Teachers and Teaching Profession for Sustainable Development in … · Teachers and Teaching Profession for Sustainable Development in Nigeria ... Concepts of teaching and teaching

Journal of Educational Policy and Entrepreneurial Research (JEPER) ISSN: 2408-770X (Print), ISSN: 2408-6231 (Online) Vol. 3, N0.7. 2016. Pp 147-152 (Special Edition)

147 www.ztjournals.com Shehu, M. M.

Teachers and Teaching Profession for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Shehu Mansur Muhammad

Department of Psychology and Counselling Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu, Kebbi State

Abstract This paper discussed teachers and teaching profession for sustainable development in Nigeria. Concepts of teaching and teaching profession were discussed in details. Sustainable development was critically discussed. Aims and objective for provision of teachers by the Nigerian Government for to achieve sustainable development in teaching profession was made. The institution for professional teacher training and for sustainable development was highlighted. Also, challenges of teaching profession were highlighted. The overview of teachers and professional ethics of teaching profession were discussed. A tip for teaching profession and sustainable development was highlighted. Re-orientation on curriculum for sustainable development in teaching profession was addressed and critically discussed. For mandatory and sustainability, major needs were highlighted for teaching jobs at all educational level. The paper recommended amongst others, that National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Policy on Education (NPE), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) should intensify efforts to promote continuity in government policy or programmes by giving constant and effective training of teachers including attending of seminars, workshops and conferences.

Keywords: Teachers, Teaching Profession, Sustainable Development, Nigeria

Introduction Basically, the truthfulness in educational system is that the quality of education depends largely upon the quality of the teachers. In any nation, teachers are the foundation of quality in the educational system and this is the key to unlock all facets of development. Therefore, whether the teachers are seated at one end, or whether the teachers are the best equipped classroom of most up-to-date school, with the best state of art; whether the teachers are at work with a small number of students or they are on the television screen that is viewed by a large number of students; whether the teachers are what is seen in computer programmes or programmed textbooks, there is the likelihood that the student will not get quality education unless the teachers are qualitative. In view of the above, whether inputs is made into an educational system in respect of management, resources, facilities and array of instructional materials, will be of little avail if the teachers are unskilled, poorly trained, or even ignorant that can lead to the unsustainable development in teaching profession.

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Teachers have a great role to play in the achievement of sustainable development in teaching profession. From the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004) teachers have the responsibility of imparting knowledge and professional training to would-be-teachers. Therefore, teachers in educational institution will be trained from early childhood to university, as the training is professional in nature for the purpose of facilitating teacher education and the effective performance of their duties that is obtained from the following institutions among others that will provide professional training for sustainable development in teaching profession;

1. Faculties of education in the universities 2. National teachers institute 3. College of education 4. Institute of education 5. NCE programmes in the Polytechnics 6. Other recognizes foreign countries with recognized educational training

The provision have been made by the Nigerian government to served as aims and objectives of providing teachers for to achieved sustainable development in teaching profession. (1) To encourage further the spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers. (2) To help teachers in order to fit into social life of the community and the society at

large, and to enhance their commitment to national objectives or goals. (3) To provide teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for

their assignment and to make them adoptable to any changing solution not only in the life of their country, but in the wider world.

(4) To provide highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all level of our educational system.

(5) To enhance teachers commitment to the teaching profession. According to Federal Republic of Nigeria (1998), promotion opportunities shall be created to allow for professional growth at each level.

Conceptual Clarification

[ Teacher: Teacher can simply be perceived as a person who deliberately carries out conscious activities of imparting knowledge to others. Also, a teacher is person who had undergone approved professional training in education at appropriate levels capable of imparting knowledge, attitudes, and skills to the learners. Ajayi (2004) defined a teacher as someone who imparts knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to a group of learners. From the definition, it is clear that teachers are the one who helps the learners often in a school, as well as in a family, religious and community setting. Teachers are the leaders who are always dynamic and believe in change and have the capacity to prepare future leaders and develop in them the skills that they may need to succeed in the future. A teacher who leads understands the human aspect of living; not just someone who is all about academic standards or just following the national curriculum. A teacher who leads knows exactly what the world needs and what his students needs. He/she is compassionate, warm, lovable, optimistic, kind and well-meaning person. She offers not just the time of the day at school rather he/she offers her life to the children he/she teaches. He/she is confident in her students, he/she gets to their sprits and empowers them to grow, mature and developed into the best possible citizen for future. A teacher is described as a professional, who imparts knowledge, learning experiences at his disposal to stimulate, guide, direct and facilitate learners to acquire adequate mastery of the skills being imparted.




