Abstract
The general objective of the study was to determine workshop practice management skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers in technical colleges in Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe States. The study was a survey. The population comprised 81 Electricity/Electronics teachers in technical colleges in the states. No sampling was carried out as the whole population was used. A structured questionnaire containing 75 items was designed and used for data collection. A total number of 81 copies of the questionnaire were distributed and all the 81 copies were retrieved given a return rate of 100 percent. The data was analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. t
– test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study are: involve students in contributing to their attainment of overall objectives in the workshop, plan effectively for tool storage and facilities. It was recommended that enough materials should be provided by the government for use in the workshop.
| 1 |
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The survival of any nation depends on the premium attached to the education of its citizen. Education, whether general, vocational or technical is the corner stone of technological, political and economic development. According to the new National Policy on Education Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2004), technical education is that aspect of education which leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skill as well as basic scientific knowledge.
Technical College Education according to the National Technical Vocational Education (TVE) master plan for 2001-2010, is one of the four levels of technology education. Technology education on the other hand is any type of teaching/learning that focuses not on artifact but on public knowledge, skills and procedures for making, using and doing things in specifiable and reproducible ways. Technical Education is education designed to prepare individuals for work in the industry and commerce (Nwachukwu,2001). It is this type of education that is offered in technical college. According to Okorie (2001), technical colleges are the institutions where craftsmen are trained to the craft level and awarded National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) certificate. The aim of technical college is to produce graduates with saleable skill. In technical colleges, technical teachers give training on various disciplines such as Electricity/Electronic technology, building technology, wood work technology, metal work technology to mention but a
1
few. These disciplines are also called trade subjects.
Trade subjects are unique subject because they are skill oriented and requires the use of workshop for the provision of learning situation which a learner could experiment, study, imagine, create, design, construct, dismantle, repair and build equipment (Sulaiman,2000). This is in line with the statement of Waheel (2002) that technical education is supposed to link together the heads and the hands so that the people could use their brains and their hands to produce. The students attitude toward technical subjects can be positively improved if the right workshop management skill are employed by the technical teachers. Workshop here refers to a structured building where different hand tools and machine are kept (Usman,1990).Electrical/ electronics workshop is a place where electrical and electronic equipment and materials for practical lessons are kept and utilized for training in skill acquisition. In electrical/electronics workshop students are taught how to solder joints, diagnose faults, repairs, dismantle, design, maintained and service electrical/electronics goods. Electrical/electronics as a practical subject suppose to be taught by qualified technical teachers with a view to producing competent craftsmen that can face the challenge of that aspect of the economy. For effective performances in workshop practice teachers require a high degree of management skill and the master of the subject matter to be taught (Ogwo and Oranu, 2006).
According to Koontz et al (1983), management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working
together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected aims. This definition suggests that essentially, managers are vested with the responsibility of designing an internal environment for optimal performance within an organization. While designing the internal environment, managers- must also be responsive to the many elements of the external environment such as the general economic climate, technology, political, social and ethical factors that affect their area of operation. Cats-Baril and Thompson (1997) simply defined management as the act of keeping an organization alive and functioning to accomplish a series of tactical and strategic objectives.
Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling of the resources of an organization in the efficient and effective pursuit of specified organizational goals. Gullick (1993) also defined management as the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people. Consequently, be identified management functions as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and coordinating.
Planning is the most basic of all managerial functions. It bridges the gap from what is to what ought to be. It makes it possible for things to occur that would not otherwise happen. A company’s plan establishes what kind of business enterprise will be in, and its objectives for each. More detailed planning must then take place within each business unit; manufacturing, marketing, finance, human resource, etc. According to Dunod (1986) planning involves selecting missions and objectives of the enterprise and the actions to
achieve them. It requires decision making that is, choosing from among alternative future courses of action. Furthermore, Koontz (1983) sees planning as an intellectually demanding managerial innovation in which the entrepreneur consciously plan courses of action and base his decision on purpose, knowledge and considered estimates. Unless plans are made events are left to chance. The planning function is very important and primary in electrical/electronics workshop. Every aspect of the workshop should be subject to planning in order to ensure safety and also to make the utmost use of resources, to promote knowledge, attitudinal change and skill acquisition. The development of good workshop plans enables the electrical/electronics teacher to take a hard look at the enterprise by examining its activities for the future, and to justify his decisions before they are implemented.
