HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF LECTURERS IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN THE NORTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study investigated human resources development, demographic variables and job performance of lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria. Eleven research questions and  seven  hypotheses guided the  study.  The  correlational survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 1, 331 lecturers from the five Public (Federal and State) Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria. The sample size for the study consisted 307 lecturers obtained using Taro Yamen’s formula. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to draw the sample for each college while disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select the number of lecturers per school in each college for fair representation. The instruments for collecting data in this study were two researcher-developed instruments. The first was a 27- items questionnaire  titled:  “Human  Resources  Development  Questionnaire”  (HRDQ)  and  the second was a 49 – items questionnaire titled Job Performance of Lecturers’ Questionnaire (JPLQ). The instruments were face validated by three experts: Two in the departments of Educational Foundations and  one  in  Measurement  and  Evaluation,  all  from  Faculty of Education, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The internal consistency reliability coefficients obtained for Human resources Development Questionnaire (HRDQ) were: 0.77 for cluster A,

0.69  for  cluster  B  and  the  overall reliability  index was  0.83.  The  internal  consistency coefficients obtained for Job Performance of Lecturers’ Questionnaire (JPLQ) were 0.83 for cluster A, 0.88 cluster B, 0.73 for cluster C, 0.80 for cluster D, 0.67 for cluster E, 0.85 for cluster F, and 0.92 as the overall reliability index. The data collected were analyzed using means and standard deviations to answer research questions 1, 2, 3 and 4. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient analysis was used to analyze research questions 5 – 11. The null hypotheses were tested using multiple regression and associated F and t- tests at 0.05 level  of  significance.  It  was  found  among  others  that  Human  resources  development strategies in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria were dominated by training programmes such as conferences, workshops, and in-service programmes; lecturers’ professional development in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria took place occasionally. The study also revealed that lecturers’ performance with respect to knowledge of subject matter, knowledge of pedagogy, commitment to duty, classroom management, communication and  interpersonal relationships was high. However, their engagement  in publications revealed low performance in Colleges of Education in North East, Nigeria. Human resources development opportunities had significant relationship (p<0.05) with different indicators of lecturers’ job performance and explained 17.2%, 10.30%, %, 12.11%,

14.06%,  10.63%,  7.29%  and  7.13%  of  the  variances  in  knowledge  of  subject  matter,

knowledge of pedagogy, commitment to duty, classroom management, communication, interpersonal relationships and publications respectively. The variables that really predicted performance were human resources development opportunities and qualification. Gender did not predict performance in any of the indicators of performance. One of the implications of these findings was that opportunities to undergo human resources development programmes are critical to job performance of lecturers. Based on these findings and implications, it was recommended that the College Management in collaboration with National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and Tertiary Education Trust  Fund (TETFUND) should intensify effort to provide staff development opportunities to lecturers to improve their job performance in different task areas.

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Background of the Study

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Nigeria as a nation has different levels of educational system. The levels include pre- primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Among the tertiary levels are Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities. The Colleges of Education are teacher education institutions established to produce would-be teachers at the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) level. The National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) stipulates that one of the goals of Teacher Education shall be to  produce highly motivated, conscientious and  efficient classroom teachers for all levels of the educational system. The NPE also stipulates that, tertiary education institutions shall pursue their goals through teaching, research, dissemination of existing and new information, pursuit of service to the community and being a storehouse of knowledge. Colleges of Education are institutions owned either by the federal government, state government or private individuals and organizations. Public Colleges of Education which are owned by federal and state governments abide strictly to the guidelines of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

The NCCE was established by Decree 13, of 1989 (Amended Act 12 of 1993) as a completion of tripod of excellence in the supervision of higher education in the country. The establishment of the commission was a resultant effect of the utmost importance accorded to quality teacher education by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Since inception, the Commission has continuously pursued goals of quality assurance in teacher education in all NCE awarding institutions in Nigeria (Dawakin, 2001). The pride of the commission is based on the seminal philosophy in the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) which states that

no education can rise above the quality of its teachers.

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The NCCE is guided in all its activities by its vision to produce well-motivated teachers  with  high  personal  and  professional  discipline,  integrity  and  competence.  Its mandate is to maintain the minimum standards for teacher education at the sub-degree or NCE level. The commission is responsible for curriculum review and curriculum change. Dawakin (2001) noted that the objective of the NCCE is to introduce new curriculum of education to ensure that education managers and academic staff of Colleges of Education understand the concept, objectives and the implications of implementing the new curriculum. The NCCE visits all Colleges of Education to accredit new programmes and re-accredit old ones once in five years to ensure that they are still of high quality and two years for interim. The body ensures that the resources that will facilitate the achievement of educational goals in  Colleges  of  Education  are  available.  Resources  in  Colleges  of  Education  include: Financial, material and human resources. This study is interested in human resources.

