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Integration and Innovation in Early Childhood Education in Nigeria: Implications for Quality Teacher Production.
Onu, V. C., Ph.D
Department of Educational Foundation
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Obiozor, W.E, Ed.D.
Department of Exceptionality Programs
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA
Agbo, O. E.
Department of Educational Foundations
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Ezeanwu Chiamaka
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
This survey research studied integration and innovation in early
childhood education and implications for quality teacher preparation.
The study was a descriptive survey research, with one hundred and
twelve (112) sampled preschool teacher. Eight research questions and
three hypotheses guided the study. Early Childhood Programme Instrument
on Integration and Innovation (ECPAI) was constructed, validated and
used in eliciting responses from the respondents. The data collected
were analyzed using percentage, mean, and Paired Sample tests. The
study revealed a significant difference in the opinions of public and
private preschool teachers toward integration and innovative practices
in early childhood education in Nigeria. It was equally revealed that
are Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme in Nigeria is influenced
by traditional, uncreative approaches. Thus, training and retraining of
focus teachers and stakeholders in ECE was highly recommended.
Introduction
The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most
critical in his or her life to influence learning (ED.gov, 2010); and
this becomes a challenge and commitments to the parents, teachers,
community and government, to ensure that these young children receive
appropriate training in their early stages of life. Early childhood
education programmes are highly recognized and promoted in developed
societies to give children the opportunity to learn phenomenal amount
of experiences at home and surrounding environments. Heward (2009)
explained in this scenario that children grow and develop in orderly
ways, learning to move about their world, communicate, and play. As
their ability to manipulate their environment increases, so does their
level of independence.
Nigeria is currently facing a challenging time
in providing g her young citizens' quality education. Some important
issues facing Nigeria's policy makers include ineffective planning and
implementation of programmes, accountability, and management of scarce
resources, shortage of highly qualified early childhood teachers,
undefined curriculum and inclusion. In agreement with the above, Mindes
(2007) added that early childhood educators' challenges are enormous
and they include parent partnership, respect for cultural diversity,
appropriate early intervention assessment, and linking curriculum and
assessment practices appropriately. In the World Summit in 2001, the
Secretary General of the United Nations reaffirmed the world's
commitment to ensuring that every child has a right to the best
possible start in life. He identified good quality education,
opportunities to develop his or her full potential, and an enabling
environment to make positive contribution to the society in meaningful
ways as the thematic areas.
On the
contrary, the recently released results of the Senior Secondary School
Examinations in Nigeria would continue if stakeholders do not tackle
the challenges facing the sector. Ademilola in TELL (2010) reported
that the performance of students in West African Examination Council
(WAEC) and NECO examinations has not been impressive in recent times.
In the last 2009 NECO/GCE, only 1.8 percent of the 236, 613 that sat
for the examinations across 1,708 centers in the country had five
credit passes, Mathematics and English inclusive. Whilst out of the
1,373,009 candidates that took the Senior Secondary Certificate
Examinations, 25.99 percent of them had five credit passes in five
subjects, Mathematics, and English inclusive. This dismal performance
was also observed in May/June 2009 NECO results.
Ademilola stated emphatically that at the fore
of these challenges facing the educational sector in Nigeria is the
poor quality of teachers. In his own right, Peter Okebukola, former
executive secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), in a
report by the Daily Sun newspaper said many teachers are exceedingly
weak in the subjects they teach. Besides, he further argued that very
little is done to train and retrain teachers in the country and this
takes its toll on the performances of teachers. This training gap
creates vicious cycles that negate the necessary early childhood
educational foundations, and inevitably later education.
The importance of
teachers and the roles they play in any educational system cannot be
over-emphasized. Teachers are usually linked to issues related to
teaching-learning goals, learning achievement, organization of
programmes, and the performance of the educational system which
involves an analysis of the role of teachers their behaviours,
performance, remuneration, incentives, skills and how they are used by
the system (Federal Ministry of Education and Youth Development, 1994).
