State Public Secondary Schools Research Articles

Principal’s Information Management as a Correlate to their Human Resource Management Practices in Ebonyi State

The study investigated the relationship between the principals’ information management and their human resources management practices in Ebonyi State Public Secondary schools. The paper focused on the relationship between information management and staff orientation and relationship between information management and staff development. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted correlational research design.The population of the study was 4,500 teachers. The sample size for the study was 450 teachers using proportionate stratified sampling technique which represents 10% of the 4,500 teachers in Ebonyi State Public Secondary schools. Self structured type of questionnaire entitled “Human Resources and Information Management Questionnaire (HRIMQ) was used to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was face validated by three experts from the department of Educational Foundations, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. A reliability index 0.74 was obtained using cronbach co-efficient. Data collected were analyzed with Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The study found that a significant positive relationship existed between information management and the two aspects of human resources management studied, via, staff orientation and staff development. Based on the findings of the study some recommendations were made, to include: to upgrade the information resources and facilities of schools for improve service delivery, among others.Â

Analysis of Teachers’ Commitment and Dimensions of Organizational Commitment in Edo State Public Secondary Schools

Abstract The study investigates the level of teachers’ overall commitment and the level of commitment in each of the three dimensions of organizational commitment. This study which adopts the ex-post facto research design uses descriptive statistics to analyze the data. The findings reveal that the overall level of teachers’ commitment to official duties is very high and also high across each of the three dimensions of organizational commitment. It, however, recommends that government should provide funds for training and retraining of teachers so as to meet the challenges of the on-going economic and social reforms in this time of dwindling State and national resources in order to sustain and possibly improve upon this high level of commitment among the teachers to their duties and to the schools.

Universal basic education (UBE) policy implementation challenges: The dilemma of junior secondary schools administrators in Nigeria

The study examined the challenges hindering implementation of the universal basic educational (UBE) policy in Nigeria. The study is a descriptive survey research. The population of the study comprised all the two hundred and twenty one principals in Ebonyi state public junior secondary schools. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 100 principals for the study. Instrument used for data collection is a researcher-structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by three expects. Two from Educational Administration and Planning and one from Educational Measurement and Evaluation options Department of Educational Foundations and Science Education respectively in the Faculty of Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The reliability of the instrument was determined using split-half test method and computed with Cronbach Alpha which yields a coefficient of 0.82. The data collected were analyzed using means scores and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that politics; inadequate funds, poor planning and bureaucratic red-tape syndrome constitute challenges to the implementation of UBE policy in Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended that successive government should consolidate on the existing policy plans for sustainability as well as strengthen the (PRS) units of both universal basic education board (UBEB) and ministry of education (MOE). Key words: Universal basic education (UBE), policy implementation challenges, Nigeria public junior secondary school administrators.

Moribund enrolment problems of Islamic studies students in Ogun state public secondary schools in Nigeria: Causes and remedies

This paper is aimed to investigate causes of moribund enrolment problems of students in Islamic Studies using Ogun State, Nigeria as a case study. The study focused on 520 students of 42 secondary schools. This included students of Islamic Studies and other Muslim students who did not register for Islamic Studies. Measurement scale was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability. This was further subjected to factor analysis for construct and content validity. Researchers thereafter conducted confirmatory factor analysis to establish earlier findings of factor analysis. The study ended with path analysis which the researchers found more robust than multiple regression analysis. Final analysis confirmed five causes of moribund enrolment problems of students in Islamic Studies. Out of these, Job marketability was identified as the main cause which if addressed would solve or reduce the problem to a lower level. Researchers noted however that this could not be achieved without improvement on the Islamic Studies curriculum in use.

Deployment and Utilization of Graduate Teachers and Performance in Nigeria: Public Secondary Schools Experiences in Edo State

Secondary education is a key aspect of educational development. It is so core that it bridges the gap between two levels of education that matters in knowledge based economy. The utilization of teachers in their subject areas is critical to performance and the survival of this level of education. This study had the broad objective to investigate the Deployment and Utilization of Graduate Teachers and performance in Public Secondary Schools Experiences in Edo State. The specific objectives were to determine the level of utilization of graduate teachers in Edo State public senior secondary schools and to identify the level of deployment of graduate teachers in the different teaching subjects in Edo State public senior secondary schools. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was made up of 3366 graduate teachers deployed to 306 public secondary schools in the 18 local government areas as at 2010/2011. A sample size of 396 graduates using multi-stage randomly selected procedure determination from a finite population. Questionnaires were distributed to be filled and returned. Validity of the instrument was measured using content validity, and this was done by experts from the academia. Internal consistency was done using Cronbach alpha coefficient test statistic to test the reliability of the instrument, yielding a coefficient of 0.78. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson product moment correlation at 5% probability level of significance and regression analysis with charts for illustrations. The findings indicated that: There is low deployment and uneven distribution of graduate teachers to public schools in Edo State. Also, poor utilization of these teachers was very obvious. Thus, the study concluded that job performance would be very low. The study therefore recommended that government should carry out an analysis to fill areas of scarcity, rationalize distribution of teachers and ensure there is a balance in deployment. This will create a fair system of graduate teachers’ deployment in both urban and rural areas especially in mathematics and English subjects.

