This article is published by the Zamfara International Journal of Humanities.
1Anthonia Omeneke Ohieku, 2Safina Sanusi Sabo
1,2Department of Mass Communication
School of Information Technology
Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa Nasarawa - Nigeria.
1toniaaudu100@gmail.com, 2sabosafina2021@gmail.com
&
Victoria
Ale
Department
of Library & Information Science
School of Informational Technology
Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa Nasarawa - Nigeria.
alev20@yahoo.com
Abstract
Education is the most potent force that can
foster the desired national development of every country. It is the
development of character
or mental power and it
is the pivot of human
resource development. It is through
education that technical know-how could be attained
and sustained. Technical education is seen as that aspect of education which leads
to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge. It is against this backdrop that this research
paper conducts a study on the development of functional curriculum for
the teaching of ICT in Technical and Vocational Education in Nigeria. The paper sees curriculum in ICT
to comprise all the learning experience given to the child under the auspices of the teachers. The paper discuss such terms as technical and vocational education, ICT and curriculum development, factor hindering
curriculum implementation among others. Part of the objectives
of the study was to develop ICT
curriculum for the benefit of
teaching in technical and vocational
education. Questionnaire and interview methods were employed to gather data for
this work. Determinism Theory which
holds that man’s feelings, actions, and thoughts are shaped by evolving technologies was used as the theoretical framework of analysis. The paper discovered among other things
that ICTs are revolutionizing education by removing distance
from education and making knowledge more accessible to all. The paper then concludes that,
distance education through
the use of ICTs is believed by many to hold
potential in addressing critical problems facing
skills development at the present
in Nigeria, and by
extension across the globe
Keywords:
Education, Technical, Vocational, Curriculum, and ICT
Introduction
Growth and development are achieved when members of the society effectively pool their technical
and vocational skills
together to build a sustainable nation.
One cannot divorce
technical education from vocational education
because the two involve
work, and they are practically oriented.
Technical and vocational education is that aspects
of education that facilitates a nation’s
technological, economic and industrial development. In most nations
of the world today,
development is due largely to technical and vocational sector of a nation. No doubt, this step by a nation has always enhanced high quality technical
and skilled manpower.
In Nigeria for example, our polytechnics, monotechnics, and technical colleges have
been producing well trained architect, building engineers, technologists, surveyors, craftmen, technicians and various other artisans
that have successfully been manning our industries, co- operations and institutions and their contributions have always been improving
the economic status of Nigeria.
Indeed, Nigeria as a country is endowed
with different kinds of human
and material resources; and unless these natural resources
are fully taped, they would remain useless.
Indeed,unless resources
is adequately and properly oriented
to ensure effective
participation of all members of a
given society towards proper exploitation and
utilization of the domestic material resources as well as maximization of general welfare
and development of a nation,
the nation would remained
stagnated. The productivity of capital, labour
and other forms ofnatural resources is greatly enhanced
by the level of technical
know- how of a nation. It is
on the realization of this that vocational and technical education
was given prominence of resent by government through our educational system.
Thus, there is no gain saying, that ICTs are revolutionizing
education by removing distance from education
and making knowledge
more accessible to all.
Technology enhanced learning which
plays a crucial role in the development of
a life-long learning culture, and has the capacity to empower learners
by providing them with multiple pathways
that offer alternatives and channels to meet
their education and training needs. Therefore, there is need to develop
effective curriculum for the teaching
of ICT courses in technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
Conceptual
Clarifications
Technical and Vocational Education
Education
simply means the transmission of intellectual and moral excellence. It could be equally seen as the nature of the process
of personal development or growth which if analyzed, forms the socio-political point
of view and deals with influencing members of the community. Steiner
(1981), states that education
involves content, curriculum which is a
selection from culture and a setting. Through
guidance, education enables
the learners to discover
things himself. Education according to Bush-Brown
(1970), is to develop man’s verbal, visual,
and mental capacities for resolution to problems. Therefore, education prepares the young
ones to function effectively as adults of their
society by equipping them with necessary knowledge,
skills and attitudes to enable them effectively operate
the institutions of their society and to improve on them. On the
whole, education especially technical and vocational educations are vehicles
for growth and development of a nation in its entire ramification.
