CHAPTER 1: Introduction
Home Economics is one of the compulsory
prevocational subjects taught at the Junior Secondary Education level in
Nigeria educational system. According to Anyakoha (2007), Home
Economics is a skill oriented field of study that is expected to equip
learners with survival skills that make for self-reliance, employment
and paid employment. Occupational skills are best understood as
competency on resourceful skills capable of steering an individual to be
self-reliant, independent and productive in meeting lives challenges.
Creese, A. (1976) said occupational skills are life survival skills
which an individual needs to function effectively and face the
challenges of life. Occupational skills in Home Economics include food
and nutrition skills, home management skills and clothing and textile
skills. By teaching occupational skills Home Economics Education Program
enables an individual to learn, explore and prepare for a job or trade.
Thus Home Economics could play a significant role in achieving the
goals of the National Economic and Development strategy (NEEDS). These
goals include wealth creation, employment generation, reduction of
poverty, elimination of corruption and the general reorientation of
values.
1.1 Background of the Study
Tertiary institutions offering Home
Economics face enormous challenges. Teachers get frustrated because
there are a few or unavailable facilities to teach and carry out
practical’s. When this happens the products are found wanting when sent
to the job market because they have not fully and confidently grasped
the course content and course work effectively. Lack of facilities has
really been a major problem and students have to buy most of these items
by themselves. These problems have made Home Economics in the tertiary
institutions very expensive, (Flock 1974). Confirming the neglect of
vocational and Technical Education by the government, Anyakoha (2005)
said, lack of modern equipment has also been a major problem as students
read more about sophiscated equipment and have no opportunity of
exploring such equipment for a first-hand information but resort to
pictures in books. Anyakoha, (2007), again complained that due to the
combination of other courses, work in the Home Economics Department has
become tedious, such that it is difficult to plan field trips, visits to
industries, institutions and organizations where these equipment can be
found to aid learning and facilitate class room work. Due to lack of
funds and aid from government and donor agencies to help build more
practice houses, modern equipped food laboratories, textiles and sewing
rooms, spacious demonstration centres and lecture halls, students and
lecturers are clung to the old laboratories and the out dated
facilities. Library facilities are poor, books are lacking and the few
books found are too old, and this makes research and learning very
different on the part of the student. From the ongoing it will be seen
that Home Economics Education has not been given its pride of place as
other professions in the march toward our national transformation. We
are living in a world where science and technology have become an
integral part of the world’s culture. With the increasing rate of
unemployment in Nigeria, an effective training in the major areas of
Home Economics will ensure functional and productive life for
individuals towards national development. The research seek to
investigate the challenges of Availability of teachers and laboratory
facilities for effective teaching and learning of home economics in
junior secondary school in Enugu North (a case study of Enugu north
L.G.A)
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Home Economics is a skill oriented field
of study that is expected to equip learners with survival skills that
make for self-reliance, employment and paid employment. Occupational
skills are best understood as competency on resourceful skills capable
of steering an individual to be self-reliant, independent and productive
in meeting lives challenges. Creese, A. (1976) said occupational skills
are life survival skills which an individual needs to function
effectively and face the challenges of life. Occupational skills in Home
Economics include food and nutrition skills, home management skills and
clothing and textile skills. By teaching occupational skills Home
Economics Education Program enables an individual to learn, explore and
prepare for a job or trade. Thus Home Economics could play a significant
role in achieving the goals of the National Economic and Development
strategy (NEEDS). These goals include wealth creation, employment
generation, and reduction of poverty, elimination of corruption and the
general reorientation of values. In spite of these laudable qualities of
Home Economics as a skill, there are series of challenges which impede
its growth to be one of the pathways to national transformation. Some of
these challenges include, Federal Government’s lukewarm attitude
towards vocational and technical education programmes generally in
Nigerian Universities, the perception of the society towards graduates
of Home Economics as those who could not fit into any other challenging
course, lack of candidates interest as they see the programme as
expensive, inadequate manpower to teach Home Economics at the Junior and
senior secondary school levels; as well as frustration on the part of
teachers because of lack of modern equipment for proper practicals to
mention but a few. The problem confronting this research therefore is to
investigate Availability of teachers and laboratory facilities for
effective teaching and learning of home economics in junior secondary
school in Enugu North (a case study of Enugu north L.G.A)
1.3 Objective of the Study
1 To determine the nature of Home Economics
2 To determine the nature of the effective teaching of Home Economics
3 To determine the Availability of
teachers and laboratory facilities for the effective teaching of Home
Economics in Junior secondary school in Enugu North LGA
3.1 Research Questions
1 What is the nature of Home Economics?
2 What is the nature of the effective teaching of Home Economics?
3 What is the Availability of teachers
and laboratory facilities for the effective teaching of Home Economics
in junior secondary school in Enugu North LGA?
3.2 Significance of the Study
The research proffers a study framework
for the formulation and implementation of policy for addressing
challenges of the availability of teachers and laboratory facilities for
the effective Teaching of Home Economics in junior secondary schools.
It also serves as a source of information for students, Teachers and Home Economic Experts.
3.3 Statement of Hypothesis
1 Ho The level of understanding of Home Economics in junior secondary school in Enugu North is Low
Hi The level of understanding of Home Economics in junior secondary school in Enugu North is high
2 Ho The availability of Teachers and Laboratory facilities for effective teaching of Home Economics is low
Hi The availability of Teachers and Laboratory facilities for effective teaching of Home Economics is high
3 Ho The impact of teachers and laboratory facilities on the effective teaching of Home Economics is low
Hi The impact of teachers and laboratory facilities on the effective teachings of Home Economics is high
3.4 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the appraisal of
the Availability of teachers and laboratory facility for the effective
teaching of Home Economics in junior secondary school.
3.5 Definition of Terms
HOME ECONOMICS DEFINED
Nigerian Education Research and
Development Council (NERDC) (2007) recognized Home Economics as one of
the vocational subjects in the junior secondary school curriculum. This
is aimed at providing students with basic knowledge, skills and
attitudes in the various aspects of family life. It is designed to
enable students integrate basic knowledge learnt with skills and expose
them to the numerous opportunities for successful home making. According
to NERDC (2007), objectives to be achieved by the students of Home
Economics at junior secondary level include to:
- • Contribute to healthy family
- • Develop manipulative skills that will enable the students function
effectively in the society within the limit of their capacity.
- • Develop healthy and aesthetic values, attitudes and skills,
- • Develop the ability to adapt to their changing environment.
- • Develop a sense of inquiry and scientific approach to daily living and appreciate the dignity of labour.
RETENTION DEFINED
Retention is the ability to possess,
use, keep information and ability to reproduce past experiences or
previously familiar materials, much of the experiences one thinks are
not retained were never stored in the long term memory system.
LECTURE METHOD DEFINED
According to Blair,(2007) lecture method
is the commonest method in use by teachers, it does not foster critical
thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. It allows a great deal
of information to be passed to the learner. Lecture method does not
stimulate students’ innovative, inquiry and scientific attitudes. It
encourages students to cram facts which are easily forgotten
TEACHING DEFINED
Teaching is an art of creation and the
product of this creation is the human personality. Teaching is defined
as a systematic activity deliberately engaged in by the teacher to
facilitate the learning of the intended knowledge, skills and values by
the student and getting the necessary feedback (Offorma, 2006).
DEVELOPMENT DEFINED
Hornby (2000) defines development as the
gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced and
stronger. This implies that development implies a gradual or advancement
through progressive change or changes which according to some scholars
is seen as multidimensional involving changes in structures, attitudes
and institutions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the
reduction of inequality and education of absolute poverty.