The National Policy on Education (1981), in recognition of the
importance of teacher quality, states, "No education system can rise
above the quality of its teacher". It is a shared view that the quality
of any education system depends largely on the competence, commitment
and motivation of the teachers (Mbanefoh, 2002). In the same vein, the
1993 summit of the Nine High Population Developing Countries held in
New Delhi, India was emphatic about the relevance of qualitative
teacher production in the success of Universal Basic Education. In line
with the aforementioned, Ede (2003) opined that the success of any
system of education depends to a large extent on the number of teachers
and their quality, their devotion to duty and their effectiveness on
the job. In sum, talking also on the role of teachers in the
development of Africa, Fafunwa (in Ede, 2003) noted that of all the
educational problems that beset the African countries today, none is as
persistent or as compelling as the one relating to the training of the
competent teacher… indeed the overall problem of preparing the future
citizens of Africa cannot be effectively accomplished without aid of
competent teachers.
In this regard, the
responsibility of government on pre-primary education according to the
National Policy on Education (2004) shall be to promote the training of
qualified pre-primary schoolteachers in adequate number, contribute to
the development of suitable curriculum, among others. However,
Maduewesi (2003) observed that teacher preparation which was promised
in the National Policy on Education is not being implemented thus
nursery school curriculum is not actually being planned by qualified
teachers that are adequately trained for that level (early
childhood/pre-primary education).
Early
childhood/preprimary education according to the National Policy on
Education document is the education provided in an educational
institution to children prior to their entering the primary school. It
includes the crèche, the nursery, and the kindergarten (NPE, 2004).
Ibiam and Ugwu (2009) defined it as the education designed to develop
the habits, altitudes and skills needed for primary education.
Maduewesi (2005) believes it encompasses the care, development, and
education of children below the age of six years. The earliest years of
a child's life are very critical. They influence how the rest of
childhood and adolescence unfold. Yet, in most developing countries,
including Nigeria, the policies, programmes and budget of the nations
have not reflected the seriousness with which the matter ought to be
addressed.
Research reports have
confirmed that children from conception to six years of age undergo
radical mental and physical development. In addition, those children,
if given good care during early childhood, are more likely to benefit
from later education and other social services, and become more
productive, healthy, and law abiding citizens (UNICEF in Ibiam &
Ugwu, 2009). Research has also shown that the last three months of
prenatal life and the first two years after birth are the most critical
periods of brain growth because more than half of the adult brain
weight is added at this time (FGN/UNICEF, 2001). As such, children need
more stimulation and learning opportunities beyond the scope of their
parents and ordinary teachers. To achieve these ideals, training in
integrative and innovative thinking strategies needs to be introduced
in early childhood teaching practices to enhance quality teaching and
teacher production.
Quality in education
embraces all function and activities of teaching and academic
programmes, research and scholarship, staff, students, facilities,
equipment services to the community and academic environment (UNESCO,
1998). The National Research Council's 2001 synthesis of research on
preschool education (in Sacks and Ruzzi, 2005) concludes that teachers
with strong intellects, education, and training are effective preschool
teachers. Specifically, teachers with at least a bachelor's degree are
correlated with programmes leading to higher quality programmes. The
Cost Quality and Child Outcomes study (in Sacks and Ruzzi, 2005) showed
a clear impact of the quality of the preschool on children's
performance through second grade. Children attending higher quality
preschools had better language, Math and social skills than those
attending a lower quality one. Those at risk of school failure
benefited the most from attending a higher quality preschool and were
most negatively affected by attending a lower quality one. The study
also showed the closeness of the relationships between children and
preschool teachers to have a significant and lasting impact on academic
and social abilities.
