WORKSHOP MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF BASIC TECHNOLOGY IN EBONYI STATE

THE ABSTRACT

This  study on  the  workshop  management  techniques  needed  to  improve  the  teaching  and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi state adopted a survey research design. The population for this study was 748, which included all the 219 basic technology teachers, 95 laboratory attendants, 217 principals and 217 vice principals (in-charge of junior section) in the 217 government owned secondary schools in Ebonyi state.   Yaro Yamane formula was applied to select  a sample of 261 respondents.  A structured  questionnaire  consisting of 80 items was developed and used for data collection. The instrument for data collection was face validated by three Experts in the field of Technology and Vocational Education. Return rate of the instrument for data collection was 100%. The Pearson- Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. The data collected were analyzed using Mean statistic in order to answer the five research questions posed for this study, while Analysis of Variance was used to test the five null hypotheses at a 0.05 degree of significance. Based on the data analyzed, it was found from the study that: twenty four workshop planning techniques are needed; fourteen workshop organizing techniques are needed; eight workshop coordinating techniques  are  needed;  seventeen  workshop  controlling  techniques  are  needed;  fourteen workshop storage techniques are needed. There was no significant difference in the mean responses  of the  school  administrators,  basic  technology teachers  and  the  basic  technology workshop  staff on the importance of workshop management  techniques in the teaching and learning  of basic  technology in  Ebonyi  state.  The  following  recommendations  were  made: Administrators  of  secondary  schools  and  the  government,  at  all  levels,  should    organize workshops and seminars for teachers and other staff of basic technology on effective workshop planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling and storage techniques to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Relevant technology bodies  and/or  employers  of labour  as it  affects  basic  technology should  be  encouraged  by government  to also organize seminars for teachers and other staff on best ways to manage workshops  in  order  to  achieve  objectives  of  basic  technology.  When  modern  equipment, machines and tools for teaching basic technology at secondary schools are brought to a school, proper training of those to apply them to use has to be carried out before such equipment is put to use. Institutions of higher learning which run technology and technology related programmes should  include  workshop  management techniques as a core course of study. Only qualified teachers  and other basic technology staff who have skills  in proper  workshop management techniques should be recruited to teach basic technology in secondary schools across Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The  workshop  for  the  teaching  and  learning  of  basic  technology  needs  to  be  well managed.  According  to  Ezeji  (2004),  a  workshop  is  a unique  learning  situation  in  which learners may experiment, test, construct, assemble, disassemble, repair, design, create, imagine and study. Workshop is generally a place where practical activities involving measurement, cutting, sizing, smoothing, assembly, repairs, finishing among other activities, are carried out. Effective teaching and learning of basic technology, demands a workshop in which the theory learnt  in the  classroom  can  be  translated  into  a practical  demonstration  by both  staff and students. Effective teaching of basic technology requires the provision of workshops because it cannot be taught successfully without equipment and tools which are appropriately kept in the laboratory (Fakomogbon, 2004). The workshop, therefore, provides a space where students of basic technology practicalize what they were taught in the classroom, as well as for storing the equipment, tools and materials used for such practical purposes.

Basic technology is a course of study introduced in the year 2007 into the Primary and Junior Secondary School levels of the 9-3-4 system of education being practised in Nigeria. It is  an  amalgamation  of  many subjects.  These  subjects  include;  electrical/electronics,  metal work, simple mechanics, wood work, technical drawing, food processing, rubber and plastic technology (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009). However, the purposes of pre-vocational training given to students at the Primary and Junior Secondary School levels are: introduction into the world of technology towards interest arousal and choice of a vocation at the end of Junior  Secondary  School  and  professionalism  later  in  life;  exposing  students  to  career

awareness by exploring usable options in the world of work; and enabling youths to have an

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intelligent understanding  of the increasing  complexity of technology,  (Federal  Republic  of Nigeria,2007 ). As Comparative Education Study and Adaptation Center (CESAC, 2007) puts it, the objectives include:

(i)                To provide pre-vocational orientation for further training in technology. (ii)             To provide basic technology literacy for everyday living and

(iii)           To stimulate creativity (p. vii).

In order to achieve these objectives, the syllabus and the course books are structured and written in ways that would require use of tools and equipment in appropriate environment. Such appropriate environment may be found especially in the laboratory or workshop.

Basic  technology  is  an  indispensable  pre-vocational  base  on  which  future  vocational choices  are  made.  In  their separate  works,  Ezeji,  (2004),  Nwachukwu,  (2006),  Ogwo  and Oranu,  (2006)  and  Okoro  (2006)  all  established  that pre-vocational  training  requires  same facilities and similar curriculum components as will be required in the real vocation, though at introductory levels. These components include; general education, theory and related courses, workshop practice, industrial training/production  work, and small business management and entrepreneurial training.

