ABSTRACT
The study based on assessing the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to examine the reasons of pre-economics education students to join teaching profession in Nigeria; to assess the student teachers (in service) sights on education profession, To assess the factors that hinder teaching profession in Nigeria and; to identify the strategies for improving teaching profession. A sample of 59 respondents was used, sampled randomly and purposively. Data collection methods were primary and secondary, primary data collection used guided by questionnaires and interviews, secondary data were collected from previous studies, internet and relevant documents from the Ministry of Education. The study revealed that, as students they are satisfied been selected on joining educational as the professional undertaken but most of student teachers only join the professional for employment with job opportunities being the reasons, nonetheless, Majority strongly agree teaching job is their profession with other agreeing that the profession is encouraging. The study concluded that, there are different reasons of pre-economics education students to join the teaching profession in Nigeria, job opportunities was concluded as the main reason of pre-economics education students to join the teaching profession. The study recommended that, The government through the ministry and educational institutions should make more efforts on attracting the majority number of students to join teaching profession. On the other hand, The benefits of the teaching profession must be communicated with incentives packages been amongst the major motivational factor.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Problem
In approximately every community, the stamina of schools within those areas is based on teacher’s availability and competence, if teachers are not available then there is no school. Consequently, the position of teachers should be thoughtful considered and the role is vital for understanding the system of education (Ballantine and Spade, 2007). The whole process of specialization for teachers has been the foundation of expectation and irritation for a long time now. Professionalism for teachers’ means a career that looks to control itself by mounting an accord about what teachers should know and be clever enough to perform as well as developing an official approval which goes in hand with certification system that make certain on the communication of educational knowledge and skills to the concern. A job turn out to be professional when educational facilitators which include colleges, universities, the government and the whole community recognizes the educational system (Wise, 2005).
Teaching being a dynamic activity requires a favourable attitude and certain specific competencies from its practitioners. Teachers’ proficiency depends on the attitude she possesses for the profession. A number of studies have been conducted to assess the influence of attitude towards teaching profession on the teacher’s performance inside and outside the classroom and the factors which have bearing upon it. The study conducted by Jamil (2008) revealed that teaching profession is always looked up as a noble and respective occupation because teachers impart knowledge for the nation, without them there would not be any doctors, engineers, astronauts, politicians and many other professionals. Teachers who posses’ professional and interpersonal skills are more effective in their classrooms in terms of student’s behaviour, attitude and achievement, People’s perceptions on teaching profession largely depend upon their personal characteristics and disposition. Both seems to be interlinked, as the teaching profession require particular dominant behaviours which show desires to extend professionalism and teaching as a life concern. This is a profession which exalts services for personal gains (Okwakol 2009).
A paramount factor in the teaching learning system is the teacher. A sound educational system can flourish if two conditions are successfully met. First is the constant updating and refinement in knowledge and skill of serving teachers and second one is equipping student teachers (teacher trainees) with befitting competencies and positive attitude towards profession. Competencies are specific and demonstrable characteristics or attributes inevitable for teaching professionals to create a convincing and learner friendly environment. Competencies being concerned with three domains of learner’s behaviour are imperative for teacher to bear prime responsibilities (Bhargava and Pathy 2011).
Moreover, Cho (1982) in Hong Kong in his research asserted that, however teaching profession has had a long and difficult history but its social and cultural functions have never been critically challenged and nevertheless the public has not adequately supported teaching compared to other learned profession such as medicine, law, engineering and architecture. In Nigeria, many people escape teaching profession due to different perceptions. For example some do not join teaching profession because they think that it is a profession for the frustrated and poor people, also some consider teaching as not an interesting profession. Moreover, some people choose teaching profession because they believe that teaching is a noble profession and other believe that teachers are trainers of profession, but some people join teaching profession because of having low marks to allow them to be admitted in other professions. The present study is an effort to assess the perception of economics education students doing teaching practice towards teaching profession in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Teaching being a dynamic activity requires a favourable perception and certain specific competencies from its practitioners. Teachers’ proficiency depends on the perception one possesses for the profession. The positive perception helps teacher to develop a conductive learner friendly environment in the classroom. Therefore, it is a teaching profession that makes all other professions possible (Okwakol 2009).
