CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Educational development in Nigeria has over the period been
treated with kid gloves. For a nation to be able to compete favorably
with its contemporaries, a lot has to be done and invested in educating
its citizenry. For Nigeria as a country to be judged educationally
developed, a lot has to be done and this should start from the mindset
of our youths as the development of education in Nigeria has to be
sustained by this vibrant age grade in other to make a lasting
impression on the fabrics of the nation. Educational development in
Nigeria has to be a collective responsibility in other to realize this
dream. Youths and adults must see it as a tool for economic development
which must not be treated with kid gloves. The more interested our
future leaders are in educational development the less the illiteracy
rate in Nigeria. Over the period, Nigeria has witnessed a slow but
steady rise in educational development spanning from the pre-colonial to
the post-colonial dispensation. Our students are a principal agent in
this onus task of educational development in Nigeria. Nigeria has made
considerable progress in the domain of education. The educational
system in the country is supervised by the state. There are 27 federal
and state-owned polytechnics in Nigeria (Wikipedia, 2012). The first 6
years of primary education are mandatory in Nigeria.
Nigeria is making a steady progress in the development of
education. Many universities and schools have been established by the
state. However, much still needs to be done.
Primary education in Nigeria is in the native language but brings
in English in the third year (Akpan 2011). Higher Education has
developed considerably over the years, which has resulted in a healthy
literacy rate. For educational to be properly developed in Nigeria, our
youths especially our undergraduates in the various institutions of
higher learning must imbibe the culture or must be willing to give back
to the educational sector by going back to the classrooms to assist.
Though this may have been partially achieved by the compulsory national
service where corp members are being deployed to the schools but this
over the period has not yielded its desired result owing to the fact
that they do not find the educational system in Nigeria attractive and
entertaining. In other to minimize brain drain or capital flight in the
educational sector in the country, government has that prerogative to
ensure that the educational system is made as attractive as possible as
this would help develop education in Nigeria which would in turn help
us compete with our contemporaries all over the world.
Statement of the general problem
Despite the recent development in the educational sector In
Nigeria, some pressing issues have been a re occurring decimal in the
problems surrounding educational development in Nigeria. Our youths who
should be at the front burner in the nations development of the
educational sector has suddenly grown cold in their quest for a better
educational system and sector. The near stagnant nature of the
educational sector has had its negative effect on other sectors of the
economy. This malady has equally led to the drastic rise in terrorism
as witnessed in some part of the country. All these and other
unmentioned over bearing consequences has led us to this study in
knowing the real causes behind the lack of interest of the youths in
helping to develop education in Nigeria.
Objectives of the study
The following are the objectives of this study:
- To know the relationship between students course of study and their attitude towards educational development in Nigeria.
- To know the real issues militating against educational development in Nigeria.
- To suggest ways of improving educational development in Nigeria.
- To know the mindset of the youths towards the nature of the educational sector in Nigeria.
Research questions
- Is the educational sector in Nigeria developed?
- How important is the educational sector in Nigeria.
- Do students generally love to be employed into the educational sector in Nigeria?
- Would you willingly want to be a stakeholder in the educational sector in country?
- Has the educational sector improved overtime in Nigeria?
- What are the ways the educational system can be made attractive to the youths?
Research Hypothesis
The following hypotheses will be tested to guide this study;
1. H0: there is no significant relationship between the course of
study of students and their perception towards educational development
in Nigeria.
H1: there is a significant relationship between the course of
study of students and their perception towards educational development
in Nigeria.
- H0: poor educational development does not influence the general economy of Nigeria.
H1: poor educational development influences the general economy of Nigeria.
Significance of the study
The following are the significance of this study:
- This study will unravel the unique relationship between the
discipline of Nigeria’s undergraduates and their attitude or perception
towards educational development.
- This research will also serve as a resource base to other
scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in
this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide
new explanation to the topic
- This study would also suggest ways of making the educational sector more attractive to youths to help boost its development.
Scope of the study
This study is on the relationship between undergraduates’ course
of study and their perception towards educational development in
Nigeria.
Limitations of the study
Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to
impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant
materials, literature or information and in the process of data
collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will
simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This
consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
Definition of terms
Development: an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation.
Education: the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.
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