There is now a strong
consensus on the many benefits of preschool. Sacks and Ruzzi stated
that studies have shown that attending a high quality preschool
programme not only increases children's readiness for kindergarten, but
also causes positive long-term improvements in participants' school
performance and social outcomes. Among the documented results of
preschool education are lower rates of grade retention, increased rates
of high school graduation and less likelihood of being convicted of a
crime for both juveniles and adults. Preschools have the greatest
impact on children living in poverty and those who do not speak English
at home. (Perry Preschool Study, in Sacks and Ruzzi, 2005). It
therefore remains a puzzle as to why preschool programmes in Nigeria
are not receiving adequate attention.
Sacks and Ruzzi reported on two popular innovative model approaches applicable to preschool education. The first is the Montessori philosophy
built on the belief that children are highly capable learners who need
minimal teacher input to learn from their environments. Key elements of
the Montessori Method are mixed age classrooms (integrated), student
autonomy in choosing learning tasks and experiential learning. The
second innovation is strong parent involvement to further the goals of
promoting critical thinking and collaboration among young children.
This one is popularly known as Reggio Emilia approach.
It is focused on strong home-school relationships, long-term projects,
the recognition that children possess multiple symbolic languages, and
the role of the child's environment as teacher (Sacks and Ruzzi, 2005).
Teachers are expected
to be continually engaged in the process of learning about young
children, both through ongoing professional development and through
careful observation of the children in their classes. The teachers then
reflect together on what they have learned and use such experience as a
basis for future activities intended to expand on initiatives of the
child. In this way, the Reggio Emilia approach bases its success not on
formal curricula, but on an approach to educating children that give
the children themselves a significant role in determining classroom
activities. Marcon (2002) research further shows that children who
attend preschool programmes that emphasize child-directed activities do
significantly better academically in later schooling than children
whose preschool experience is more academic and teacher- directed.
Integration is another concept that applies to the general planning of
the pre-primary educational programme in order to create harmony
between goals and objectives; as well as programmes and outputs there
from (Adaralegbe, 1992). It is used with a view to synchronizing the
needs of the individual citizens and learners, as well as the society
at large in relation to the environment and the harsh reality of the
socio-economic realities of the modern worlds within the limit of
available resources to the education sector. The question is: can
Nigeria be said to have achieved this?
A good number of
nursery schools in Nigeria are still run by private individuals despite
the government lip service of getting involved. The programmes are
still faced with the challenges of providing quality training and
recruitment for teachers on a continual basis, provision of learning
materials that are age appropriate and a nationally accepted curriculum
for teaching the children. In a survey of nursery schools in Nigeria,
Ejeh (2006) noted that nursery schools in Nigeria currently operated on
university campuses, schools premises, premises of industrial and
business organizations, church premises, town halls, and residential
buildings must be assessed for quality assurance in all sectors of the
curricula, including aesthetics. The facilities and equipment are
considered generally poor and ineffective; yet, only wealthy
individuals can afford to send their young ones to the institutions. In
another survey on nursery school and caregivers, Ezirim (2004) noted
that of the 1,429 teachers in nursery schools surveyed in the South
Eastern part of Nigeria, below 20% of the observed centers have
teachers who with Nigeria Certificates of Education (NCE), much less
university degrees. Many were high school graduates who were waiting to
complete the requirement for university education. These high school
graduates were using the nursery school as a temporal workplace
(stopover); as a result, the school proprietors and proprietresses pay
them low wages. Furthermore, these often inexperienced, under-
motivated teachers have too much workload, therefore, resulting in the
children receiving ineffective education and inadequate care, which is
bound to affect their eventual growth and intellectual development. The
issues, therefore, lies on whether there are integrative and innovative
practices in Nigerian early childhood education system; as well as the
views of preschool teachers concerning such practices.
Research Question
The following research questions guided the study.
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the
opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to use of
instructional materials in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
-
To what extent will
there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early
Childhood teachers in respect of need for formal academic instructions
in Early Childhood Education (ECE)?
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to
assessment of preschool children based on their interest, needs, and abilities?
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to
availability of hands-on materials?