The preparation of such important functionary must conceivably get the highest priority. Teaching is a challenging profession and only those teachers that can shoulder the heavy responsibilities of nation building, they are those that are adequately prepared and have sound professional attitude. The teaching profession has considerably suffered, as it could not attract the best talent because of the poor pay scale, limited prospects of promotion and insecurity of service, particularly in private institutions. No one can deny the fact that the success of any system of education depends upon the quality of teachers (Baros and Elia 2008).
Despite that, the status of the teaching profession in Nigeria has been degrading day after day because of different reasons including poor pay, poor living and working conditions (Komba and Nkumbi, 2008). Therefore, this has led to conflicting perceptions towards the teaching profession. These conflicting views about the teaching profession have resulted into different perceptions of the teaching profession in Nigeria at large. Therefore, this study intends to examine public perceptions about the teaching profession in Nigeria.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The study was guided by general objective and specific objectives as demonstrated below.
1.3.1 General Objective
The main objective of this study was to assess the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice in Nigeria.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives of the Study
Specifically, the study intended;
i.To examine the reasons of pre- education students to join the teaching profession in Nigeria;
ii.To assess the student teachers sights on education profession;
iii.To assess the factors that hinder the teaching profession in Nigeria and;
iv.To identify the strategies for improving the teaching profession in Nigeria
This study was guided by the following research questions;
1.4.3 General Question
What is the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice in Nigeria?
The study was guided by following specific questions;
i.What are the reasons of pre-economics education students to join the teaching profession in Nigeria?
ii.What are the student teachers sights on education profession?
iii.What are the factors that hinder the teaching profession in Nigeria? and
iv.What are the strategies for improving the teaching profession in Nigeria?
1.5 Significance of the Study
To the researcher: The study will be conducted as a partial fulfillment of Masters Degree of Education in Administration, Planning and Policy Studies awarded by Open University of Nigeria.
To Higher Institutions : The study will highlight the reasons of pre-economics education students to join the teaching profession, the student teachers (in service) sights on education profession, the factors that hinder the teaching profession and the strategies for improving teaching profession.
To Policy Formulators: The study will be the significant document to the education policy formulator or framework, the recommendations to be identified will be practical in policy formulation. The study will also open new ideas for those who wish to conduct further policy studies and provide areas for future literatures that will be addressed to the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice in Nigeria.
To other researchers: This study will open new ideas for those who wish to conduct further studies on the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice. It will also contribute to the knowledge base on students perception and the teaching profession among higher institutions in Nigeria.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study intended to assess the perception of the teaching profession among economics education students doing teaching practice in Nigeria. This study was conducted among economics education students in Open University of Nigeria and university of Lagos. The study involved relevant students from these two universities and lecturers of the teaching professionalism basing on the student perceptions.
Specifically, the study was based on assessing the reasons of pre-economics education students to join the teaching profession, the student teachers (in service) sights on education profession, factors that hinder the teaching profession and the strategies for improving the teaching profession in Nigeria.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The research expected to face dissimilar restrictions as argued underneath:
Among the issues that the researcher faced as hold backs include time, time was of the essence here; the time provided from the proposal up to dissertation writing up was not enough and donated to the holdup in several phases, due to other issues collecting information took a lot of time. In fact, the few months period given for data collection were not sufficient.
Inadequate finances were another factor which limited the study, as the whole process of conducting a study required money. Researcher movements beginning from a solitary position to a different one throughout the process of accumulating relevant information, communications and resources were sometimes restricted by means of lacking sufficient investigative money.
Another constraint limitation the researcher faced was the willingness of respondents to respond to questionnaire, for some respondents they took long time to answer and return the questionnaires, and others claimed to lost the questionnaires, others respondents gave biased answers to the problem which touched their personal interest and people’s area of specialization.
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