Factors Hindering Retention of Basic School Teachers in Border Areas as Perceived by Educational Stakeholder in Katsina State, Nigeria

This study is a descriptive survey research that investigated factors hindering retention of basic school teachers in border areas as expressed by education stakeholders (teachers and community members) in Katsina state of north-Western, Nigeria. A researchers- design questionnaire with psychometrics properties of content validity as well as 0.68 reliability index was administered to 234 respondents. Mean rating with 2.50 as accepted mean score value was adopted to answer the research questions raised in the study. While test was used to test the research hypotheses raised. The results revealed that lack of social amenities of life, lack of special allowances for teachers deployed to serve in the border areas, as well as insecurity of the border areas among others constitute serious part of the factors hindering retention of basic school teachers in the border areas of Katsina State. The researcher recommends that, in the areas, provision of social amenities and adequate security to enhance high rate of teachers’ retention in the border areas. Finally, the researchers also recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should focus special attention on the plight of people living in the border areas. Keywords: Border areas, Teacher retention, Basic Education,  Education stakeholders and Border educatio

An Overview of Nigerian Universities’ Presence on Social Media Platforms

This study is an online survey on the presence of Nigerian universities on social media platforms. The purpose of the paper was to examine the level of presence of Nigerian universities on five social media platforms which include: Face book, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+. Three research questions were generated and one null hypothesis was formulated for this study. In the methodology, the internet served as the primary source of data, while Nigerian universities’ websites were used as secondary sources. All 129 accredited Nigerian Universities by the National Universities Commission were sampled for this study. Descriptive statistics (Percentage, Mean Rating and Standard Deviation) were used to answer research questions 1 and 2 while inferential statistics (Chi-Square) was used to test and analyse the null hypothesis. Report of Micaiah (2014) on Social Media Awareness in Nigeria Education which states that Nigerian universities’ presence on social media is minimal, was used as a guide; its methodology and data were also adapted for this study. The result showed that Nigerian Universities’ presence on social media platforms was 19% which is below par, compared to the unprecedented social media user base among Nigerian university students. In the analysis of the hypothesis, it was revealed that university ownership does not significantly determine the presence of Nigerian universities on social media platforms. It thus recommends that universities in Nigeria should as a matter of urgency, create a central unit of social media services to manage all necessary social media activities of their institutions, and to heighten Nigerian Universities’ presence on social media platforms which would create a mindset on educational goals and attainment among academics and students in Nigeria. Keywords: Nigerian University, Higher Education, Students, Social Media, Interne

Using Idoma cultural puzzle and number riddle game (odiyonee) in the development of children’s cognitive ability among Idoma-Nigerians: bilingual approach

Odi Yonee is the Idoma cultural puzzle and number riddle game used as an evening activity to teach children how to count objects or figures. This study seeks to examine its educational approaches and roles in the development of children’s cognitive ability. It uses cultural instructional techniques in an intellectual condition to impact on the knowledge of Idoma pupils. Its objectives are to help modern teachers develop new ideas with the use of interpretation from cultural and environmental data as a source for the teaching and learning process in modern schools. A study like this will guide our present-day curriculum developers and school teachers to adjust their planning and methods of teaching to the mentality of their pupils by making use of the child’s cultural and environmental data

Indigenous farmers’ and non-farmers’ perceptions on schooling and human-capital development in agro-based rural communities in Southern Benue, Nigeria

The presented study examined the impacts of schooling and human capital-development on agro-based rural communities in Southern Benue, Nigeria, from the perspectives of farmers and non-farmers. This study made use of the descriptive survey method. 1150 farmers and non-farmers were sampled using a multi-stage sampling technique. A researcher-designed questionnaire, interview schedule and observation technique were used for data collection. Mean rating and chi-square were used for data analysis. The results showed that schooling and human capital development (SHCD) had disorientated agro-based work-force in rural communities of Southern Benue, which was ranked 1st with a mean score of 29.6 and the diversion of community resources towards schooling and human capital development (SHCD) instead of farming in rural communities of Southern Benue was ranked 2nd with a mean of 28.8. Also, insignificant difference was found in the perspectives of farmers and non-farmers concerning the impacts of schooling and human-capital development on agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria. It was, therefore, concluded that schooling and human-capital development have created economic and social challenges, not development in the agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria. It is recommended that there is a need for the Government’s strong commitment to addressing the paradox created by schooling in the human input used for sustaining productivity in the agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria

Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence and Moral Character as Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Moral Character in Ilorin South, Nigeria

This study examines secondary school teachers’ level of emotional intelligence and their moral character as predictors of moral character among secondary school students in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State. 106 teachers and 318 students from 20 secondary schools were purposively sampled for the study. Data collected were analysed using mean-scores, standard-deviation and multiple-regression. The study revealed that secondary school teachers’ emotional intelligence predicts secondary school students’ moral character. It was recommended that there is a need for teaching emotional intelligence as a foundation course at all the teacher training institutions in Nigeria