Human resources are the number and quality of workers available in an educational institution or broadly speaking, in an entire economy. They are the skilled and trained workforce. In economics, they are referred to as human capital which is one of the most crucial factors of production. Hunter (2006) noted that human resources are the fulcrum upon which all other resources revolve. The human resources constitute the active agents who harness and combine the other resources towards the realization of the educational goals. Other resources are provided to complement the human resources’ efforts. Armstrong (2006) opined that people and their collective skills, abilities and experiences are recognized as making significant contributions to organization’s success and as constituting a significant source of competitive advantage. Ekundayo, Conwea and Yusuf (2009) were of the view that, in any organization, the human resources are very unique because every human being in

the system has their needs which they intend to meet through working for the organization. They can be regarded as the personnels in an organizations. The Business Dictionary (2016) defined personnels as the human resources  division of an organization.    The relevance of  human resources  in the achievement of educational goals is that they ensure and sustain unfettered access and equity in education for the total development of the individual. Human resources are the key operators in any educational institution. They possess the skills, techniques, experience, wisdom and knowledge on whatever  tasks  to  be carried  out.  There are different  types  of  human resources  in  Colleges  of Education. They include: The Provost, lecturers, students and the non-academic staff who are made up of the Registrar, secretary, clerks and so forth. The human resources in this study refer to the lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Lecturers are important in Colleges of Education. Aribayi (2007) defined a lecturer as a person who gives instruction or public speeches. The policies, programmes and the curriculum are implemented by the lecturers. They are very important for the realization of the educational objectives in general and that of Colleges of Education in particular. As such, they need to understand the principles and methods of teaching, because, they manage the classroom instructions for teaching and learning to take place. Lecturers in this study refer to the academic staff whose job is to train the would-be teachers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria. Their effective and efficient performance on the job is very critical.

Performance is an important construct that relates to organizational outcomes and success. Performance is seen as behaviour (Campbell, 1990). It is not every behaviour that is subsumed under the performance concept, but only those behaviours that are relevant to attaining the organizational goals (Campbell, McCloy, Oppler & Sager, 1993). In the same vein, Sabine   and Michael (2002) noted that behaviour must be goal directed. Moreover, only actions which can be scaled or measured are considered to constitute performance (Campbell et al. 1993). Campbell (1990) also emphasized that job performance has to be under the individual’s control.

Job performance  is  a  very  important  concept  in  service organizations like  Colleges of Education.  It is what the individual does in a work situation. Ogbonnaya (2004) defined job performance  as  an  action  or  achievement  considered  in  relation  to  how  well  or  how successful a person has done or executed an action. Agabi, Okorosaye, Ezekiel and Egbezor (2005) noted that job performance is observable behaviours and actions which explain how a job  is  done.  Lecturers’  effective  performance  in  the  functional  areas  determines  the realization of educational goals. These functional areas are teaching, research and community service. Teaching includes classroom instruction, evaluation and classroom management. Harris (2000) defined lecturers’ job performance as the ability of the lecturer to inculcate knowledge  to  the  students  for  the  realization  of educational objectives.  Ibukun  (2011) referred to lecturers’ job performance as the ability of the lecturers to manage the human and non-human resources in the classroom with a  view to achieving educational goals. Job performance can be differentiated from productivity. Aguh (2009) defined productivity as the relationship between the quantity of output generated by a group of worker or service system and the total input provided to create this output. Productivity is a construct commonly used in industries while job performance is a concept mostly used in service organizations like schools. Lecturers’ job performance in this study refers to how well the lecturers carry out their  job  for  the  realization  of  the  objectives  of  Colleges  of  Education  in  designated functional areas.