Vocational and technical education is
defined as that aspect of education
which leads to the acquisition of practical and applied
skills as well as basic scientific knowledge. This is a term used
comprehensively to refer to the educational process to which involves in addition to
general education, the study of technologies and related sciences, skills, and knowledge
relating to occupation in various sectors of economic
and social life.
Therefore, the
concept of vocational education aimed at equipping individuals to use their intuitive
to survive in the world
that is essentially on work-oriented.
Thus, the objectives
of vocational and technical education are as follow:
1.
Integration of the individual into a sound
and effective citizen.
2.
Faith in man’s ability
to make rational
decision.
3.
Respect
for the work of the individual.
4.
Moral and spiritual values in interpersonal and human relations.
5.
Shared responsibility for the common
good of the society; and
6.
Social, cultural,
economic, scientific and technological process,
NPE 2004).
Also, taking solace from the words of
Fafunwa, who states that both
technical and vocational education in
traditional societies are forcharacter training and job-orientation. It is a highly useful education
because its occupationalcontents offers
the trainees the opportunity to acquire skills,
attitudes and knowledge
to perform socially
and economically, work that is beneficial not only to them
but to the society Fafunwa (1974).
Indeed, replicating on the history of vocational and technical education
in Nigeria, one will recognize
how education curricula were subjected
to social and political influences aimed at achieving
any political or social
end of government of the time (Umoru, 1999). In fact, the arrival
of British in Nigeria during the colonial
masters, trade and administrators and so on., curricula were used and fine-tuned towards
achieving the vested interest of colonal masters.
After independence in 1960, it became clear that colonial system of education was no longer sustainable
for the people of Nigeria as it has failed to
produce the type of manpower necessary for the
development of the society. The expected sustainable youths’
empowerment was not achieved through the colonial curricula of education.
The foregoing reasons gave birth to the
idea of the National Policy on Education (6-3-3-4
system) which was designed to prepare individuals for useful living in the
society (NPE, 2004). The choice of any vocational and technical education curriculum model is based on the role that technical
colleges or institutions are expected to play
in the society. This means that curriculum must be relevant
to societal needs as stated
by the NPC, 2004 in its national
objectives.
Concept of Curriculum Development
Human learning is a very complex process.
Indeed, spite of years of research in education, our understanding of how human learn still remained
restricted. For this reason, educators strike
to use little that is known about human learning whenever
they engage in the act of teaching and learning. Of course, the
learning process can be divided into
two categories: the first relates
to learning conditions that are internal to the learners. While this is
the area where the potential to improve learning
outcome is the highest, it is undoubtedly the area that is most difficult to affect. The second condition of learning is external to the
learners. Under this category, people
learn through the five senses
and the constitution of each of these
senses to the amount that we learn varies from one another. (Kupsh and Mason,
1986)
A curriculum as a concept is composed of
those classes presumed
or outlines by an institution for completion of a
programme of study leading to the
award of a specific certificate. It could also
be said to be all the courses offered by a college or institution which is required
for a specific certificate.
This then means that curriculum as a concept becomes
a process that involves translating the nation’s broad educational
goals into down to earth realities and of making informed
choices on how the realities can be implemented towards
the ultimate goals of development. This is achieved
through the concrete activities of the schools and
the entire education system.
Indeed, by curriculum development, it further
emphasizes the notionof
curriculum as a process. It implies that,
curriculum is like living organism,
subjects to evaluation and change. It is a process
by which the determinants of curriculum are regularly studied
so that curriculum can always be responsive to the changing
needs of the society.
These determinants are:
1.
Society itself
has never being static.
2.
Education policies
which should be commensurate
to development in the larger society.
3.
The profile of learners is also an ever changing phenomenon.
4.
The condition
of the school is also a determinant by array of societal factors,
etc.
Curriculum
development thus becomes
the continuous means of ensuring
relevance and responsiveness.By relevance, we mean being
up to date or current
with the recent
development.