Teaching: This is a systematic, rational and organized process of transmitting, attitudes and skills in accordance with professional principles. Those who do not perform the act in accordance with professional principles are therefore not teachers but cheaters. Profession: Profession stems from the latin word ‘profiteor’, meaning to profess in the sense of having not only expert knowledge but, also with connotation of taking an oath or making a formal commitment, within this root, there are two (2) of the defining characteristics of profession, expertise and ethics. The oxford advanced learners dictionary of current English (2004) defined a profession as a type of job that needs special training or skills especially one that needs high level of education. Therefore, when compared with other professions such as engineering, law, medicine, nursing and accountancy, teaching requires a high level of academic and skills acquisition, this is because, teachers job bothers on the social, moral, mental, physical and academic well being of the learners. Therefore, according to Ibukun (2004), the quality of human resources in form of teachers, often dictates the extent of the effectiveness of educational programmes in order to achieve any socio-political, economic and scientific development in a country, there is the dire need for qualified teachers who are equipped with the desired knowledge, skills, competence and commitment, and who are empowered to performed their tasks professionally. Also, according to Durosaro (2006), the law status accorded to teachers in the country, does not make students enroll and be trained as teachers. The few who enroll do so because they have no choice. Ibukun (2004) lamented that many brilliant individuals are not willing to take up teaching as a profession. According to him, this should not have been so if teaching is up graded to a position of respect in the Nigerian society. Akindutire and Ekundayo (2005) lamented that Nigerian schools are staffed with unenthusiastic, ill-motivated, reluctant and born-out teachers. How will teachers be motivated to work when a Local Government Councilor earns better pay than a university professor, when teachers’ salaries are not paid at the appropriate time? No wonder a lot of people use the profession as a stepping stone towards getting a better offer that earns better public recognition. Sustainability: Sustainability seeks to enable and empower students to make decisions and take an action that contributes to creating a sustainable society and ecosystem. Sustainability action is both a preferred pedagogical approach for teaching sustainability and an essential set of knowledge and skills for students to learn. Ethics of Teaching Profession While trying to have sustainable development in teaching profession, the teachers and professional ethics have to be overviewed. Teaching as a profession, has its ethics for to guide members in the discharge of their duties. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (1998) in the teachers’ manual stipulated, as one of the ethics of the teaching profession, that teachers shall not reveal examination questions, either internal or external, to any one and in marking examination scripts; they shall be fair to all students. They shall, in addition, not connive at examination malpractices. However, Ajayi and Shofoyeke (2003) reported that teachers often succumb to the pressure of the lazy students to engage in examination malpractices both internal and public examinations, for to uplift and to have sustainable development in teaching profession. In another perspective, the ethics of teaching profession like any other professional bodies, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and as contained in its 1969 constitution, explain the ethics as commitment to the student, the parent, the community, the




employer and the profession. It is expected that the NUT or TRC as the case may be, should be able to enforce the ethics on all members. It is only when this can be attained that it could be considered as a strong, virile professional body. Professionalisation in Teaching Profession

Professionalization in teaching profession is the professional training that teachers receive, for them to be classified as professionals and for sustainable development in teaching profession. Being the training arm of the teaching profession, according to Martin and Cohen (2004)), is charged with the task of developing knowledge and skills as basis for practice, with preparing personal entry into the teaching profession (pre-service) and with contributing to the ongoing development of practicing professionals (in-service). Therefore it is necessary to lay polities with the professionalization in teaching profession. By professionalization, the code of ethics will be respected and the profession will not be open to every Tom, Dick and Harry. In making a professional teaching qualification mandatory and sustainability, government should make it compulsory for all in the teaching jobs, at all levels, and to acquired teaching qualifications; - Needs for positive perception of teaching. - Needs to improved welfare packages. - Needs for befitting infrastructure in the schools. - Needs for improvement on teacher’s self-image. - Needs for improvement in the academic and professional training teachers.

Sustainable Development Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: ‘the concept of needs’ in particular, the essential needs of the world’s poor, to which overriding priority should be given and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs. The scope of sustainable development is frequently described as including three spheres – social, environmental, and economic. The United Nations World Summit (2005) also affirmed the concept of three pillars of sustainability. The economic, social, and environmental factors need to be taken into consideration, and their cultural context. There is increasing recognition that these three factors are inter connected, over-lapping and inter-depended.

Tips for Teaching Sustainable Development

- Beware of student overload:- These feelings of cognitive or emotional overload can cause students to feel disengaged, disempowered, and even resentful, which can disrupt the learning process.

- Avoid Doom and Gloom:- Whatever the success, incorporating them into courses can help students envision a future that is shaped by their agency, and avoid any decent into cynical resignation or fearful reaction.

- Focus on Quality of Life Issues:- Students facing the emotional overload of environmental problems can easily feel that their entire lifestyle is threatened by resource limits and the environmentalists who champion living simply. Educators can sometimes add to this sense of threat by taking a moralizing, prescriptive, and unyielding approach to more sustainable development life styles.

- Peer Engagement and Support:- Engaging students in group discussions and projects in which they have the opportunity to dialogue and support one another can help to alleviate these




feelings of overload. It can also allow for the moments of problem –solving, debate, analysis, team work, and reflection that are so crucial to developing the critical thinking and leadership skills students need to face complex problems.