Every  aspect  of  human  endeavour  requires  management.  According  to  Aina  and Beecraft (2000), for students to acquire skills under the Universal Basic Education Scheme, practice is essential in well managed workshops. Management, (in a vocational setting), is the harnessing of available resources, both human and material, geared towards the effective achievement of stated objectives of a vocational institution, (Olaitan, Nwachukwu, Igbo, Ekong and Onyemaechi, 1999). Effective school workshop management requires that the staff of the programme  be knowledgeable in planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating and controlling of facilities  for the enhancement of teaching and learning of skills in various occupational

areas, (Olaitan et al, 1999; Osuala 2001;). Okoro, 2006 included  staffing as an element of management, while Mohammed (2006) and Albert (2010) added that storing is an essential workshop management element.

Effective  management  requires  proper  techniques.  A technique  has  been  defined  as a specified  way of doing things, (Nwachukwu,  2006). Workshop management techniques  are therefore, various methods or approaches by vocational education personnel, schools and industries in the day-to-day provision and utilization of workshop facilities for optimum achievement of set goals. The essence of applying workshop management techniques is for the institution   to   meet   up   with   its   educational   objectives,   (Mohammed,   2006).   Various management elements required for effective operation of a school workshop include; planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling and storing.

Planning  is  an  inevitable  aspect  of  an  effective  workshop  management  strategy. Planning is the “process of preparing a set of decisions for action in the future, directed at achieving goals by optimal means” (Dror, 1967; Asiabaka, 2008). So planning could be seen as the  purposeful  preparation  in  advance  of what  is to  be  done  in  future.  Planning  involves selecting missions and objectives as well as actions to take in order to achieve them. According to Covey, (2006), planning is a proactive process and entails decisions on how things will be done before hand. In the basic technology workshop, things to plan include the shape and size of the shop, number of personnel, space needs, timing, to mention but a few (Ezeji, 2004).

Organizing basic technology workshop facilities is very important in the light of the identification and arrangement of physical facilities and utilization, arrangement of students and materials for practical experiences. Organizing is the dividing up of work to be done by individuals and developing a structure to ensure its completion, (Olaitan, 2008). It requires the identification and classification of requisite events and the grouping of activities necessary to

attain   objectives,   (Weihrich   and  Koontz,   2003).   Hence,   organizing   is   the  process  of identification and classification of both facilities and processes in line with demands for the achievement of set goals.

In order to avoid conflict of operations and confusion in the school workshop,  it is important that various facilities, activities, personnel and processes be coordinated. Olaitan, (2008) defined coordinating as a process by which the efforts of all groups of people involved in the implementation of a project are caused to function appropriately and at the right time towards achieving the objectives of the project. So, coordinating is the arrangement of various activities of the organization  in such a way that the process flows smoothly without delay, collision or friction. For example, coordinating makes it possible for two or more classes to use same facilities in the same workshop without conflicts, (Asiabaka, 2008). School timetable is used in coordinating such different activities into a harmonious function, (Sharma, 2010).

To ensure accountability in the utilization  of the school workshop,  adequate control technique is essential. Asiabaka, (2008) stated that controlling is the art of giving directions to members  of  an  organization  regarding  the  acceptable  ways  of  carrying  out  a  function. Therefore, controlling as a management function is to effectively monitor and decide on the movement of tools and materials as well as how machines, equipment and staff contribute to the overall realization of educational goals. It ensures checks and balances in the school workshop.

Basic technology workshop facilities are complex, sometimes fragile, and cost a lot of money. Therefore, workshop facilities need to be kept in a safe condition so that they can be effectively utilized for a very long time. Storage has been defined as the art of housing, in an organized manner, all those facilities that are to be applied to use in future, (Mohammed, 2006). Storage here refers to safe keeping and accountability of all the workshop facilities to ensure safety and good working condition as means of increasing the lifespan of the facilities and enhancing their

efficiency. Storage is different from organizing in that it is concerned with safe keeping for future use, while organizing is meant for the arrangement of materials and activities as they are needed to achieve stated goals, (IFMA, 2010).

Various management models that are applicable to school workshops abound. Some of these models include: Progress System; Programme Evaluation and Review Techniques; Critical Path Method,  (Mohammed  2006);  and,  Strategic  Facilities  Planning  (Hodgson,  2007).  Progress System is adopted to allow for the operation of business ideas in the laboratory (workshop), and  to  be  trained  enough  to  coordinate  commercial  activities,  (Olaitan  et  al,  1999).  The Programme Evaluation and Review Technique, according to Olaitan and Ali, (1997), is a concept based on the application of a network to show graphically, a projected design made up of events and activities.