Job performance can therefore be measured using performance indicators. Different authorities  have  different  indicators  or  indices  of  job  performance.  Campbell  (1990) suggested declarative knowledge (knowledge about a given task), procedural knowledge and skill   (knowing   how   to   do   the   task),   motivation,   interpersonal   relationships   and communication as indicators of job performance. According to Day, Elliot and Kington (2005), commitment is regarded as an indicator of job performance. Day et al. (2005) were supported by Chan (2006) who noted that commitment is an index of job performance. Darling (2006) opined that knowledge of the subject matter is a necessary indicator of job performance. Darling was supported by Agomuoh (2010) who stated that knowledge of the

subject matter is a vital indicator of job performance.   Pedagogy is also regarded as an indicator of job performance by Mathew (2011). Both knowledge of the subject matter and pedagogy are in line with Campbell’s (1990) declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge and skills respectively. Zimmerman (2014) added Classroom management and TETFund  (2011)  included  publications  as   indicators  of  job  performance.  The   job performance indicators that were used in this study included: Knowledge of the subject matter, knowledge of pedagogy, commitment to duty, classroom management, communication, interpersonal relationships and publications.

Knowledge of the subject matter which had been identified as an indicator of job performance is considered very vital in the process of teaching. Agomuoh (2010) posited that the myriad tasks involved in teaching, such as selecting worthwhile learning activities, giving thorough  explanations,  asking  probing  questions  and  evaluating  students’  learning,  all depend on the teacher’s deep understanding of what the students should learn. Knowledge of the subject matter in this study refers to the lecturers’ thorough understanding of the subject and the contents of the assigned courses. This study will help to ascertain the performance of lecturers with respect to knowledge of the subject matter.

Pedagogy as an indicator of job performance refers to methodologies adopted in instruction. Knowledge of pedagogy is very paramount in the lecturers’ job. Mathew (2011) defined knowledge of pedagogy as the deep knowledge about the processes and practices of educational purposes,  values  and  aims.  A  lecturer  with  a  deep  pedagogical knowledge understands how students construct knowledge and acquire skills. Pedagogy in this study refers to the appropriate knowledge and skills employed by the lecturers in presenting the

concepts and in reinforcing the students. There is the need to ascertain the performance of lecturers with respect to knowledge of pedagogy.

Commitment to duty which was also one of the indicators of job performance is the attachment of a worker to assigned responsibilities. Chan (2006) defined commitment to work as the teachers’ psychological attachment to the teaching profession. It has been noted that commitment is an index of job performance (Rosenthal and Pittirisky, 2002). Aamir and Sohail (2006) supported the view that commitment is an indicator of job performance. A committed  lecturer  is  always  regular  and  punctual to  class.  Commitment  refers  to  the lecturers’ enthusiasm, dedication and engagement in lecturing job evidenced in how punctual and regular they are to classes, and how prompt they discharge their duties. Therefore, there was the need to ascertain the performance of lecturers with respect to commitment to duty.

Classroom management  was  also  identified  as  an  indicator  of  job  performance. Classroom management is the arrangement of learning environment for effective teaching. Harry and Wong (2001) defined classroom management as what teachers do to organize students’ space, time and materials so that instruction and students’ learning can take place. Operationally  defined,  classroom management  refers  to  the  ability  of  the  lecturer  to control, coordinate, organize and arrange the activities of the classroom so that lectures can  take  place  in  a  conductive  environment  for  the  achievement  of  instructional objectives. There is the need to ascertain the performance of lecturers with respect to classroom management.

Communication as  another  indicator  of  job  performance  is  a  process  by  which messages and information are exchanged between lecturers and students. Manning (2000) defined communication as the process people use to exchange significant messages and share

meanings about their ideas and feelings with one another. This is determined by the level of relationship between the individuals. Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert (2002) defined communication as the exchange of ideas and information in such a way that understanding between the lecturer and the students are achieved. Communication in this study refers to the process by which the lecturers give the students the necessary information about learning and classroom activities. The need arose in this study to ascertain the performance of lecturers with respect to communication.

Interpersonal relationships had also been identified as indicators of job performance. Interpersonal  relationships  are  the  social  link  among  the  lecturers  and  the  students. According to Jeffery and Barak (2005), interpersonal relationships include communication, listening skills and attitude. Baker (2006) had a similar view that interpersonal relationships involve communication. Interpersonal relationships in this study refer to the lecturers’ social interactions with the students, colleagues and administrators in the college. Interpersonal relationships are critical to the achievement of objectives in all the domains of behaviour. Therefore, the need exists to ascertain the performance of lecturers with regard to interpersonal relationships.

Publications were also identified as indicators of job performance. Publications emanate from research. They have to do with the individual’s ability to conduct studies, write and publish articles in journals, and co-author or author textbooks). Publications are evidence of a lecturer’s level of job performance which is a function of the cognitive domain (Sabine and Michael, 2002).  Lecturers are expected to carry out research in their subject areas for the purpose of publications. Publications are operationally defined as the quantity of published

articles in journals and other sources as a result of research. The performance of lecturers with respect to publications as an index of performance needed to be investigated.