ICT as a curriculum in technical and
vocational education
Curriculum
encompasses all the learning experience given to the child under
the auspices of the teachers.
The problems that confront most developing countries
of the world after independence, is always identified to be
that of inappropriate curricula and education in such state. Vocational and technical education
curriculum constitutes a broad range of students’ experiences in technical
college settings. Instructions
are given by teachers on curriculum include
these instructions that constitute
a broad range of staffers’ experience. Mbaiorga
(1992) states that instructions focus on
delivery of vocational and technical science
and technology experience in the school.
He further stressed
that instruction may be perceived
as the planned instructions between
the technical teachers
and the students that result
in desirable learning.
He posit that some educators feel that all curricula include structions, while others contend that
sound instructions includes
sound curriculum.
Therefore, when using technology as curriculum, the focus is mainly on the development
of ICT literacy skills. There are two
types of ICT literacy sets. The
first is generic ICT literacy skills such as
keyboarding, word-processing, using database, using spreadsheets, desktop
publishing, and using the Internet
for research and communication (Kasworm
and Londoner, 2000).
The second ICT skill sets are the occupationally specific ICT literacy skills.
Examples of these skills include the ability to use CNC
equipment, work with CAD/CAM,
and operate equipment
with digital system
controls.
Implementation
of vocational and technical curriculum in nigeria
In the opinion of Nwachukwu (2001),
who states that certain factors are essential for
functional vocational and technical
education curriculum implementation. The factors are as follow:
i.
The vocational and technical education curriculum must be humanized. In other words, the curriculum for vocational and technical education
in Nigeria should not
be something foreign to technical college students;
and should not be chosen just because it is traditional. The vocational and technical education
curricula must speak of today, of real life problem facing our communities and societies and the process of living in its entire ramifications. Nwachukwu
explained further that humanizing today’s
vocational and technical
education means making the curriculum responsive to the present situation
of Nigeria. Humanizing vocational and technical education
means training the youth for sustainable and self-reliant empowerment in Nigeria.
ii.
Trainees
must be ready to receive what is
taught. The ability of the trainees to learn depends
on that student’s readiness to learn.
iii.
The
learning experiences must provide the
development of the ability to think. In vocational and technical education, thinking is the process or realizing and finding
solutions to problems.
It has been defined as all those cognitive actions
taken by an individual in advance
of an action as a preliminary to deciding among alternative thinking.
According to Nwachukwu
(2001), it is considered
the whole process of solving a
problem, which is very essential for handling problems- solving situation or carrying
out task in vocational and technical situation.
iv.
The vocational and technical education curriculum must be based on and contain experiences intrinsic
to the life of the learner. There are stages in vocational and technical education and when students pass through the pre- vocational to the vocational concepts and characteristic, they develop new ideas,
shape their values and can by so doing solve their individual problems.
Statement of the Study
It is an obvious fact,
that when using technology as curriculum, the focus is mainly on the development ofICT literacy skills.
Thus, the need
to enhance and sustain the current ICT literacy skill becomes paramountfor the development, growth as well as smooth operation of
teaching in vocational and technicaleducation in Nigeria.
Therefore, the crux of this research
article is to explain, after investigation the benefits of developing technologies curricula for the teaching
of technical and vocational skills in our technical education.
Objectives
of the Study
1.
To Develop
ICT curriculum for the benefit
of teaching in technical and vocational education.
2.
To increase
the use of ICT for the acquisition of Skills in Technical and vocational education
3.
To connect
technical and vocational education with skills and knowledge that is needed
in order to do a particular job.
4.
Research
Questions
5.
How does the development of ICT curriculum is facilitating the teaching
in technical and vocational education?
6.
How
does the use of ICT increase access to
acquisition of skills in our societies?
7.
How does technical and vocational education
connected with skills and knowledge
needed to do a particular job?