Organizing is the first step in the implementation of business plans and goals. It involves developing an intentional structure of roles, responsibilities and authorities for effective performance (Koontz, 1983). According to Baumback (1993) the organizing function involves classifying and dividing the work or activities of the business into manageable units. Like planning, the organizing function in electrical/electronics workshop must be performed continuously because materials especially consumable ones are brought in and used up from time to time. Organizing the electrical/electronics workshop does not really materialize until someone does it. Staffing is finding the right person for the right job. In organizing, the manager establishes positions and decides which duties and responsibilities belong to each. Some authors see staffing as a
separate and essential function of management which requires continual attention as new employees are needed to replace those who leave the organization. However, some people (e.g. Baumback, 1993) feel that staffing is indeed part of organizing, especially if an established concern already has employees to fill the positions available. For staff to work efficiently, the organization structure must be understood, and principles must be put in practice.
Leading as a management function relates to followership (Knootz,1993). It is accomplished by means of communication of ideas and instructions to subordinates, and based on an understanding of what motivates people (Baumback,1993). Basically, people tend to follow those in whom they see a means of satisfying their own needs. Personalities, emotions and conditions outside the workshop environment affect most workers. Family problems look large with many workers; others are upset with the details of their jobs. A good workshop organizer understands the importance of these personal factors in workers’ lives and is alert to the symptoms that indicate trouble is brewing. The electrical/electronics teacher suppose to instruct, explain, train and sometimes demonstrate what the other instructors are to do.
The managerial function of controlling is the measurement and correction of the performance of the activities of subordinates in order to make sure that enterprise objectives and plans devised to obtain them are being achieved. According to Koontz et al (1993) the control function consists in verifying whether everything occurs in conformity with the plan adopted, the instructions
issued and principles established. The objective of control is to point out weakness and errors in order to rectify them and prevent recurrence. A prerequisite of control is a standard with which actual performance can be compared. If there is no standard, then there is no effective measure of attainment. Furthermore, Barret (2003) stated that the control function checks whether the plans are being realized and put into corrective measures where deviation or shortfall is occurring. Without effective controls, an electrical/electronics workshop will be at the mercy of all the internal and external forces that can disrupt efficiency and the electrical/electronics teacher will be unaware of it and therefore unable to combat such forces.
Skill, according to Okoro (2000), is a well established habit of doing something which is obtained through training and involves repetitive performance. It involves the acquisition of performance capabilities. Osuala (1995) also defined skill as physical and mental abilities that required high degree of coordination between the body and the brain. Skill improvement is therefore a process whereby teachers or instructors go for further training in order to improve and update their knowledge and skills. This implies that technical teacher skill improvement will enable each generation to function effectively and assist in meeting the needs of the society. Management skill is a personal characteristic that can contribute to high performance in management job. Schermerhon (1989) asserted that management skills are personal characteristics which help greatly in carrying out management tasks.
In other words, management skill for electrical/electronics workshop
practices are those skills and habit of managing the workshop obtained through training and repetitive performance. For an effective workshop practice to take place in technical colleges, efficient management skill is required by the technical teachers. The skill improvement needs as regards management skill may differs between institutions in the urban centers and those in the rural areas. This is because, institutions in the urban center may have more influence on ministry officials due to proximity to supply of materials and equipment and even qualified and experienced electrical/electronics teachers.
Also, electrical/electrical teachers in urban centers may be more exposed to opportunities such as seminar, workshop and conference on management skills much more than those in rural areas. Male and female Electricity/Electronics teachers may differ in their opinion regarding control and coordinating skill improvement needs due to difference in gender. For the Electricity/Electronics teachers in technical colleges to perform credibly, and enable their product to remain efficient and competitive in constant state of flux and changes of the world and work and global workforce, they have to be updating their knowledge constantly.
Statement of the Problem
Electricity/Electronics workshop practices are poorly managed and coordinated in most technical colleges. This, according to Abbas (2000), is attributed to the fact that Electricity/Electronics teachers in technical colleges lack management skill necessary for carrying out the activities in Electricity/Electronics workshop practices.
The management skill includes planning, organizing, controlling, coordinating and directing. Lack of management skill have caused many management related problems in the Electricity/Electronic workshop. The problems are lack of good involvement of students in practical exercise, lack of good storage of materials, lack of good record keeping, lack of good maintenance culture and lack of proper handling of activities in the workshop which may sometimes lead to accident and equipment failure.