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the
opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to training needs of
preschool teachers?
-
To what extent will
there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early
Childhood teachers with respect to use of whole group instruction and
rote learning strategies?
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to
availability of appropriate curriculum?
-
To what extent will there be percentage and mean difference in the opinion of Early Childhood teachers with respect to
integration of families and the communities in pre-primary education?
HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study at .05 probability level.
Ho1 There is no significant difference in the mean scores of public and
private preschool teachers with respect to teaching qualifications.
Ho2 There is no significant difference in the
mean scores of public and private preschool teachers with respect of
years to teaching experiences.
Ho3 There is no significant difference in the
mean scores of public and private preschool teachers' overall responses
measured by Early Childhood Programme Instrument on Integration and
Innovation (ECPAI).
Method
This study is a descriptive survey research, designed to elicit
information on the quality of early childhood programmes and practices
in public and private owned preschool establishments in Nsukka urban
area. The administration of Early Childhood Programme Assessment
Instrument on Integration and Innovation (ECPAI) was conducted by the
researchers and other research assistants in Nsukka urban, area of the
study. The sample for the study was drawn from pre-primary schools in
Nsukka urban. Early childhood centers in twelve (12) primary schools in
Nsukka town were selected using purposive random sampling procedure.
The researchers due to fewer numbers of preschools and preschool
teachers in Nsukka administered 112 copies of ECPAI to all available
target respondents in the sampled schools.
The ECPAI, a nine-item, four points
Likert-type scale was used in scoring responses to the research
instrument. It was constructed and validated to elicit responses from
preschool teachers on the quality of instructional materials, need for
formal academic instructions, teaching and learning strategies,
availability of hands-on material, training need of teachers,
appropriate curriculum, and integration practices. To ensure the face
and content validity of ECPAI, copies of the instrument were evaluated
by experts in Early Childhood Education, and Educational Psychology.
Clear guidelines, the purpose of the study, and research questions were
provided and informed participants of the evaluation procedure. The
experts' comments were used in modifying the items and improving the
overall adequacy of the instrument; thereby making for clarity,
appropriateness of language, expressions, and instructions to the
respondents.
A trial testing was equally conducted on ten preschool
teachers in a pre-primary school other than the sample for the study,
who responded to the initial draft of ECPAI. The overall responses of
the respondents helped the researchers determine further item clarity
and conciseness, inter-item correlation and reliability coefficient of
the instrument. In order to estimate the internal consistency of the
ECPAI instrument, data obtained from the trial testing was subjected to
Cronbach procedure for reliability analysis, which is apt for
non-dichotomously scored Likert-type scale measurement. The normal
Cronbach alpha of 0.81 obtained, indicated high internal consistency of
ECPAI items. ECPAI items were analyzed; thus, items with corrected
item-total correlation of less than .3 that boosted the reliability
index were deleted. After the administration of ESAQ by the
researchers, responses to the measuring instrument were collated and
analyzed statistically. The Research questions for the study were
answered using percentage and mean statistics, while the hypotheses
were tested using Paired Samples tests. The four-point scale of
strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and strongly Disagree
(SD) was used in measuring individual responses. The reversed phrased
items were given proportionate interpretation in negative order of 4,
3, 2, 1 respectively. The mean rating of 2.50 determined based on the
measuring scale informed decisions to either Agree or Disagree with the
research questions since each item mean could either fall below or
above 2.50.