The performance indicators are usually assessed by some means. According to David (2006), performance indicators must be evaluated or assessed by some means. The author further  stated that  workers can be  assessed using  self-appraisal in  which the  employee appraises his  or  her  own performance or  degree or full-circle  appraisal when the  staff performance is appraised by everyone with whom he/she interacts. This study used self- appraisal in which the lecturers assessed their own performance on the job and this gave an idea of the quality of the job they performed which will determine the quality and standard of Nigeria education.

The quality and  standard of Nigeria education may not  be said to  be  low. The problem could be the process of implementation. According to Musbau (2015), though our curriculum is rated high, but the quality of teaching and learning remains low. There are many factors which Akinlade (2016) opined could have contributed to this  and the author enumerated them as: Shortage of qualified teachers in the education system, poor remuneration of available ones, inadequate funding of schools resulting in poor maintenance, poor infrastructure in many schools, inadequate teaching facilities, lack of laboratories and equipment for practical work, shortage of classrooms and only a few qualified teachers to teach core subjects such as English and Mathematics. This has seriously affected the products of Nigeria  education  system.  Akinlade  quoting  Olorunkemi  added  that  consistent  poor performance of candidates in examinations conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) point out that it is a clear reflection of the deplorable state of the country’s educational system. Yakubu (2013) noted that the performance of NCE teachers on the job in

the secondary schools was unsatisfactory especially in areas of lesson preparation, delivery, assessment, maintenance of instructional materials, conducting practical lessons and the use of tools in teaching. Ogbaji and Mbagwu (2010) reported that NCE teachers have weakness in teaching practical skills and pedagogy. All these point  to the unsatisfactory state of teaching and learning in Colleges of Education. Daley (2002) reported that the inability of the NCE teachers to perform on the job had to do with the learning experiences acquired from institutions attended and the learning environment itself.

The quality of the products of the Nigeria educational system has been a source of worry to stakeholders. Edem cited in Okonkwo (2008) observed that many employers lament the poor quality of graduates of Nigerian higher institutions. Saraki (2009) also posited that the products of the Nigerian higher institutions are unproductive on the job and the shortcomings are severe in oral and written communication and applied technical skills. In the same vein, Okpe (2010) noted that the trend of poor performance of the students in higher institutions made many parents seek admission for their children abroad. The author added that the poor standard of education in Nigeria higher institutions seemed to be more pronounced in Colleges of Education and as such many parents usually prefer to send their children to  universities due to the type of products of Colleges of Education which is perceived to be inadequate especially in the North East. North East is one of the zones in Nigeria and it is regarded as an educationally backward and disadvantaged zone (Nkado,

2012).  Many parents  according  to  Cotton and  Wikelund  (2009)  send  their  children to Colleges of Education as the last resort because they believe that their children are not receiving the proper and quality education they should get from their lecturers.

The lecturers ought to understand the processes and techniques involved in: teaching, controlling  and  managing  students’ unruly  behaviour  in  the  classroom,  invigilating  the students during examinations, maintaining cordial relationships with the students and colleagues. They need to adequately train the student – teachers who would eventually teach the pupils and students at the foundation level of primary and secondary schools respectively. The Quad Core Solution (2013) was of the view that improving the working condition of the lecturers would enable them perform the above tasks. According to Musbau (2015), evidence showed that for teachers, their professional knowledge and skills are the most important factor to enhance performance and learning outcomes. Actually, lecturers have a great role to play in  quality education and products of the  education system. Some authorities have questioned the job performance of the lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East region of Nigeria.

Nwadum (2006) observed that lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East had  negative and unprofessional attitude to  work which were portrayed in the  form of irregularity and lateness to lectures. Nkado (2012) noted that teachers in Bornu state which is one  of the  states in the  North East  lacked professional qualification and  therefore, are unskillful. Onukaogu (2004) had also observed habitual absenteeism among lecturers in Bornu state which the author noted impacted negatively on the academic progress of instruction. The resultant effect  is that the students would not have continuous flow of instruction. This is the deplorable state of education in the North East, Nigeria.