Professional and Technical Competencies Needed by Teachers of Business Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study investigated the professional and technical competencies needed by teachers of business studies in junior secondary school in Ondo State, Nigeria. A sample of 120 of professionally qualified teachers of business studies in Ondo state were randomly selected for the study. PTCCTBSQ which is a 45 item questionnaire developed by the researcher was the instrument used in this study. One of the findings of this study is that that teachers of Business Studies in Ondo State public Junior secondary schools need improvement in instructional planning, implementation and evaluation skills, as well as in core Business skills in relation to the teaching of office practice, shorthand and keyboarding as well as in commerce, bookkeeping and ICT. One of the recommendations of this study is that the identified tasks items where the teachers of Business Studies needed improvement be packaged for retraining of the in-service teachers of Business Studies in Ondo State junior secondary schools.

El colegio y los factores de riesgo familiar en la asistencia a programas de prevención familiar del consumo de drogas

Several studies have indicated that certain aspects of schools may influence parents decision to participate in preventive interventions related to the health of their children. 1) To study the relationship between parental rating of calls for participation sent from the school and family risk factors. 2) To study differences in parents attendance and drop-out for a family-based drug-use prevention programme according to their rating of the calls for participation sent out by the school. 339 families of children aged 12-14 from 3 state (public) secondary schools in the region of Asturias (Spain). It is noteworthy that parents with higher educational level present better parenting practices, and therefore, fewer risk factors in relation to drug use in their children. Furthermore, the presence of fewer risk factors correlated with the items related to attendance and calls for participation and the interest shown in such calls, indicating that the children least likely to use drugs are those whose parents are most actively involved in their education. As regards the effect of the calls for participation on programme attendance and drop-out, we found that parents who attended several sessions have had previous and satisfactory experience of some kind of preventive intervention, and receive with great interest the calls for participation from the school.

Historical Assessment Of The Government's Provision Of Primary And Secondary Education In Lagos State, Nigeria, 1991 – 2005

The study examined the historical assessment of the government's provision of primary and secondary education in Lagos State, 1991 – 2005. In carrying out the study, the investigator adopted historical research method. He made use of both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Ministry officials who are connected with primary and secondary education in the state were interviewed. The study among others showed that there were fairly enough teachers in both primary and secondary schools in Lagos State. It also revealed that most teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the state are professionally qualified. The study recommended that more fund should be provided by the government for primary and secondary schools. Infrastructure in Lagos State public primary and secondary schools should be up graded and modern ones be provided.Infrastructure in Lagos State public primary and secondary schools should be up graded and modern ones be provided. African Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Sport Facilitation Vol. 10 2008: pp. 200-216

The Challenges of HIV/AIDS Counselling in Nigerian Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Kwara State

The study investigated the challenges of HIV/AIDS counselling in Nigerian secondary schools as expressed by school counsellors in Kwara state, Nigeria. The respondents comprised 132 purposively selected counsellors in Kwara state public secondary schools (Male=85; Female=47). Data were collected with the use of a survey instrument and the data were quantitatively analyzed. The study identified the challenges hindering effective implementation of HIV/AIDS counselling in Nigerian secondary schools as ignorance, non-existence of governmental policy on HIV/AIDS counselling in schools and negative attitudes of school administrators, students and teachers to HIV/AIDS. Geographical location and job status had significant influence on the respondents' views of the challenges facing HIV/AIDS counselling in Nigerian secondary schools. The Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) should enlighten Nigerians on the importance of HIV/AIDS counselling in schools.

Educational Opportunities For Agricultural Distance Programs

The study was guided by the following research objectives: (a) determine the demographics of agricultural Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators, (b) determine the demand for distance delivered educational alternatives among agricultural CTE educators, (c) determine the topic or subject areas most desired by agricultural CTE educators wanting distance delivered educational opportunities, (d) evaluate the influence of cost in the demand for distance delivered educational alternatives, and (e) determine the preferred method of distance delivery for additional education or training opportunities by agricultural CTE educators. The population for this study was agricultural CTE educators who were employed in Washington State public and private secondary schools attending the annual summer conference. The study included 249 of the 318 potential respondents. One-hundred ninety five usable surveys were completed for a response rate of 77.5 percent. Data were summarized by mean scores, frequencies, and percentages. The researchers concluded that agricultural CTE educators desired additional distance delivered education or training for personal and professional growth and that it should be available to them in their home area through the use of distance education. Distance education delivery methods to be utilized for this additional education and training were short courses, seminars, and conferences. The topic areas most desired were agriculture technology, plant and animal sciences, and educational technology. In addition, cost was determined to be an obstacle for agricultural CTE educators who desired additional education or training.

The natural history of drug use from adolescence to the mid-thirties in a general population sample.

This study sought to describe patterns of initiation, persistence, and cessation in drug use in individuals from their late 20s to their mid-30s, within a broad perspective that spans 19 years from adolescence to adulthood. A fourth wave of personal interviews was conducted at ages 34-35 with a cohort of men and women (n = 1160) representative of adolescents formerly enrolled in New York State public secondary high schools. A school survey was administered at ages 15-16, and personal interviews with participants and school absentees were conducted at ages 24-25 and 28-29. Retrospective continuous histories of 12 drug classes were obtained at each follow-up. There was no initiation into alcohol and cigarettes and hardly any initiation into illicit drugs after age 29, the age at which most use ceased. The largest proportion of new users was observed for prescribed psychoactives. Periods of highest use since adolescence based on relative and absolute criteria were delineated. Among daily users, the proportions of heavy users declined for alcohol and marijuana but not for cigarettes. Cigarettes are the most persistent of any drug used. Drug-focused interventions must target adolescents and young adults.