For instance, the societal demand for technological advancement led to the introduction of 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria. The junior secondary school level requires the use of different scientific, technical and technological equipment and machines. Relevant teachers had to be and are still being trained in these areas. Similarly, the introduction of students’ continuous assessment system in the 80’s brought about the training of subject teachers and school counsellors in its techniques. The on-going global emphasis on Information technology has resulted in the inclusion of computer education in the school curriculum of some schools. By the time computer education is introduced to all schools, many teachers would need to be trained in computer technology.
According to Nwankwo (1999) the techniques used in developing teachers include on-the-job training, coaching and teachers’ meetings and visitation. Other techniques are workshops, conferences, seminars, ‘professional publications and lectures. These techniques expose the teachers to useful facts and ideas necessary for their professional growth.
4. Programmes that enable acquisition of higher qualifications. These involve studies in higher institutions of learning. They include Nigeria certificate in Education (NCE) for senior secondary school certificate or Grade II holders, Bachelor in Arts and Science Education B.A(Ed) and B.Sc(Ed) for NCE holders at the universities. Like PGDE, these courses are offered to teachers on sandwich and part-time basis. The resultant higher education is associated with greater responsibilities and higher status in terms of posts and remuneration. NOUN Programmes, Correspondence Course /District Learning.
Influence of Teacher training and Development Programmes on Students’ Academic Performance
Teachers in any society are the pivot on which the total educational system rests. There are different roles that the teachers have to play from time to time. Thus, development programmes for them should focus on development of relevance skills to perform these roles. According to Gusky and sparks (1998) effective performance on the part of employees is essential for the success of the organisation. Such performance to a large extent will depend on their knowledge, skills and confidence in originating ideas as to how best to carry out the tasks of the job. Hence, the need for staff development programmes which should aim at improving the effectiveness of individuals at work and for greater responsibilities.
Nwachukwu (1999) observed that one of the conditions requiring staff development is low productivity. An organisation may have employees with appropriate equipments, yet productivity may fall below expected standards. The missing factor in many cases is the lack of adequate skills and knowledge which are acquired through training and education. The primary aim of staff development as submitted by Health (1999) include enhancing professional competence which will also have some impact on personal growth and awareness, increasing job satisfaction and developing potentials for future work and improving the individuals and institutions’ abilities to achieve their aims and objectives.
Osborne (2006) opined that when training is provided in a supportive climate, it can among others, increase productivity, enhance group work at all levels, create greater employee versatility, improve communication, morale and co-operation and improved employee job performance. In other words, planned development programmes provide a means of maintaining acceptable level of employee and organisational performance. Specifically, orientation contributes to organisational effectiveness by facilitating the socialization process as soon as possible. The sooner the employees feel comfortable in the organisation, the sooner they can be productive.
Stoner (2008) also observed that there are other forms of training and development for private employees with the knowledge and skills they need to remain qualified for the job in the face of changes and new challenges. Such challenges include keeping abreast of current developments in one’s field as related to new responsibilities, performance standards, equipment or work methods. Alabi (2005) believed that the main purpose of staff development in schools is to enable staff to achieve their potentials as employees and to effectively contribute to the achievement of the schools’ objectives. The effectiveness of staff development programmes in schools entails consideration of improvement in students’ learning and performance in line with modern educational improvement efforts.
Gusky and Sparks (2008) proposed a model of the relationship between staff development and improvements in students’ performance. The model based on the premise that the quality of staff development is influenced by a variety of factors classified as content characteristics. These are the “what), “howâ€â€œwhoâ€, “whenâ€â€œwhere†and “when†respectively of staff development. They concluded that high quality staff development programmes are important pre-requisites to improvement in students’ learning and performance.
Alabi (2005) observed that staff development’s influence on students is accomplishment principally through its direct effect on teachers and administrators’ knowledge and practices as the most significant outcome of staff development of staff development efforts that would lead to better job performance. With improved teachers’ professional knowledge and classroom practices, improved students’ learning and performance would be expected.