Results
The results of the study are presented as follows:
Research Questions
Table 1: The Percentage and Mean rating of Early Childhood Teachers
|
|
SA
|
A
|
D
|
SD
|
|
|
|
No
|
Item Description
|
P (%)
|
P (%)
|
P (%)
|
P (%)
|
MEAN
|
DECISION
|
|
1
|
Any instructional material will do for
children in early childhood
|
20.7
|
15.3
|
37.8
|
26.1
|
2.31
|
Disagree
|
|
2
|
Children in nursery school do not need formal academic instructions
|
9.9
|
15.3
|
39.6
|
35.1
|
2
|
Disagree
|
|
3
|
Whole group instruction and learning by cramming are not appropriate for nursery children
|
14.5
|
22.7
|
40
|
22.7
|
2.30
|
Disagree
|
|
4
|
Assess nursery children based on their
interest, needs and ability is not necessary
|
7.3
|
15.5
|
31.8
|
45.5
|
1.85
|
Disagree
|
|
5
|
Our school does not have materials that will assist nursery children to develop their talent
|
20
|
21.8
|
20
|
38.2
|
2.24
|
Disagree
|
|
6
|
Our teachers have not been trained on how to work with children
|
5.5
|
7.3
|
28.2
|
59.1
|
1.59
|
Disagree
|
|
7
|
We do not have a curriculum to use in teaching nursery children
|
12.7
|
12.7
|
29.1
|
45.5
|
1.93
|
Disagree
|
|
8
|
No need to teach children in our culture by involving the parents and community in our nursery schools
|
9.2
|
12.8
|
30.3
|
47.7
|
1.83
|
Disagree
|
|
9
|
I have not received training in how to work with nursery children
|
8
|
13.4
|
38.4
|
40.2
|
1.89
|
Disagree
|
F= frequency P= Percentage
Data presented on Table 1 above shows that the mean responses of
respondents to all the items are well below the mean rating 2.50. These
findings seem to suggest that all the respondents conversely agreed
that appropriate instructional materials, formal academic instructions,
use of teaching and learning strategies, use of hands-on materials,
training of teachers, appropriate curriculum, and integration of
families and communities are essential to early childhood education in
Nigeria. The 63.9, 74.7, 62.7, 77.3, 58.2, 87.3, 74.6, 78, and 78.6
percentage ratings on Disagree and Strongly Disagree responses further underscore the importance of innovative and
integrative teaching practices in Early Childhood Education.
Hypotheses
|
Table 2: Mean and Standard Deviation Scores on Teachers Responses to ECPAI
|
|
|
Mean
|
N
|
SD
|
Std. Error Mean
|
|
Pair 1
|
Teacher Qualification Public
|
4.33
|
51
|
.476
|
.067
|
|
Teacher Qualification Private
|
3.39
|
51
|
1.218
|
.171
|
|
Pair 2
|
Teaching Experience Public
|
20.11
|
36
|
6.265
|
1.044
|
|
Teaching Experience Private
|
5.42
|
36
|
4.305
|
.718
|
|
Pair 3
|
Public Overall responses
|
18.98
|
50
|
4.488
|
.635
|
|
Private Overall responses
|
16.68
|
50
|
4.901
|
.693
|
Data displayed on Table 2 above show a mean rating of 4.33, and SD
score of .476 for public preschool teachers, and a mean rating of 3.39
and SD score of 1.218 for private preschool school teachers with
respect to teacher qualification. Table 2 also shows a mean rating of
20.11 and SD of 6.265 for public preschool teachers, and a mean rating
of 5.42 and SD of 4.305 for private preschool teachers with respect to
years of teaching experiences. A mean rating of 18.98 and SD of 4.488
for private preschool teachers, and a mean rating of 16, 68 and SD of
4.901 for private preschool teachers with respect to overall responses
to ECPAI were equally obtained. Thus, these results seem to suggest
that public preschool teachers were better qualified, more experienced
and different in their overall responses to ECPAI.
Table 3: Paired Samples Test Scores on Preschool Teachers Responses to ECPAI
|
Mean
|
SD
|
t
|
df
|
Sig. (2-tailed)
|
Correlation
|
Sig.
|
|
Pair 1
|
Teacher Qualification Public - Teacher Qualification Private
|
.941
|
1.302
|
5.160
|
50
|
.000
|
.011
|
.936
|
|
Pair 2
|
Teaching Experience Public - Teaching Experience Private
|
14.694
|
6.187
|
14.251
|
35
|
.000
|
.362
|
.030
|
|
Pair 3
|
Public Overall responses - Private Overall responses
|
2.300
|
6.296
|
2.583
|
49
|
.013
|
.103
|
.478
|
Ho1 There is no significant difference in the mean scores of public and
private preschool teachers with respect to teaching qualifications.