To this effect, there was the need to examine human resources development and demographic variables in relation job performance of lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Human resources development could be of necessity for effective performance of lecturers for the realization of educational objectives in Colleges of Education in the North East. Human resources development, according to Far and Seo (2012), encompasses two major undertakings: the inculcation of competencies and capabilities in individuals, groups and communities; and creation of conditions through various mechanisms to help them apply these acquired competencies and capabilities. Kelly (2006) defined human resources development, otherwise  called  professional development  as  the  process  of building  the knowledge  of  the   organizational  members  so   that   they  will   be   prepared  to   take responsibilities and challenges. Therefore, human resources development can enhance job performance. Abdulkareem (2001) asserted that the development of any society is hinged on the development of its human resources. According to Okendu (2009), human resources development in the educational system is planned activities concerned with increasing and enlarging the capabilities of teachers so that they can successfully improve instructions and be able to occupy higher positions in the hierarchy to handle current responsibilities.

Human resources development is one of the functions of human resources management. Mathis (2005) defined human resources management as a process in which human resources are recruited and mobilized in such a way that it helps in achieving the objective  of the  organization.  Human resources  management  was  previously known as personnel management which was concerned with the activities of a single department. One of the differences between human resources management and personnel management is that personnel management focuses on personnel administration, employee welfare and labour relation   while   human   resources   management   focuses   on   acquisition,   development, motivation and maintenance of human resources in the organization (Brian, 2016). Moreover,

human resource management is concerned with the development of human skill, knowledge and ability to perform the organizational tasks effectively and efficiently. The functions carried out by the human resources management department were recruitment, selection, reward, appraisal, development, grievance handling, retirement, registration and so  forth (Phillip, 2005). Thus, one of the main identified functions of human resources management is development.

The lecturers need professional development in spite of their initial qualification, because, a lot of changes are taking place in every sphere of life: social, technological, economical and educational; and lecturers need to keep abreast of these changes. Arikewuyo (2009) noted that for any institution of higher learning to survive and prosper in this present day diverse and regressed economy, they must invest in training and development of their staff to improve proficiencies in production as well as to acquire the greatest return in investment of human capital. According to Swanson and Richard (2008), the world has progressed in many unique ways and directions in the last three decades. It has developed technologically,  economically  and  industrially.  It  is  also  richer  in  terms  of  human capabilities, facilities and quality of living. Improvements in education, communication, technology and markets have made the world a global village. People are better informed, can communicate with one  another  across the  world  and  therefore carry on economic, professional, educational, social and other activities with ease. These decades of development indicate the vast potential for creating a world of order, security and well-being. These developments have made it mandatory for the lecturers to embark on further professional development in order to up-date their knowledge and skills in their specific job areas.

To build an effective and efficient educational organization demands that the lecturers that operate in the system ought to be developed. This also supports the idea of knowledge economy where knowledge and ideas become the main basis for promoting economic and social development; and where educated workforce creates and applies new technologies. Nwagwu, Ehiametalor, Ogunu and Nwadiani (2001) noted that, if schools today are going to do the job required of them at computer age, with the attendant technological development, the schools through those involved in running them must play a large role in the areas of staff development. Osuigwe (2001) added that the education sector requires professionals who possess the requisite skills and knowledge. Kabiru (2012) also posited that, with the best of all facilities such as books, infrastructure and other materials and equipment, the aims and objectives of education may still not be achieved, if the lecturers that are the implementers of education policies, programmes and the curriculum are not competent.

Development is very essential in every human endeavour. Halawah (2005) posited that development is a normative concept that deals with progression from a less desirable state to a more preferred one. The essential task of development is to provide opportunities so that people can reach their potential (Olorunshola and Bamijoko, 2005).  Such opportunities, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2013) include: workshops, conferences, seminars, observation visits, participation in a network of teachers, individual or collaborative research, mentoring and coaching. Others according to Ukeje, Akabuogu and Ndu (1993) are in-service training, committee membership and appointment to positions. These human resources development strategies or opportunities may differentially impact on the lecturers and their job performance in the Colleges of Education. Therefore, human resources development in this study refers to training and re-training of

lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East after the initial pre-service training which could be through in-service training, conferences, workshops, seminars, committee work, and appointment to various positions.

In-service training has been identified as one of the tools for professional development. Nakpodia (2008) defined in-service training as a process for continuous up- dating of teachers’ knowledge, skills and interests in chosen field. In-service training in this study refers to academic opportunity either full or part time programme given to the lecturers to proceed to any university of their choice for additional qualification such as: Masters and Ph.D degrees.

