The evolution of NCE progrmame in Nigeria was as a result of the Ashby Commission set up in 1959 to forecast Nigeria Educational Needs from 1960 to 1980 (Adesina, 1977). The Commission identified two major problems in teacher education as: low output and poor quality of teacher produced. It was also observed by the Commission that new techniques approaches and additional knowledge were required for the training of teacher. The Commission further observed that higher education foundations which were primary and secondary school systems, were narrow and the structures of higher education cannot be large enough or varied enough to meet the needs of the nation. If the foundations are made of materials that crumble, in a few years then the whole structure will be in danger. (Adesina, 1977). To solve this problem, the Commission recommended among others, a modification of the Grade I Teachers‟ Certificate to what is today known as the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) which was formally awarded by Advanced Teacher Training College (ATTC). According to Adesina, the first Advanced Teacher Training College (ATTC) was established at Abraka in 1961. This was closely followed by those in Lagos, Ibadan, Ondo, Owerri and Zaria respectively in 1962. It was expected that new programmes would help in bridging the gap between Teacher Grade II Certificate and Bachelor in Education Degree. The graduates of the ATTC, which became Colleges of Education (CoE) were regarded as middle level manpower in education. If it in the public service, they are employed into administrative cadres as executive officers.
To increase the quality of the NCE programme and for the purpose of harmonization and standardization, the Federal government by virtue of Decree No 3 of 1989 set up the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) as the highest supervisory body for all NCE
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progrmames in Nigeria. According to Act of Parliament No. 3 of 1989, section 5, the functions of the Commission include:
1. Through the Minister, advice the federal government on, and co-ordinate all aspects of teacher education falling outside the universities and polytechnics.
2. Make recommendations on the national policy necessary for the full development of teacher education and training of teachers.
3. Harmonize entry requirements and duration of courses in the Colleges of Education, lay down minimum standards for all programmes of teacher education and accredit their certificates and other academic awards after obtaining thereof prior approval of the Minister.
4. Approve guidelines, setting out criteria for the accreditation of all Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
5. Determine after appropriate consultations, the qualified teachers needed for the country and prepare periodic master plans for the balanced and coordinated development of Colleges of Education.
6. Make recommendations on the development of pre-vocational/technical, agricultural business, and home economics education in our primary and secondary schools, and advise as to the necessary facilities contribution of government and industry, and how to ensure that our women articulate and take full part in this.
7. Enquire into and advice the federal military government of the financial needs of the Colleges of Education and to receive block grants from government and allocate them to colleges according to government‟s directives.
8. Collate and analyze any public information related to teacher education in the country
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9. Channel all external aids to Colleges of Education
10. Undertake periodic review of terms and condition of personnel teaching in the Colleges of Education and to advise government.
At the formal inauguration of the governing board of the NCCE, by the then Honorable Minister of Education, Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, at Lagos, in 1989, the Commission was challenged by the government to be fair as they cannot compromise on accountability and poor quality in teacher education. The issue of quality in teacher education cannot be over emphasized. The set up of the NCCE could be regarded as the greatest prestige and recognition ever given to Colleges of Education and other NCE awarding institutions in Nigeria. Within its few years of existence the Commission had been able to establish and enforce the minimum standard for training NCE teachers, execute some researches and crucial aspects of teacher education and undertake pre-accreditation and accreditation visits to all NCE awarding institutions in the country for the purpose of accrediting the full-time NCE programme.
The NCE curriculum covered wide range of subjects and each student was required to choose and specialize in two teaching subjects. Education, usually a general course was basically secondary school oriented. Different types of course components; courses and teaching subjects existed in different institutions. They comprised of NCE secondary, where education, arts science and social subjects were offered. The methodology was basically for teaching secondary school children. NCE technical courses offered were basically technical subjects including computer, agricultural, and engineering education courses. NCE Business and Vocational Education courses include fine and applied arts and home economics, wood and metal works. The methodology of teaching the subjects usually forms part of the compulsory subjects – NCE Primary Education Students were specially trained to teach primary school children. All primary school subjects courses are tailored towards teaching the handicapped, including the gifted in secondary and primary schools. Teaching subjects were offered in combination with compulsory special education subjects.
According to NCCE Minimum Standard for Nigeria Certificate in Education, it was categorically stated in No.3 that by the end of the NCE programme, the students should be able to:
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(a) Discuss intelligently the main ideas that have affected and still affect the development and practice of education generally, and in Nigeria in particular;
(b) Examine the main psychological health and socio-economic factors that may help or hinder a child‟s education performance;
(c) Study learner approximately to determine the most effective ways of relating to them to ensure their maximum achievement;
(d) Professionally combine the use of conventional and ICT or other innovational instructional/learning strategies in generating and imparting knowledge, attitudes and skills;
(e) Develop, select, and effectively use appropriate curriculum processes, teaching strategies, instructional materials and methods for maximum learner achievement;
(f) Broaden their intellectual perspective through the general studies education programme;
(g) Demonstrate desirable attributes in moral and character development;
(h) Discuss intelligently major issues affecting teacher education and the teaching profession in Nigeria;
(i) Identify major problems of Education in Nigeria, and their corresponding solutions;
(j) Demonstrate proficiency in measuring and evaluating learning outcomes, as well as in carrying out appropriate research on educational problems in Nigeria.
45 2.9. Instrumental Research
Instrumental research according to Ziman (2002) means "the production of knowledge with clearly foreseen or potential uses. Research that is subordinated to a concrete purpose of application and utilization of the knowledge sought qualifies as instrumental. The practice and norms of instrumental research are almost the opposite of those of academic science. Being normal funded by contracts rather than by patronage, instrumental science is so captive of material interests and commercial agendas that is partisan rather than objective in its judgments.
Its findings are exploited as intellectual property, and are thus proprietary rather than public.
Because it serves specific power groups and technical elites, it tends to produce "local" rather than universal knowledge (Wilholt, 2006). Processes in instrumental research are guided by design rules. For instrumental research to promote enterprise that such research aims at the design rules must be strictly adhered to by the researcher (Wilhot, 2006). Generation of items, trial testing and the estimation of the psychometric properties to establish the validity and reliability of the instrument are significant steps in the processes involved in instrumental research.
Instrumental research uses stakeholders as a means for collecting data. In this study, lecturers and students were used. The information gathered from the stakeholder through scientific methods or any means of collecting data is translated into scientific knowledge with the means of statistics or other quantifiable method.