing them to be successful educators in the twenty-first century is highlighted by a review of the literature.

Globalization and technology have made change more quick and unavoidable than ever before (Sweat, 2010). Globalization's present developments have an impact on all of us (Smith, Jayaratne, Moore, Kistler, & Smith, 2010). Governments, corporations, organizations, and people are all shaped by globalization (Lundy, Place, Irani, & Telg, 2005). A study conducted by the Students in the twenty-first century have substantially different experiences and expectations than students in the twentieth century. These youngsters are more tech-savvy than their professors when it comes to internet communication (Blackboard O.E, 2008). Identifying the talents that kids will need to succeed in the twenty-first century is a difficult assignment. With the participation of 250 renowned professionals from 60 institutions worldwide, the University of Melbourne in Australia launched the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S, 2010) project to determine the skills required for students to be successful in the twenty-first century and developed a white paper identifying 21st century skills. This white paper has 10 talents divided into four categories. Unprecedented advances in instructional technology and content have resulted in considerable changes in education, notably in teacher education. A working teacher must be kept up to date and refreshed on his or her knowledge and professional abilities as a result of the training. For this reason, every civilization devises in-service training.

In-service teacher training is defined as: Job-related teaching and educational experiences are offered to workers, according to the Academics Dictionary of Education (2002). During regular working hours, in-service training sessions are frequently available. Activities aimed at improving staff knowledge and abilities, as well as service quality, particularly instructional methods. In-service training is geared for people who are already certified and hired by school districts. It is available in a number of forms. Professional training increases a teacher's entire personality and helps them to know how to respect personality by adding new ideas, concepts, and activities. Teacher training increases a teacher's performance, and in-service training (INSET) improves the characteristics of in-service training. With fresh contributions of ideas, concepts, and activities, a teacher feels enriched. In-service training enhances a teacher's overall attitude and teaches them how to recognize individual differences.

INSET (in-service teacher education) increases a teacher's overall performance. It is vital for a teacher to keep up with current events in his or her field. In-service teacher education, according to Sharif Ibrahim (1960), "refreshes all those approaches, activities, and learning experiences that are planned to boost their professional effectiveness." Group or individual, formal or informal, in-service education programs may take many forms. Regular courses of study, educational workshops, lectures, debates, interviews, and the supervision of individual studies of the professional literature by instructors themselves are examples of these.

It is important to identify training needs among classroom instructors for in-service training programs to be successful and efficient in teaching. Teachers at various levels of education may need distinct training programs, according to Sabri Adenwa (1997). In order to reflect instructors' experience, the material and skills included in in-service training programs should vary in various ways. Participants in in-service training, according to Lazaroa and Prokopova (2004), should be able to provide suggestions regarding chances for professional growth, future education alternatives, and efficiency assessment criteria. As a consequence of the SEDP's implementation, secondary education has rapidly expanded, including the development of community secondary schools. Instructors of many types, including professional, licensing, and paraprofessional (untrained) teachers, are utilized to educate. Those instructors operate in a variety of settings and face a variety of problems throughout the teaching and learning process. In order to determine what important abilities currently exist and which ones need to be taught, a professional training needs assessment is necessary. This study intended to identify professional  training needs for effective teaching in secondary school.

 1.2    Statement of the Problem

Nigeria boasts more instructors than any other African nation, with over a hundred higher education institutions where teachers are taught, including teacher training colleges, colleges of education, and universities, however the teaching and learning process is ineffective. This might be due to a lack of pedagogical abilities, academic understanding, or a combination of the two. According to F.O. Omari (1995), instructors who have not had any formal teacher training have inadequate understanding of what they are supposed to teach in order to make it interesting for their pupils, and in some situations, this lack of expertise leads them to teach inaccurate information. According to the introduction to Critical Practitioner Inquiry (2007), one of the problems in the teaching and learning process is the complexity of the subjects and low academic professional competence among certain instructors.

Teachers' capacity to create a favorable teaching and learning environment is further limited by inadequate pre-service preparation in teacher colleges. One of the issues in secondary school provision, according to Vuzo, Zuma (2008), is under qualified instructors who are inadequately taught in colleges. Every work requires knowledge and abilities that are specific to the position. When someone understands that he or she is unable to do a task adequately, they are halfway to identifying their training requirements. According to Galabawa and Mavewo (2006), a professional training needs assessment is necessary to determine what important competences currently exist and which ones need to be enhanced.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The main objectives of this study is to find out the professional training needs for effective teaching in secondary school, specifically the study intends to:

i.                    To  Find out  Knowledge and skill competencies possessed by teacher in other for effective teaching of student.

ii.                  To find out the challenges teachers are faced with  in the course of getting professional training for effective teaching .

iii.                To examine the effect of in service training on teaching performance of teachers.

iv.                To recommend ways professional training can be made easy for effective teaching and learning of students.

1.4     Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

i.          Are there  Knowledge and skill competencies possessed by teacher in other for effective teaching of student?

ii.        What are the challenges teachers are faced with  in the course of getting professional training for effective teaching ?

iii.      What are  the effect of in service training on teaching performance of teachers?

iv.      What are the recommend ways professional training can be made easy for effective teaching and learning of students?

1.5     Significance of the Study

The result of this study will be helpful to various stake holders of secondary education. First; the Ministry of Education will be exposed with difficulties which secondary school teachers face in teaching and learning process and it will be easy to design appropriate in-service training program. Second; the Ministry of Education can develop or reform teacher education curriculum in consideration of contents, methods and skills which are relevant and are needed by teachers currently. Third; NGOs interested in promoting quality secondary education can design and support in-service training to secondary school teachers. Fourth; the training managers can be able to set the training objectives with an accurate identification of participants and types of in-service training needed. Fifth; school management can reduce or eliminate performance gaps through other management solutions such as communicating expectations or providing a supportive working environment.

1.6     Scope of the Study

This research work will Find out  Knowledge and skill competencies possessed by teacher in other for effective teaching of student. The study will also find out the challenges teachers are faced with  in the course of getting professional training for effective teaching . the study will further  examine the effect of in service training on teaching performance of teachers. Lastly, the study will recommend ways professional training can be made easy for effective teaching and learning of students.  Hence this study will be delimited to Bayelsa state

1.7     Delimitation of the Study

Just like any other research, unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, and inability to get data were among the constraints the researcher encountered in the cause of this study. Financial constraint was equally faced by  the researcher, in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint because the researcher have to shuttle between writing of the research and engaging in other academic work which made it uneasy for the researcher.

1.8       Definition Of Terms

Professional training: the acquisition of knowledge, skills and experience for operating as an expert in a particular field or area of specialization

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