Sunderson (2000) observed that one of the most critical problems confronting teachers in the workshop is the method of tool storage. On the other hand Abbas (1999) noted that there is a problem of poor organization and maintenance of equipment in the Electricity/Electronics workshop in technical colleges. All pointing down to lack of management skill for carrying out workshop practices in electrical/electronics.
The problem or this study is therefore to determine workshop practice management skills improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers in technical colleges.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of the study is to determine, the workshop practice management skills improvement needs of electricity/electronics teachers in technical colleges. Specifically, the study determined
1. Planning skill improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice-in technical colleges.
2. Organizing skill improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for
improving workshop practice in technical colleges.
3. Controlling skill improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges.
4. Coordinating skill improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in terminal colleges.
5. Directing skill improvement needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges.
Significance of the Study
Consideration for a well managed and improved workshop practice is very important because it is the back borne of any meaningful skill acquisition. The findings of this study will be beneficial to the ministries of education in that they can use the result of the study to organize training workshop and seminar for the Electricity/ Electronics teachers in order to update their management skills for efficient workshop practice. The ministries will also use the findings of the study to employ teachers i.e. using the findings as an interview schedule to select qualified electrical/electronics teachers for technical colleges.
The findings of the study will be beneficial to Electricity/Electronics industries where technical college graduates seek for employment upon graduation. This is due to the fact that if the technical college workshop is well managed. Electricity/ Electronics graduates will be better equipment with practical skills to perform more effectively in their various job assignment in the industries. This will also help the industries minimize the huge financial
expenditure on retraining of technical college graduates upon employment.
The findings of the study will be beneficial to the technical teacher training institutions in that these institutions will be able to incorporate the aspect of workshop practice management skills identified in this study in the curriculum. The products of these institutions are expected to teach in technical colleges and their knowledge of workshop practice management skills will help in improving the management of workshop practice in Electricity/Electronics workshop in the technical colleges.
The findings of the study, will be beneficial to Electricity/Electronics teachers because if the workshop management skills of these teachers is upgraded the teachers will use the new knowledge to teach practicals better to students. This invariably will motivate the student to learn and also give the teacher job satisfaction.
The findings of the study will be beneficial to students because when the teachers are well equipped with workshop practice management skill the Electricity/Electronics teachers will instill these knowledge into the students. The students will therefore learn better and be able to work more effectively due to improve skill acquisition. If this is achieve parents will also be happy because they will see value in their efforts.
The society will also benefit from the findings of the study because when Students graduates with expected skills, they will reduce the problem of quack technicians thereby, offering good services to the society. This will served a long way in achieving the much needed technological development in Nigeria.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided the study:
1. What are the planning skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges?
2. What are the organizing skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges?
3. What are the controlling skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges?
4. What are the coordinating skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges?
5. What are the directing skill needs of Electricity/Electronics teachers for improving workshop practice in technical colleges?
Hypotheses
The following null hypothesis were tested at 0.5 level of significance.
HO1: There will be no significant difference in the mean responses of experienced teachers and less-experienced teachers in planning skill improvement needs.
HO2: Significance difference does not exist in the mean responses of teachers in urban centres and teachers in rural areas on organizing skill improvement needs.
HO3: There will be no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female Electricity/Electronics teachers on control skill improvement needs.
HO4: Significance difference will not exist between male and female Electricity/ Electronics teachers on coordinating skill improvement needs.
HO5: There will be no significant difference between graduates and non- graduate Electricity/Electronics teachers on directing skill improvement needs.
Delimitation of the Study
The study is delimited to management skill and does not include technical skills. Technical colleges in the state capital are considered urban schools. The teacher who spent than five years in service is considered on experienced teacher while those with less than five years are considered less experienced.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
WORKSHOP PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SKILL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS OF ELECTRICITY ELECTRONICS TEACHERS IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN ADAMAWA BAUCHI AND GOMBE STATE
PROJECTOPICS.com Support Team Are Always (24/7) Online To Help You With Your Project
Chat Us on WhatsApp » 07035244445
DO YOU NEED CLARIFICATION? CALL OUR HELP DESK:
07035244445 (Country Code: +234)YOU CAN REACH OUR SUPPORT TEAM VIA MAIL: [email protected]