- Student Analysis of Data:- Students may learn more about a given environmental problem by wrestling with empirical data for themselves, rather than receiving pre-digested analyses from lectures or secondary sources.

Teacher and Curriculum for Sustainable Development In the present dispensation, the major challenges facing teachers in teaching profession is that of globalization. The world is gradually becoming a global village and for teachers to operate effectively and efficiently in the nearest future, the teachers need to imbibe the new technologies and methodologies of the advanced countries of the world. In reality, education for teacher profession that is related to sustainable development will be implemented in a wide range, in both depth and breadth. In some communities, education for sustainable development will be ignored; in others it will be barely addressed. In some, a new class dedicated to education for sustainable development will be created, and in others the entire curriculum will be reoriented to address sustainability. Education for sustainable development in its real and effective forms gives students the skills, perspectives, values, and knowledge to live sustainably in their communities. Experimentation will determine what level of education for sustainable development will be appropriate and successful for communities to meet their sustainability goals for example, a community may weave a few themes of sustainability into the curriculum, only to find the additions will not achieve sustainability for their community. In cases where schools carry total responsibility for education for sustainable development, complete curricular reorientation of education at all levels will probably be necessary. In communities where informal, non-formal, and formal education unite to create an integrated education for sustainable development program for citizens of all ages, a less intense approach in the formal education system might be effective. As programs are developed and implemented, problems will occur. Flaws and questionable practices will need to be addressed as education for sustainable development continues to develop and mature.

Challenges of Teaching Profession in Nigeria 1- Lack of commitment 2- Poor society perception of teacher education 3- Inadequate funding 4- Lack of motivation 5- Problem of attrition

Conclusion The teacher is important in the scheme of developing the teaching profession and its potential in any nation. Therefore, educating the teachers for effective performance of his/her responsibility of educating the larger members of the society cannot be overemphasized in any nation. It is accepted that teachers constitute the most important input in the teaching profession that determined the quality of output, and sustainable development, more important than the amount of resources on ground. If the teachers and teaching profession in any nation are not committed and not inspired, not motivated, and are lazy, immoral and antisocial, the entire nation is doomed. Teachers are what make the difference between a teacher and a cheater in the job. Therefore, the aspect of equipping mire qualified hands in the implementing process requires the training of professional teachers for attainment of sustainable development in teaching profession.




Recommendations Nigeria must re-engineer her economic, political and social systems; a great deal of thought must be given to the inputs and management of teachers and teaching profession. This presupposes that improvement on teachers in teaching profession is invariably, a way to improve the sustainable development in teaching profession. It is recommended that strictly adhered to; there will be an improvement in sustainable development on teachers and teaching profession.

- Government should give a deadline within a convenient time-frame to ensure that in 2020 teachers would have become professionals.

- Teachers should be encouraged to attend regular workshops, seminars and conference that are relevant to their professional discipline for sustainable development.

- Teachers should endeavour to work in line with their professional ethics. - Government should ensure transparency and accountability. This will ensure legitimacy of

education and sustainable development practices, as well as improve and further develop the competences.

- A whole institution approach should be adopted for the continuing professional development of educators in their work place. Educators will best develop the competences when the culture and management of the entire organization is supportive of sustainable development. This approach is also applies to organizations such as business and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) where learning also takes place.

- National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Policy on Education (NPO), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) should intensify efforts to promote continuity in government policy or programmes by giving constant and effective training of teachers including attending of seminars, workshops and conferences.

References Ajayi, I. A. (2004). Social Science Method. Ado –Ekiti: Green Line Publishers.

Ajayi, T. and Shofoyeke, A.D. (2003). school discipline, teachers’ attitude to work and ethics of the teaching profession in Teacher Education.

Akindutire and Ekundayo (2005). Production of quality Teachers for Quality Education 10. 435

Durosaro, D. O. (2006). Teacher Education in Nigeria: past, present and future challenges. The pacesetter J. Oyo State College of Education. 13 (1): 44 – 54.

Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) National Policy on Education (4th Edition). Yaba, Lagos: Nigeria education research and development counsel press (NERDC)

Federal Republic of Nigeria (1998), Nigeria Teachers Service Manual Lagos: Federal Ministry of Education

Ibukun WO (2004), Qualified Teachers for quality Education in Nigeria. Issues in Educational Foundations and Management, (1). 12 – 21. Martin S. J.and Cohen, N. (2004), Opportunities for Sustainable in the Learning and Skills Sector. A policy analysis. London: The Learning and Skills Development Agency.

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary 7th ed. (2005) oxford university press. United Nations World Summit (2005) 2005 world summit Outcome, available at:

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Teachers and Teaching Profession for Sustainable Development in … · Teachers and Teaching Profession for Sustainable Development in Nigeria ... Concepts of teaching and teaching