Conference attendance is also another way of developing the college of education lecturers. It can be internal and external. Conference is a regular feature of the college system. In this approach, the lecturers are exposed to the ideas of speakers who are experts in their fields (Onah, 2003). Conference in this study refers to the gathering of academics in which papers are presented and discussed for the academic growth of the lecturers in their various areas of discipline.

Workshop is also another medium for human resources development. Workshop, according to Butler (2014), is a group of people engaged in a study or work on a creative project or subject such as music. The author further said that, a workshop can also be seen as a room or building in which things are made or repaired using tools or machinery. Billing (2002) defined a workshop as series of meetings emphasizing interaction and exchange of information among participants. Workshop is a training avenue. Workshop in this study refers to a group of academics engaged in discussions and practical work on a particular

subject  in  which  they  share  their  knowledge  and  experience  through participatory and interactive methods.

Seminar is also among the identified opportunities for human resources development. Billing (2002) defined seminar as a class at a university or college where a small group of students and a teacher discuss or study a particular topic. A seminar, according to Rogers (2014), is generally a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization which has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subjects in which everyone present is requested to actively participate. Seminar in this study refers to an  academic gathering where  individuals present  and  discuss papers on topics  in  their discipline for professional development.

Committee work also provides a training ground. Committee’s membership in most cases provides a conducive environment for the development of lecturers in Colleges of Education. Ukeje et al (1993) posited that, “individuals have potentials that can be developed if the environments and situations are conducive” (p. 353). Individual colleges are often managed by several committees. This is a way of gaining experience, knowledge and skills. A Committee in this study refers to a group of academic staff who are chosen by the management to deal with a particular subject.

Appointments to certain positions provide enabling environment for the development of lecturers in Colleges of Education. In Colleges of Education, lecturers can be appointed to positions of the school and departmental examinations officers, heads of departments and heads of units. Individuals are often appointed to acting positions when, for example, the permanent incumbent is on vacation, study fellowships, ill, making an extended tour or even

when the position is vacant (Onah, 2003). Thus, appointments to positions are meant for developing the individuals. These positions are expected to increase and improve the incumbents’ knowledge, skills and abilities.

There are demographic variables/factors that could impact on lecturers’ job performance. Demographic variables are personal statistics that include such information as income  level,  gender,  educational  level,  location,  ethnicity,  race,  and  family  size.  For example, the marketing department of a business might use demographic variables as important  input  when  formulating  target  customer  profiles  (Business dictionary,  2016). According to Annie (2015), every survey ought to include questions for gender, age and region.  The  author  noted that  the  average  men  and  the  average women have  different opinions about many topics, just as older people often have different opinions from younger people, and people from the mid-west have different opinions from those of the north east. Continuing, the author advised that any demographic variable included in a survey should serve a purpose and that if researchers would not make use of the revealed results, then they should not waste the respondents’ time by including them. Demographic variables were operationalized as information relating to lecturers which could impact on their job performance. The demographic variables that were discussed in this study included qualification and gender. This study examined how qualification and gender related to the lecturers’ job performance.

Qualification refers to characteristics or experience that makes one suitable for a particular  job or  activity.  Modile (2008)  defined qualification as a  body of knowledge acquired by a person after a programmed learning designed for performance in a specific task. It means capacity, knowledge or skills that match or suit an occasion, or make someone

eligible for a duty, office, position, privilege or status (Sturman, 2000). Qualification is operationally defined in this study as a body of knowledge acquired after a period of formal and programmed teaching and learning which leads to certification such as B.Ed, M.Ed and Ph.D. Higher qualification such as Ph.D has not been emphasized for lecturers in many Colleges of Education. Therefore, the relationship between qualification and job performance ought to be examined.

Research studies, according to Walson (2015), have included gender as an important factor in job performance. Ganser (2000) defined gender as socially constructed expectations for male and female behaviours which prescribe a division of labour and responsibilities between males  and  females.  Gender  is  different  from sex.  Sex refers to  the  biological differentiation between males and females in terms of their reproductive functions while gender refers to the differentiation between the roles of men and women as socially constructed by the society (Onyeonoru, 2015). In spite of this definition, gender issues focus on women and on the relationship between men and women, their roles, access to and control over resources, division of labour, interests and needs. Gender is defined in this study as the proficiency with which male and female lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria discharge their duties. There are contradictory research findings on gender and job performance. Some research studies (Uko, 2000), have shown that male have superiority over females when it comes to job performance. However, Daresh and Male (2000) reported that females perform better than males in their duties. Based on these contradictory views over  which  gender  performs  better,  this  study  investigated  gender  variable  and  its relationship with job performance.

