CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

Education is a conscious and purposeful effort directed towards the transmission of accumulated abilities, knowledge and attitudes from one generation to the other with ultimate intension of producing men and women who will be relevant and useful to themselves and the society. Education is a process by which individuals are assisted formally through proper direction and guidance to develop their capacities for their own benefits and that of the society (Okeke, 2003). Hence education positively changes the behaviour patterns of the citizens. Education is the total process of human learning by which knowledge is imparted, faculties trained and skills developed (Farrant 1980) especially formal education. Formal Education came into Nigeria with the arrival of missionaries. The missionaries trained personnel for evangelization and teaching catechism in addition to other religious doctrines in the church. According to Akuyimu (1991) this continued till the 19th century when formal institutions for the training of teachers were established in the country. Teacher education came into existence in 1959 by the Ashby commission. One major event in the development of teacher Education in Nigeria was the publication and subsequent implementation of the Ashby commission report. The commission observed that there was a gravely inadequate supply of trained and educated 2 teachers in Nigerian secondary grammar schools even when there was an increase in demand for more secondary grammar schools. The commission recommends the following; the opening of more universities; the institution of a Bachelor s Degree in Education B. A (Ed), B.Sc (Ed) or B. Ed; the training of more teachers for the nations secondary schools.

Following the recommendation, two schemes of Teacher Education were introduced. One of these schemes was teacher certification programme which was established with the assistance of UNESCO. In 1962 the federal and the then Regional governments established Advanced Teacher Training Colleges (ATT) which was later changed to Colleges of Education (COE). The objectives of colleges of Education were to train teachers in various teaching subjects and methods to enable them teach in both primary and junior secondary schools. Later the National policy on education was first published in 1977 as a result of the 1969 National curriculum conference. The conference was a culmination of expression of general dissatisfaction with the existing education system which had become irrelevant to national needs and aspirations and goals. The objectives of colleges of education include the followings to:

· produce highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of educational system.

· encourage further the spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers

· help teaches to fit into the social life of the community and society and enhance their commitment to national objectives provide teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment and to make them adaptable to any changing situation not only in the life of their country but in the wider world.

· enhance teacher s commitment to the teaching profession (NCCE, 2012).

In line with these objectives students are trained to acquire the knowledge and skills needed because teacher education programme provides a framework in which students acquire potent knowledge about the subject matter.

Teacher education programme is the strategic optional system, for preparing and graduating teachers with the framework of an operative institutional or public policy on education, and in pursuit of the educational goals (Osah Ogulu 2000). According to Shuaibu (2006) the role teacher education programme plays in the educational system are as follows:

· Preserves the system by selecting what to teach.

· Evaluative of not only what is learnt but what has been considered worthwhile and how these have been taught.

· Generative as the programme predicts the future and work out the skills and attitudes required to study.

· Maintenance as the programme creates opportunity for retracing through in-service resulting to expansion of the education system.

Teacher education therefore is the training of individuals to equip them with necessary competencies and skills in a given subject area that will enable them teach same to students in schools

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Christian religious study is one of the subjects mounted in colleges of education to meet the need of the learner and society. Considering its role in social and ethical development of any individual and society it is one of popular religious subject to so many students. Even though various instructional techniques have been adopted by teachers to improve student’s achievement in Christian religious study, very little impact in terms of improvement has been achieved. There are still persistent reports of the rate of mass failure in Christian religious study at the junior secondary school level and in examination conducted by testing bodies in Nigeria such as West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO). These persistent reports of failure in Christian religious study have raised serious issue on the manpower produced by colleges of education who in turn are expected to lay a solid foundation for the pupil/students at the primary/junior secondary school. It is therefore pertinent to evaluation Christian religious study Education programme. An evaluation of Christian religious study education programme need to be focused on student s performance, availability/ adequacy of facilities, staff, instructional material in addition to the teaching methods adopted, admission requirements and its compliance to NCCE minimum standard. Programme evaluation of this nature is useful for programme improvement, decision- making, personnel 9 accountability and availability of facilities. Therefore the problem of the study is to determine to what extent the objectives of Christian religious study education programme in college of education in south geopolitical zone of Nigeria have been achieved.