Enhancing Teacher Trainees’ Capacity for Knowledge Creation through Undergraduate Research Projects

As a tool for discovering and creating knowledge, research is key to institutional and professional development. Hence, the teaching-research nexus has been driving academic activities in higher education, increasing pressure on academics to increase research productivity and develop students’ research capacity. This has informed the emphasis of undergraduate research projects, especially in colleges/ faculties of Education. However, there have been serious concerns for the quality and impact of these student research endeavors. It is against this background that this study focuses on efforts to expand teacher-trainees’ capacity to identify educational issues and generate research ideas from them using participatory research approaches. It reports that close links with schools spurred students’ ability to construct research ideas and that they expanded students’ experience of research; changed their perception of research; and improved their research skills. Recommendations arising out of these findings are discussed

Affective and Cognitive Characteristics of Nigerian Student-Teachers : Towards Developing an Effective Teacher Education Framework <Special Issue : Study results of the Africa-Asia university dialogue for educational development network second phase>

The study analyzes the affective and cognitive traits of teacher trainees in higher educational institutions in Nigeria. This is with the view to develop an effective teacher education framework by using inputs from the trainees, in-service teachers and teacher educators and incorporate their ideas into the structuring and organization of not only the educational programmes but also the admission processes into such programmes. Using inputs from classroom teachers, teacher trainees, teacher educators as well as basic education students, a compilation of the personal and professional characteristics of an effective teacher was drawn. These are then developed into a comprehensive open- and close-ended questionnaire covering trainees' perception of and attitude to teaching, their belief systems, measures of cognitive and affective characteristics as well as test of personality trait. The main sample for the study comprised three hundred teacher trainees drawn from two universities and one college of education from south-west Nigeria. The findings showed that Nigerian teacher trainees possessed varied and widely spread cognitive and affective behaviour some of which are suited for the teaching profession. However, the study could not determine if these attributes are reflective of their personality types prior to exposure to teacher education or not

Spatial Dichotomy in Incidence and Impacts of Abandoned Structures on Residents in Ilorin, Nigeria

The paper examined the spatial variation in the incidence, causes and impacts of abandoned structures in Ilorin, Nigeria. Primary data was collected through questionnaire from 581 residents in selected localities in urban and rural areas. Direct observation and physical counting were carried out to determine the incidence of abandoned structures in the study area. Data on incidence, prevalence and categories of abandoned structures in the study area were summarized using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square was used to test the differences between incidence and causes of abandoned structures in urban and rural areas. Z-score was used to analyze the physical counting of the abandoned buildings and compared the relative raw scores from different localities in the study area on categories of abandonment. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine urban-rural variations in the incidence, causes and impacts of abandoned structures in the study area. Four indices were developed: Causes of Abandoned Structures Index’ (CASI), Environmental Impact of Abandonment Index (EIAI), Psycho-Social Impact of Abandoned Structures Index (PSIASI) and Economic Impact of Abandonment Index (EcIAI). CASI, EIAI and PSIASI were employed respectively to measure causes, environmental and psycho – social impacts of abandonment in Ilorin. It is established that there is significant variation in the incidence and causes of abandoned structures between urban and rural areas of Ilorin. The most pronounced psychosocial effect of abandonment in the study area is ‘theft’ (PSIASI = 4.38). Prominent economic variables of abandonment in the study area range from ‘affecting communal development levy’ (EcIAI = 3.88) to ‘property value decline’ (EcIAI = 3.61) to property vandalization’ (EcIAI = 3.60). The study concluded that environmental impacts of abandonment in the study area varied spatially.  The study therefore suggests that abandoned structure should be identified and compiled by Town Planning Authorities after which the owners could be contacted and mandated to work on the structures based on the level of negative impacts associated with such structures. Some of the government owned abandoned properties could be auctioned or donated to the respective community for better usage. Keywords: Abandonment, Development, Environmental Impacts, Residents DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/58-09 Publication date:September 30th 201

Quality Basic Education Development in Nigeria : Imperative for Use of ICT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has been continuously linked to higher efficiency, higher productivity, and higher educational outcomes, including quality of cognitive, creative and innovative thinking. In response to the global imperative of Education for All, and not willing to be left at lower side of ‘digital divide' Nigeria launched Universal Basic Education in 1999 and developed an ICT policy in 2001. One of the objectives of the policy focused on integrating ICT into the mainstream of education and training, including basic education. This has been evolving through a number of private and donor-funded initiatives though there is the need to ensure effective and sustained use of ICT in mainstream formal education system. This study explores Nigeria's ICT in education policies, implementation efforts, and availability of ICT tools in schools; teachers' knowledge, experience and practices in use of ICT at the basic education level; using qualitative analysis of existing documents and descriptive research design. The survey instrument is a self-designed and validated 50-item questionnaire administered to sampled basic education teachers in Lagos state. Findings showed that Nigeria is yet to fully commit to ICT integration in education as two key ingredients are lacking- skilled teachers and ICT tools and other infrastructures. It was recommended that these issues must be addressed within a focused and implementation committed ICT in education policy

Affective and Cognitive Characteristics of Nigerian Student-Teachers : towards Developing an Effective Teacher Education Framework

The study seeks to analyze the affective and cognitive traits of teacher trainees in higher educational institutions in Nigeria. This is with the view to develop an effective teacher education framework by using inputs from the trainees, in-service teachers and teacher educators and to incorporate their ideas into the structuring and organization of not only the educational programmes but also the admission processes into such programmes. Using inputs from classroom teachers, teacher trainees, teacher educators as well as basic education students, a compilation of the personal and professional characteristics of an effective teacher was drawn. These were then developed into a comprehensive open- and close-ended questionnaire covering trainees' perception of and attitude to teaching, their belief systems, measures of cognitive and affective characteristics as well as a test of personality trait. The main sample for the study comprised three hundred teacher trainees drawn from two universities and one college of education from south-west Nigeria. The fi ndings showed that Nigerian teacher trainees possessed varied and widely spread cognitive and affective behaviour some of which is suited for the teaching profession. However, the study could not determine if these attributes are refl ective of their personality types prior to exposure to teacher education or not