Research works had revealed inconsistent results in the relationship between human resources development, demographic variables and job performance. For instance, the work of Osuigwe (2001) revealed a positive relationship between human resources development and job performance of teachers.   The results of studies carried out by Douglas and Tim (2008) showed no relationship between human resources development and teachers’ performance. Similarly, the work of Bredeson (2005) showed no relationship between human resources development and teachers’ performance. However, studies by Abdul, Austin and Naser (2009) showed partial correlation. In like  manner, the work of Okpalugo (2008) revealed relationship between gender, qualification and job performance whereas that of Akpan (2007) showed no relationship. These inconsistent results have made it necessary to examine the relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and lecturers’ job performance in Colleges of Education in the North-East, Nigeria.

Statement of the Problem

Lecturers  in  Colleges  of  Education  in  the  North  East  ought  to  understand  the processes and techniques involved in: teaching, controlling and managing students’ unruly behaviour  in  the  classroom,  invigilating  the  students  during  examinations,  maintaining cordial relationships with the students and colleagues. They need to adequately train the student – teachers who will eventually teach the pupils and students at the primary and secondary levels of the Nigeria education system respectively. The lecturers ought to understand the processes and techniques involved in: teaching, controlling and managing students’ unruly behaviour in the classroom, invigilating the students during examinations, maintaining cordial relationships with the students and colleagues. They need to adequately train the  student –  teachers who  would eventually teach the  pupils and  students at  the

foundation level of primary and secondary schools respectively. However, some authorities have questioned the job performance of the lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East region of Nigeria.

Nwadum (2006) observed that lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East had  negative and unprofessional attitude to  work which were portrayed in the  form of irregularity and lateness to lectures. Nkado (2012) noted that teachers in Bornu state which is one  of the  states in the  North East  lacked professional qualification and  therefore, are unskillful. Onukaogu (2004) had also observed habitual absenteeism among lecturers in Bornu state which the author noted impacted negatively on the academic progress of instruction. The resultant effect  is that the students would not have continuous flow of instruction. This is the deplorable state of education in the North East, Nigeria.

For  any country to thrive  in the  knowledge economy,  it  needs a  well trained workforce that is able to create and apply new technologies. People who are not adequately developed tend to stick to the knowledge of their initial education as they take over the job. This could lead to inefficiency in the organization. A lot of research works have revealed that staff development brings about additional knowledge and improves skills, and these are expected to lead to staff improved performance on the job. Most studies have failed to locate objective evidence relating training and job performance.

Previous research studies on human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and job performance have yielded highly inconsistent results. Some of them revealed a positive relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender  and  job  performance. Others  showed  no  relationship  between  human resources development  opportunities,  qualification,  gender  and  teachers’  performance  while  some

showed partial correlation. These inconsistent results have made it necessary to examine the relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and lecturers’ job performance in Colleges of Education in the North-East, Nigeria.

Most  of the  previous studies were  on the  relationship  between training and  the teachers’ job performance or students’ academic achievement in primary and secondary schools. No study to the best knowledge of the researcher examined the relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and job performance of lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North-East, Nigeria. Thus, the problem of the study was the relationship between human resources development, demographic variables and job performance of lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North-East, Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between (a) human resources development  (b)  qualification (c)  gender and  job performance of lecturers  in Colleges of Education in North East, Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to:

1.  Identify the human resources development strategies in Colleges of Education in the

North East, Nigeria.

2.  Determine the frequency the lecturers are involved in professional development in

Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

3. Examine the frequency the lecturers perform certain activities with respect to knowledge  of  subject  matter,  knowledge  of  pedagogy,  commitment  to  duty, classroom management, communication and interpersonal relationship.

4.   Identify the research outputs of lecturers in areas of publications in Colleges of

Education in the North East, Nigeria.

5.  Determine the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to knowledge of the subject matter in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

6.  Determine the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to pedagogy in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

7.  Ascertain the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to commitment to duty in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

8. Examine the relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and the lecturers’ classroom management in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

9.  Determine the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to communication in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

10. Determine the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to interpersonal relationships in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

11. Determine the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to publications in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study have both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, this study anchored on Academic theory. Academic theory which was propounded by Piggf and Marso (1987) centered on the three strands of work regarded as Best practices, Best Fits and the Resource Based View. The theory takes a positive view of workers, assuming that virtually all wish to contribute to the organization’s effective performance, and that the main obstacles to their endeavour are lack of knowledge, insufficient training and failures of process. The theory is based primarily on the assumption that the employees are individuals with varying goals and needs, and as such should not be thought of as basic business resources like trucks and filing cabinets. The theory is important to this study, because it recognizes each worker’s need gap to be filled by training and development  for  that  worker to  contribute to  the  achievement  of the  objectives of the organization. The findings of the study could indicate the extent lecturers’ job performance is related to human resources development opportunities, qualification and gender.