Data depicted on Table 3 above
clearly indicates that public preschool teachers are more qualified
than the private preschool teachers. This assertion is predicated on
t-computed value of 5.160, which is obviously greater at .000 level of
significance. Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected for an alternative
hypothesis of significant difference in the mean qualification scores
of public and private school teachers.
Ho2 There is no significant
difference in the mean scores of public and private preschool teachers
with respect to years of teaching experiences.
Likewise, the public preschool
teachers are markedly more experienced than their counterparts in the
private sector. This is because the t-calculated value of 14.251 is
highly significant at .000 probability level. Thus, the null hypothesis
is rejected for an alternative hypothesis of significant difference in
the years of teaching experience of public and private preschool
teachers.
Ho3 There is no significant
difference in the mean scores of public and private preschool teachers'
overall responses measured by Early Childhood Programme Instrument
(ECPAI).
Statistical results shown on Table 3
above once more clearly indicate that in all parameters measured using
ECPAI that Public preschool teachers were different in their opinion of
early childhood integrative and innovative programmes. This is due to
the t-computed value of 2.583, which is greater at .013 level of
significance. Public preschool teachers are not significantly related
with Private preschool teachers in all ramification of assessment using
ECPAI (as shown by .011, .362, and .103 coefficient scores in Table 3
above). Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected for an alternative
hypothesis of significant difference in public and private preschool
teachers' overall responses measured by Early Childhood Programme
Instrument (ECPAI).
Discussion
The findings of the study have shown that there is a difference in the
teaching qualifications of public and private preschool teachers. Data
on Table 2 and 3 indicate that public preschool teachers were
significantly more qualified than the private preschool teachers. While
all the 51 public preschool teachers were qualified with NCE and B.Ed
certificates, six had SSC, five had TCII, three had an ordinary
Diploma, the rest had NCE, B.Ed and above certificates. In addition,
the Paired Samples Correlation score with respect to teaching
qualification clearly confirmed that there is no relationship between
public and private preschool teachers studied. These findings lend
credence to some survey studies conducted by Ezirim (2004); the
National Research Council's 2001 synthesis of research on preschool
education (in Sacks and Ruzzi, 2005; Mbanefoh, 2002; & Maduewesi,
2003). Their findings suggest that teachers with strong intellects,
education and training are more effective preschool teachers.
Specifically, those teachers with at least a bachelor's degree are
correlated with activities leading to higher quality programmes. Thus,
while public schools have more qualified preschool teachers and less
involvement and establishments in early childhood education, the
private preschool teachers should be put to quality trainings in order
to upgrade their qualifications.
Results in Table 2 and 3 also show that public
preschool teachers were significantly more experienced than the private
preschool teachers. This finding is supported by the National Policy on
Education (1981); Mbanefoh (2002); Ede (2003); and Fafunwa (in Ede,
2003). Their findings summarily suggest that a successful system
depends to a large extent on the competence of her teachers, their
devotion to duty, and their effectiveness on the job. Competence is a
product of skillfulness, experience and motivation to duty. Thus, there
is an urgent need to constantly train and retrain preschool teachers,
particularly private preschool teachers, on a termly basis in order to
foster an increasing teaching experience that long years of practice
endows those in the public sector.
Results on Table 3 show that public preschool
teachers responded significantly different in their opinion of use of
integrative and innovative approaches for early childhood education.
