ASSESSMENT OF PRACTICAL TEACHING DIFFICULTIES AMONG NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS (NYSC) MEMBERS SERVING AS AD-HOC TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EKPOMA, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The research analyzes the practical teaching challenges faced by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members working as ad hoc teachers in secondary schools in Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. The survey method was used in this study. The population consists of all 86 Batch B (Stream 1 and Stream 2) corps members assigned to Ekpoma, Edo State's public secondary schools in 2022. A questionnaire created by the researcher served as the tool for gathering data. The instrument's Split-Half Reliability coefficient for classroom, environmental, and instructional-based issues was 0.75, 0.78, and 0.82, respectively. The instrument was given to aspiring instructors by the researcher and two trained research assistants. Utilizing percentages (%), means (X), and standard deviations (SD), research issues 1, 2, and 3 were examined (S.D). The findings indicated that the difficulties faced by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) volunteers working as substitute teachers in secondary schools in Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria bordered on classroom management. These difficulties included handling students' poor seating arrangements, managing students' movement into and out of the classroom, preventing disruptive behavior in the classroom, and upholding punctuality rules. The challenges in adjusting to school are a result of the corps members' failure to follow school regulations, the normal school instructors' lack of cooperation with the corps members, and the corps members' lack of participation in extracurricular activities. Some of the instructional-based difficulties experienced by the institution's trainee instructors were student teachers' inability to appropriately use instructional resources and their anxiousness during lesson presentations in the classroom. The during the orientation exercise of corps members in the NYSC camp, it was recommended that special pre-service orientation should be given to corps members; for the purpose of pre-informing corps members on the possible challenges they are likely to face at their various school of primary assignment.