Theoretical Framework: Technological Determinism Theory
In the course of this research article,
the researchers depended
on Technological Determinism theory as a guide to find out
the influence of ICT on the teaching
in technical and vocational
education through the development of technological curriculum. Technological Determinism Theory which was propounded by Mashal Mcluhan in the year 1962 as quoted
in Edward (1990), states that man’s feelings,
actions, and thoughts are
shaped by evolving technologies. The theory sees ‘the medium
as the message’ because we learn,
feel and think the way we do because of the current
communication technologies (ICTs) that are available
and we are exposed to. Therefore, the process of teaching in vocational and technological education is being reshaped by the use of ICTs. In other words, it has given
rise to new ways of learning. Thus,
using ICT resources such as the
Internet is now evolving because of the availability of various tools that aids learning process. Indeed, the basic premise of the
Procedure:
Putting into consideration
the fact that the intended purpose
of a scientific investigation of teaching and learning processes, the interview and questionnaire are usually employ as instrument of data collections. Within this
ambit,unstructured interview schedule was used
as instrument to elicit responses from the respondents.
Interview and questionnaire were also used over other method, because
the researchers are of the thoughts that respondents are in need of some level of flexibility
in responding to questions so that it will be possible to obtain instruction that respondent may
not consider important to the study.
Therefore, in obtaining research data for the study, face to face interview, personal observations
as well as the use of questionnaire were employed
by the researchers to elicit responses from some members
of academic staff who teach in federal polytechnic
Nasarawa being a technical institution.
Analysis and Discussion of Results
Technical
and vocational education
is the bedrock of the growth and development of any society. This is against the backdrop that
most societies of the world depend largely
on product s of their industries for sustenance. The technical aspects of this form of education
have to do with the practical acquisition of knowledge in the use of
machines and other science equipment and method
for industrial growth and development of a society. Thus, technical and vocational education
is connected with skills and knowledge that are
needed in order to do a particular job for the sustenance of
mankind. Thus, the increase in the
use of ICT in teaching vocational and technical education in Nigeria has resulted in a major paradigm shift, from a total Technological Determinism is that media are extension of the human body and that they alter not only their
environment but the way message
is received.
dependence on the behaviourist paradigm to
a growing adherence to the
cognitivist paradigm. On the question of how does the use of ICT increase
access to acquisition of skills in our societies? Indeed, ICT increase
access to education in no small measure. It would
have been very difficult, if not
totally impossible for countries to meet the objective of effective learning as it is being practice all over
the world today. It was discovered
from our data that, in Nigeria,
our inability to meet this challenge is self
–inflected because we tend to think of
linear scaling, that is using the same model of education (the conventional method).
The education model developed
for the Industrial Age cannot
achieve educational empowerment effectively in the Information Age. With ICT tools, we should be able to advance the components
of the conventional model into the corresponding components of the model.
On the question of how does the development of ICT curriculum is facilitating the
teaching in technical and vocational education? It was discovered from the analysis
of our data that the rate
at which the Internet is being assed keeps increasing at lightning speed. Teaching-Based Learning
(TBL) can enhance
teaching and learning; it has the potential to become
cost- effective as it offers greater
flexibility regarding time and
location of training delivery. Thus, the introduction and development of the ICT curricula
of teaching in technical and vocational education facilitate acquisition of skills by students. It is not surprising therefore
to see a growing interest
in Teaching-Based Learning
(TBL) across the globe. TBL is the array of hardware and software used in the teaching and learning
systems that include computer-based training systems,
multimedia systems, electronics performance support systems,
as well as the Internet
with World Wide Web systems.
Conclusion
Education
is the most potent force that can foster the desired national
development. Education is
the development of character or mental power and it is the pivot of human resource development. It is through
education that technical know-how could be attained,
sustained and harnessed to bring about desired development of a country. Therefore, vocational and technical
education is a programme designed for sustainable youth empowerment in Nigeria. Thus, the role of Vocational and technical
education cannot be overemphasized for the development and growth of the economy of a nation. On this note, the work concludes that whilst there is a wealth of studies and debate on the use of information and communication technology in university and higher
education, there has been only limited work on the potential
impact for vocational education and training. So, distance education through the use of ICTs is believed by
many to hold promise in addressing critical problems facing skills development at the present
in Nigeria and by extension across the globe
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