The integrative and innovative skills measured by the ECPAI instrument
are as follows : use of appropriate instructional materials; need for
formal academic instructional; appropriateness of whole group
instruction and rote learning; availability of hands-on materials;
assessment based on interest, needs and ability; availability of ECD
curriculum; family and community involvement in ECE and
training/re-training needs of preschool teachers. The higher mean score
obtained by public preschool teachers in overall responses indicated
their perception of integration and innovation as very needful in ECE.
This finding is seriously supported by the findings of Ejeh (2006);
Mindes (2007); Marcon (2002); UNESCO (1998); and Sacks and Ruzzi
(2005). Their findings suggest that children do significantly better in
an ECD programme that is child-directed, is less academic, has strong
parental involvement to further the goals of promoting critical
thinking and collaboration among young children, respects cultural
diversity, uses appropriate early intervention assessment, and links
curriculum with assessment practices appropriately.
Nevertheless, the researchers observed that
preschool teachers studied acknowledged the use of a whole group
instrument and rote learning strategies; which invariably contradicts
the findings of Marcon (2002) and Sacks and Ruzzi (2005) studies. The
need to innovate teaching practices in Nigerian preprimary institutions
by modifying or doing away with the traditional teacher directed
academic approach for a more result-oriented, child directed approach
is imperative. The latter will make for an enabling environment where
the need, abilities, interests and talents of the child are identified
through individual instruction and assessment, and then maximized
through teacher facilitated but unlimited learning activities that uses
hands-on materials.
Conclusion
A good number of nursery schools in Nigeria are administered by private
individuals despite the policies requiring governmental intervention
and involvement in the early childhood education administration. The
Early Childhood Development programme in Nigeria is confronted with
challenges of training, recruitment and certification of early
childhood caregivers. Provision of continuous capacity building
trainings, learning materials that are age appropriate and a nationally
accepted child-friendly curriculum for teaching preschool children are
indispensably needed. On the other hand, strong home-school
partnership, long-term projects, the recognition of multiple symbolic
languages possessed by children, and the role of child's environment as
teacher must be prioritized. It is understood that Early Childhood
Education should not be solely based on formal curricular, but on
child-directed education. Nigeria should reflect on early childhood
policies and practices in developed nations like the United States to
improve on current system. The United States government under President
Obama has shown commitment to providing the support that young children
need to prepare to succeed later in school. The President supports a
seamless and comprehensive set of services and support for children,
from birth through age 5 via empowerment and urging American state
governments to impose high standards across all publicly funded early
learning settings, develop new programs to improve opportunities and
outcomes, engage parents in their child's early learning and
development, and improve the early education workforce (ED.gov, 2010).
Such strides are evident in the public education laws and policies in
America, like the No Child Left Behind, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title V, Part D, Subpart 14, Sec. 5542; U.S.C.
7269a, among others.
Recommendations
In consonance with the National Research Council's and Eager to Learn:
Educating our Preschoolers' recommendations (in Sacks & Ruzzi,
2005), the following recommendations are apt for producing high quality
teacher for Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Nigeria.
- Capacity building
workshops should be organized to train or retrain preschool teachers so
as to address the observed gaps in and discrepancies between teacher
qualification and experiences.
-
ECE teachers should have a minimum of NCE qualification with specialized ECE courses.
-
Teacher preparation programmes should give them better knowledge of
children's development and of appropriate pedagogy for young children.
-
ECE teachers should go through supervised student teaching or internships
-
ECE programmes should have qualified supervisors
-
There should be more research into effective preparation practices for an ECE teacher.
-
Federal and state agencies should fund curriculum development, field-testing, and assessments for ECE.
-
Minimum standards for ECE programme should be developed nationwide.
-
States should monitor evaluate/update periodically the implementation
of developed programmes/content standards. This should be a task for
all state Ministries of Education.
-
The federal government should fund high-quality preschools for all children.
-
States should develop a single career ladder for ECE teachers with adequate work incentives.
-
ECE programmes should be integrative, through formation of strong alliance with families and the community.
-
ECE programmes should be innovative, through child directed teaching and learning process.
References
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