Moreover, the Critical Path Method is a graph of relationship between a plan of work and the activities to be carried out in order to determine the direction of movement, (Olaitan et al

1999). Strategic Facilities Planning makes use of in-built analysis tools to keep workshop practices abreast of industrial developments, (McDonough 2010). Whichever method someone adopted, the  fundamental  elements of planning,  organizing,  coordinating,  controlling  and  storage  are employed for efficiency. It is also important to stress here that some or all of these models can be combined in a workshop management process to increase efficiency.

In Ebonyi State, the implementation of the Universal Basic Education has experienced an upsurge in population due to increased students’ enrollment. This population explosion is traceable to the free education going on in the government owned Primary and Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State, (Ebonyi State Government, 2006). This demands efficient management techniques in order to help in maintaining effective standard of teaching and learning, using the available facilities, especially as it concerns basic technology. Most of the tools and equipment

have been lost or broken down without repairs due to poor storage culture, (Ibiam, 2008). Another militating  factor bothers on the ineffective coordination  of students by instructors and support personnel while using workshop  facilities  for practical projects,  which results in deliberate misuse of tools, equipment and materials which could cause accidents and premature tools failure, (Nwaji, 2007).

With these challenges, it becomes imperative that a study of the management techniques needed by basic technology teachers and workshop staff in Junior Secondary Schools in order to enhance the teaching and learning of basic technology course in Ebonyi State be carried out. It is a known fact that well managed facilities greatly enhance the possibilities for effective teaching and learning, (Andrew, 2000). Those involved in ensuring the proper utilization of basic technology workshop facilities are: administrators of the junior secondary school, these are the Principals and junior principals who are heads and are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Junior Secondary Schools; the basic technology teachers who teach the basic technology subjects to the pupils according to the curriculum; and workshop staff comprising the technician, who lead the pupils in workshop practical exercises, and the store keeper, who keeps, secures, lends out and retrieves workshop tools and materials. Some members of this workshop staff posses First School Leaving Certificate, others with Junior or Senior Secondary School Certificate, while some are with Ordinary National Diploma Certificate. Those to be used for this study are those workshop staff with Ordinary National Diploma. The essence of using only those who posses OND is because they have the requisite knowledge of workshop management.

Statement of the Problem

In 1982, at the inception of 6-3-3-4 system of education, a pre-vocational training called  introductory  technology  was  initiated  into  the  Junior  Secondary  Schools  in

Nigeria.  In  1999,  the  then  president  of  the  Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria,  Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, launched the 9-3-4 system of education and inaugurated the Universal Basic Education scheme. But in the year 2007, the scheme introduced basic technology to  replace  introductory  technology,  with  a desire  to achieve  what could not be realized through introductory technology. Ebonyi State commenced basic technology  in  the  same  year,  2007.  Regrettably,   some   teachers  of  introductory technology and other workshop staff are used to implement basic technology without further training or refresher courses. Workshops used for introductory technology are still being used but with an upgrading of equipment. These workshops were planned and  designed  in  line  with  introductory  technology  goals  and  not  with  a  proper planning  for  achieving  basic  technology  objectives.  However,  trainings  on  how  to manage these available workshops in Ebonyi state have not been carried out.

But Mbata (1999) had  earlier regretted  that schools and colleges in Ebonyi State lacked adequate management of educational facilities for effectiveness and improved quality of teaching and learning. It has also been noted that most Junior Secondary Schools in the State have workshop facilities that are poorly managed and inadequately maintained for effective practical experiences, leading to irreparable loses and/or damages of such facilities   (Ibiam,   2008).  The  researcher   had  visited   some  Secondary  Schools   in different  educational  zones  of Ebonyi  State  and  observed  that  equipment,  tools  and materials  are  packed  together  under  trees.  And  where  they  were  put  in  a  store,  no storage pattern was adopted. This situation indicates lack of planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling and storage efficiency.

So  if basic  technology workshop  is  not  well  managed,  the  achievement  of  the objectives of introducing the course will remain a mirage. This is because mass failure

of pupils in basic technology examination will be witnessed. And the situation of facilities in  basic  technology  workshops  in  Ebonyi  State  will  deteriorate.  This  will  make  the teaching and learning of basic technology theory based, engendering confusion and frustration, making the pupils to leave school without the intended  skills.  According to Toby, (2000), students cannot learn skills of their chosen occupation at maximum efficiency with poor and obsolete equipment, neither will the students develop positive attitudes  towards  the  use  of  tools  and  equipment  of  their  trade  if  the laboratories/workshops are not properly managed and facilities inadequately maintained. Lack of workshop management techniques will also reduce efficiency of staff as well as their job satisfaction. Therefore the problem of this study, put in question, is “How will basic technology workshops in Ebonyi State be managed to improve the teaching and learning under the Universal Basic Education scheme?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the workshop management techniques needed to improve teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State. Specifically, the study determined the;

1. Planning techniques needed by staff of basic technology in  the management of the school workshop facilities for improving teaching and learning;

2. Organizing techniques needed by staff of basic technology in the workshop management in order to improve teaching and learning;

3. Coordinating techniques needed by staff of basic technology in the workshop management processes to improve teaching and learning of the course;

4. Controlling techniques needed by staff to manage basic technology workshops to improve teaching and learning of the course in Ebonyi State; and

5. Storage techniques needed by staff of basic technology in workshop management  for  the improvement of teaching and learning of the course.

