Articles

Rethinking Nigeria’s Education: A Philosophical Analysis of Transforming the Education System to Meet 21st Century Compliance

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Rethinking Nigeria’s education system is imperative to meet the demands of the 21st century. This philosophical analysis examines the need for transformation in Nigeria’s education system, highlighting the gaps between current practices and 21st-century compliance. The analysis reveals that the existing system prioritizes rote memorization over critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, rendering it ineffective in preparing students for an increasingly complex world. This study argues that a paradigm shift is necessary to align Nigeria’s education system with 21st-century requirements. It proposes a student-centered approach that emphasizes competency-based education, technology integration, and community engagement. By adopting this approach, Nigeria can develop a more inclusive, effective, and resilient education system that prepare students for success in an interconnected world. The analysis draws on philosophical perspectives, including existentialism, phenomenology, and critical theory, to critically examine the underlying assumptions and values that shape Nigeria’s education system. It also explores the implications of these perspectives for transforming the system, highlighting the need for a more nuanced understanding of knowledge, learning, and education. Ultimately, this study contributes to the ongoing conversation about education reform in Nigeria, offering a philosophical framework for rethinking the education system. By challenging existing assumptions and proposing alternative approaches, this analysis aims to inspire policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to work towards creating a 21st-century compliant education system that unlocks the full potential of Nigeria’s citizens.

Pedagogical Challenges and Opportunities during Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from the Pre-Service and High School Teachers

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This study aimed to determine the pedagogical challenges and opportunities of the Pre-Service and high school teachers in the new normal education.  The sample size was determined using the slovins formula and 13 pre-service teachers, and 26 High School Teachers were the participants. Descriptive and inferential were used. Findings revealed that most of the respondents were 21-26 years old, female, high school teachers, and situated mostly in urban areas. The conduct of online classes was the major challenge faced by both pre-service and high school teachers for they used to conduct classroom teaching for many years. The online teaching-learning modality was successfully implemented to practice teaching as a mission to facilitate students learning through various online strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age, sex, type of respondents, and locality did not show a significant degree of variance in the extent of the pedagogical challenges and opportunities they encountered. The locality has a significant degree of variance in terms of teaching-learning engagement and opportunities for teaching-learning platforms. Hence, seminars and workshops on online pedagogies and online assessment tools strategies to facilitate online teaching more engaging was recommended.

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Perceptions of Secondary School Heads of Departments on Teacher Trainees’ Pedagogical Practices in Three Districts of Zambia

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Preparing a 21st-century classroom teacher has become necessary in teacher training and practice if considerable retains in education could be realized. While some content knowledge awareness efforts have materialized in the teachers’ movement, the pedagogical aspect of training needs much to be desired. This study aimed to establish the secondary school heads of departments’ perceptions of teacher trainees’ pedagogical Practices. The study design used was a quantitative exploratory factor analysis to examine an eight-factor structure of the instrument and analyze the association between variables. The study population constituted of all secondary schools’ heads of departments in three districts of Zambia. A total sample of (n=120) participants comprising heads of departments from 20 secondary schools participated in the study. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling to identify respondents since the study depended on researchers’ sense of judgment in selecting participants from the population. The 20 schools provided all the standard criteria for the choice of participants needed for the study. The instrument used in the study was a survey questionnaire adapted from Barron (2015). A pilot study on (n=43) heads of departments conducted on heads of departments who were not part of the study. The reliability of the instrument was deemed reliable after subjecting it to SPSS and gave reliability of .930. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26. The study’s significant findings showed evidence of acquisition of content knowledge among trainee teachers, implying the emphasis on training, and showed a severe lack of professional ethics among trainee teachers. However, the findings showed that the various factors extracted are near related; hence, there is a close relationship between teacher training curriculum and the pedagogical skills that trainee teachers use in classrooms. Given the nature of the 21st-century learners that teachers come in contact with, the pedagogical predicament becomes paramount for emphasis in teacher training institutions.