Practically, the findings of this study are expected to be of immense benefit to the lecturers, students, college management, government/NCCE and researchers.

The findings of this study could help lecturers, because, it would help them to know if there  is  relationship  between  human resources development  opportunities,  qualification, gender  and  job  performance,  and  this  will  help  to  determine  their  attitude  towards professional development in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria The findings would also be used to draw policies that could benefit the lecturers in sensitizing their colleagues  towards  professional  development  especially  if  relationships  exist  between training opportunities, demographic variables and job performance. This study will equally

help the lecturers to know if demographic variables actually correlate with job performance and this will increase their knowledge in this regard.  The lecturers will get the information when the research findings are published in journals.

The findings of this study could also help the students in that, when the relationship between human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and performance of lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria is known and policies will be formulated in that regard, students would benefit by way of improved learning environment. The students will get the information when the research findings are published in journals.

The findings of this study could equally help the college management, because, it will help them to know the extent training opportunities, qualification and gender relate to the lecturers’ performance on the job and this will guide them in taking decision on in-service training in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria. The College Management will get the information when the research findings are published in journals.

The findings could be of great benefit to the government, especially the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in designing and evaluating policies and programmes that allow the development of workers. Areas of need could be identified and training could be given through seminars, workshops, conferences and in-service training. The  government  will  get  the  information  when  the  research  findings  are  published  in journals.

The findings of this study could benefit the researchers in related areas by providing a source of materials to them. It could also complement the works of some authors on human resources development opportunities, qualification, gender and the job performance of the

workforce. The researchers will get the information when the research findings are published in journals.

Scope of the Study

The study was carried out in 5 Public Colleges of Education in the North East region of Nigeria. There are 12 Colleges of Education in the zone which include three Federal Colleges of Education, seven State Colleges of Education and two  Private Colleges of Education. Only the Federal and State Colleges of Education were used. Five out of the ten Public (federal and state) Colleges of Education were used in the study because of Boko Haram insurgency that has disrupted academic activities in some Colleges in the area. The colleges that were used in the study include: Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa state; College of Education, Hong, Adamawa state; College of Education, Azare, Bauchi state; Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Gombe state and College of Education, Zing, Taraba state.

In addition, the study covered human resources development, demographic variables and job performance. Human resources development indices include: Conferences, workshops, seminars, in-service training, committee membership appointment to positions. Demographic variables include: Gender and qualification and Job performance indicators include: Knowledge of subject matter, pedagogy, commitment to duty, classroom management, communication, interpersonal relationships and publications.

Research Questions

The following research questions were posed to guide the study:

1.  What are the human resources development strategies in Colleges of Education in the

North East, Nigeria?

2.  How  frequent  are  lecturers involved  in professional development  in Colleges of

Education in the North East, Nigeria?

3.  How frequent do lecturers perform certain activities with respect to knowledge of subject   matter,   knowledge   of   pedagogy,   commitment   to   duty,   classroom management, communication and interpersonal relationship?

4.  What are the research outputs of lecturers in areas of publications in Colleges of

Education in the North East, Nigeria?

5.  What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to knowledge of the subject matter in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

6.  What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to pedagogy in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

7.  What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification  (c)  gender  and  the  lecturers’  job  performance  with  respect  to commitment to duty in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

8.  What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to classroom management in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

9.  What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to communication in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

10. What is the relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to interpersonal relationships in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria?

11. What is the relationship between publications in Colleges of Education in the North

East, Nigeria?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

Ho1:  There is no significant relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to knowledge of the subject matter in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to pedagogy in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Ho3:  There is no significant relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to commitment to duty in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Ho4: There is no significant relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to classroom management in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Ho5:    Human resources development opportunities, qualification and gender have no significant relationship with the lecturers’ communication in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

Ho6:  There is no significant relationship between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to interpersonal relationships in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.Ho7: There is no significant relationship between between (a) human resources development opportunities, (b) qualification (c) gender and the lecturers’ job performance with respect to publications in Colleges of Education in the North East, Nigeria.

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