Significance of the Study

A lot of benefits will result from this study. Those who stand to benefit from the findings and   recommendations   of   this   study  include   teachers   of  basic   technology,   the   school administrators, the technicians,  the workshop attendants, the storekeepers,  the students, the school, the community and the government.

The  findings  of  this  study  will  equip  the  basic  technology  teachers  with  the knowledge  and  application  of basic  components  of management  skills;  it  will  help  in enhancing  their  understanding  in  planning,  organizing,  coordinating,  controlling  and storing of workshop  facilities  to enhance  the teaching  and learning of basic technology. Adequate planning will ensure that the right staff, tools and equipment are provided in the basic technology workshop. Planning will also increase proper layout and enhance performance of both staff and students.  This could be realized by the provision of schedules for inspection, proper layout  of  machines  and  equipment,  provision  of    safety kits,  fire  extinguisher,  first  aid  kits, accessibility,  provision  of conveniences  and  exhaust  system,  to mention  but  a  few.    A well organized workshop will engender interest and enable users of the shop to know where to begin and where to stop.

Coordination  of workshop  activities  will  benefit  all  users  of  the  workshop  as  it  will minimize conflict between personnel, activities and processes. Coordination will also enhance a complementary relationship between both staff and students in the use of physical facilities of  the  school  workshop.  Controlling,  on  the  other  hand,  ensures  that  movement  of workshop personnel, tools and services are put in check. It also increases accountability and proper usage of facilities in the school workshop. Proper storage techniques will help to

enhance  the  durability  and  performance  of the  available  tools  and  equipment,  thereby reducing  the incidence of loss and breakage of facilities and minimizing waste. Schools and government  will  benefit  in  that  procurement  or  replacement  as  a  result  of  loss  or breakages  will be drastically reduced,  thereby saving money for other projects.  The school  can  also  develop  a  maintenance  plan  with  well  spelt  out  policies  which enables  it  to  effectively maintain and manage other facilities of the institution. Students are involved in the organization and safekeeping activities so that they gain experience. Interactions between the teachers and students are made more effective in a properly managed workshop situation. This increases efficiency in the process of teaching and learning.

The community will be affected when students who are adequately trained in basic technology take the right decision which affects their future. The workshop can also be made available  to  the  community for  practical  jobs  at  a minimum  cost  when  it  is well planned, organized, controlled, coordinated and facilities well stored. Benefits accruing from this study cannot be over emphasized; they include a drastic reduction in examination malpractice, crime, restiveness, idleness and frustration, among others

Research Questions

Five research questions are posed to guide the study. These questions are as follow;

1. What are the workshop planning techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State?

2. What are the workshop organizing techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State?

3. What are the workshop controlling techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State?

4. What are the workshop coordinating techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning

of basic technology in Ebonyi State?

5. What are the workshop storage techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi state?

Hypotheses

This study tested the following five hypotheses at a 0. 05 Level of significance:

HO1: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of the school administrators, basic technology teachers and the workshop staff on the planning techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State.

H02: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of the school administrators, basic technology teachers and workshop staff on the organizing techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State.

H03: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of the school administrators, basic technology teachers and workshop staff on the coordinating techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State.

HO4: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of the school administrators, basic technology teachers  and  workshop  staff  on  the  controlling  techniques  needed  to improve  the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State.

HO5:   There   is   no   significant   difference   in   the   mean   responses  of  the  school administrators, basic technology teachers and workshop staff on the storage techniques needed to improve the teaching and learning of basic technology in Ebonyi State.

Scope of the Study

The study will be limited to the determination of the workshop management techniques adopted by the basic technology teachers and workshop Staff in Junior Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State under the Universal Basic Education Programme. The study will not cover basic

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education at the primary school level. The study will strictly dwell on workshop manageme techniques such involved in; Planning, Organizing, Coordinating, Controlling, Storage and will make some recommendations on how to improve upon the management techniques for a better teaching and learning of basic technology in the Junior Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State. It is true that staffing is a part of workshop management techniques but it will not be covered in this study. This is because the focus of this study is on how to effectively utilize the available resources in the basic technology workshops in the secondary schools owned by Ebonyi state government.

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