BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS TEACHERS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TEACHING PROFESSION: A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, EKIADOLOR-BENIN 

ABSTRACT

The primary objective of this study was to access and describe the attitude of business education student’s teachers towards teaching profession. The view of 75 students were sampled with questionnaires administered on student , data analysis revealed that majority of the student sampled who were predominantly female, as well as their male counter[art had positive attitude towards teaching profession. Among other things, it was recommended that teaching profession must be improved to enable perspective service teachers in training to choose teaching as a profession.

 TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter One     

Introduction

Background of the study

Statement of the problems

Purpose of the study

Research questions

Significance of the study

Scope of study

Limitations

Definitions of the study

Chapter Two     

Review of literature

Chapter Three  

Research methodology and procedure

Research instrument

Reliability and validity of instrument

Population of the study

Sample size

Questionnaires administration

Method of data analysis

Statistical techniques

Chapter Four    

Presentation of result

Discussion of the results

Chapter Five     

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations

Bibliography

Questionnaires          

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is the key that opens other doors of development and its is the teachers that hold the key to the door of education. The importance of teachers in educational development of any cannot be overemphasized. According to the National Policy on Education (1981) states that “No educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers”. Teaching is one of the oldest profession in the world hence, everybody sees to engage in its because of the simple definition often given to it.   

Akinpelu (1981:94) defines teaching as the conscious deliberate effort by a mature or experience person to impact information, knowledge, skills to any immature or less experience person with the intention that the latter will learn or come to believe that he is taught on good ground. Teaching represent various activities undertaken by a more experience and more knowledgeable persons to influence the behaviour of the other persons.

Bell-Gam (1998:96) posited that there are number of activities in the classroom which may be called teaching. For instance, writing on the blackboard for students to copy, classroom discussion between the teacher and his student etc. Thus, for any activities to be called teaching. Akinpelu (1981:94) argued that it must be done in a way that is pedagogically sound and acceptable. In modern Nigeria, that is a vulgar rush by the students for professions like medicine, engineering, law and accounting. Similarly, those already in this profession are striving hard to make them more attractive and there is that element of pride and self identification among members of above professions. All these make them more attractive to the students and other members of the public. But unfortunately, the teaching profession which was one of the earliest profession in Nigeria has be relegated to the background and least attractive to students. It will be recalled that before the advent of crude oil and rapid growth in the banking and other private sector, teaching attracted a large number of students during the 1940s through late 1960s secondary school leavers including university students usually made teaching their first part of call but it is obvious in out contemporary society that teaching is now seen as a profession for the dregs, while many sees it as a profession for the women. Interaction with many students in the institution teachers in training shows that while a few of them (especially the female) love teaching profession. Most of them react very negatively on the profession. Many parents from the occupation regarded as a worst job any person could be employ to do. Remark like “God forbid” “My children will never be a teacher”. Teachers has not be paid for the past few months are common discouraging remark from parents and teacher alike.     

   There are general poor attitude of college of education students towards the teaching profession. Several reasons have been adduced to this, it is not surprising however that the society today has little or no esteem for teachers. This is because teaching is saddled with a lot of problems., the motivation of fulfilling the function of teachers in the classroom is depressed by this low esteem persons realizing low prestige and reward from their occupation direct the energies and interest away from fulfilling their occupational function towards for instance, activities designed to enhance their economic substances. It is also observed that the poor public image of teachers as compared with those of other professions another discouraging reasons students teachers have for detesting the profession. Some of them also get scared of facing large class that contain an average of seventy pupils or more in an effective teaching and learning process. Moreover, for the fact that the teacher’s salary is so small that it is hardly sufficient for him to pay monthly bills it is not even regularly paid this make his morale to be low.

The attitude of Nigerian students towards teaching profession is not peculiar to this country. It is universal problems and it has continued to engaged the attention to government of numerous nation of the world and international organization particularly the international labour organizations (ILO) for example, the 19891 international labour organization second joint meeting on conditions of work teachers held in Geneva in November, 1991 participants were more concerned with the poor income of teachers. They also deployed the late payment of teacher’s salary in member’s nations. In this analysis, efforts will be made to determine the reasons why students do not embrace teaching. Attempts will be made to justify certain claims made above; suggestions will also be proffered on how to make teaching profession attractive to student. 

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The researcher intent to identify the problems associated with the attitude of College of Education Students to3ards the teaching profession. In doing this, the following will be examined;

1. The social, economic, educational, religions, and political implication of the attitude of these students towards the teaching profession.
2. The condition of admission of the students;
3. The problem saddling the teaching profession;
4. Attitude of some provost of College of Education towards the provision of essential facilities that could lead to effective teaching and learning activities.

1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

In order to be able to have a clear direction this study follows certain objectives have been bear in mind. Some of them are;

1. To find out some of the reasons that make attitude of College of Education students towards the teaching profession unique.
2. List of the social, economic, educational, religious and political implications of the attitude of the students to the development of moral in this nation.
3. Identify the problems that discourage the student’s teachers in the teaching and learning process.
4. Analyze some attitudes of College of Education students towards the teaching profession.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions are formulated;

1. What are the attitudes of College of Education of students towards the teaching profession?
2. What are the problems of teaching profession?
3. What are the discouraging reasons students teacher have for detesting the profession?
4. Do students embrace teaching as a profession?
5. Do parents regard teaching profession as a job, any persons could be employed to do?
6. What are the attitude of some provost of Colleges of Education towards the provision of essential facilities that could lead to effective teaching and learning activities?

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

        The study will be contributing to educational knowledge regarding the various factors affecting students of education view towards teaching profession.

        To make students aware that teaching profession is for those that are academically wear, but for the intellectuals in the society. 

        The knowledge of those factors will be helpful to counsellors, parents and those who come to remedy of the problem facing teaching in the society.

 The following research questions were carried out in this study.

        The information provided in this study will be helpful to state ministry of education embracing on free education and federal government plans for its qualitative free and functional educational programme.

        This study help to encourage students to choose career in teaching profession as it was stated in the national policy of education (1981) that teacher like other profession will be legally and publicly recognized as a profession.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS

Attitude: Predisposition to perceive behaviour towards specific object or certain people in a particular manner.

Profession: This is an occupation with high status made up of highly trained exerts performing highly specialized role in the society which some others do or cannot perform.

Motivation: Motivation means that willingness to do something without needing to be forced to do it.

Interest: curiosity to know or learn more about something.

Teaching: This is a systematic means of promoting learning.

Student teachers: A learner who is undergoing the process of becoming a teacher.

Teacher: This is a person who is trained to inform, educate, and train a group of people.

Teacher Education: This is an institutionalized procedure through which teacher are trained.