Thesis Abstract

<p> The term<br>curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in<br>a specific course or program. However, experiences over time have shown that<br>there is an apparent gap between theoretical training and practice in Real<br>Estate Management (REM). This paper examined this gap in the current learning,<br>teaching and assessment (LTA) in the undergraduate Estate Management programme<br>in University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Data was obtained from interview<br>and questionnaires issued out to respondents. The research also adopted a<br>survey design with a sample of one hundred and fifty nine respondents. The<br>primary data was analysed and presented using statistical tools such as simple<br>tables, frequency distribution and percentages Findings revealed that there<br>were fundamental gaps between theoretical training and practice in Real Estate<br>Management (REM). Major gaps identified were gaps between the conceptions of<br>learning and the LTA practices in the traditional REM curricula, gaps revealed<br>by the lecturers’ methods of teaching, gaps revealed by the learning assessment<br>strategy, gaps inherent in the lecturers’ teaching qualifications and skills<br>and entrepreneurial learning gaps.The paper submits that these variations and<br>deviations may have adverse effect on the training of future professionals and<br>consequently on practice. The paper recommends that Estate Management by way of<br>policy should reinforce entrepreneurial skills in its teachings to enable<br>students to demonstrate graduate outcome. <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> <b><b><b><b></b></b></b></b></p><p><b><b><b><b>INTRODUCTION</b></b></b></b></p><p><b><b><b></b></b></b></p><b><b><b><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>&nbsp;Background of the Study</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Since<br>the inception of western type of education in Nigeria, several attempts have<br>been made to formulate policies in order to improve education system. The<br>problem facing our different level of educational system is not the formulation<br>of policy but the curriculum implementation. Even though large sums of money<br>are spent on implementing new curriculum, several of these efforts have failed.<br>According to Alade (2011), the main reason for the failure is the lack of<br>understanding of the culture of the school by both experts outside the school<br>system and educators in the system. Successful implementation of curriculum<br>requires an understanding of the power of relationships, traditions, roles and<br>responsibilities of individuals in the school system.</p><p>The<br>word implementation connotes operationalization of a well-articulated and well<br>intentioned ideas packed as theory. Hence to implement is to put to action<br>packed ideas or theories into reality. Mezieobi (1993), conceptualized the term<br>implementation simply as a process of putting an agreed plan, decision,<br>proposal, idea or policy into effect. It is the bedrock of any plan success or<br>failure. It is the moving force of any plan without which a plan is only good<br>wish or intention. On the other hand, the word curriculum in a formal setting<br>can be seen as the planned learning experiences offered to the learner in<br>school. Esu, Enukoha and Umoren (2004) conceived curriculum as all learning<br>experiences a child has under the guidance of a teacher. According to Offorma<br>(2005), curriculum is a programme which is made up of three components:<br>programme of studies, programme of activities and programme of guidance. It is<br>therefore the blue-print or instrument by which school seeks to translate the<br>hope and values of the society in which it operates into concrete reality.</p><p>However,<br>the term curriculum implementation had been defined in different ways by<br>different scholars. Garba (2004) viewed curriculum implementation as the<br>process of putting the curriculum into work for the achievement of the goals<br>for which the curriculum is designed. Okebukola (2004) described curriculum<br>implementation as the translation of the objectives of the curriculum from<br>paper to practice. In a nutshell, Ivowi (2004) sees curriculum implementation<br>as the translation of “theory into practice”, or “proposal into action”. In a<br>similar vein,</p><p>Afangideh<br>(2009), sees the concept of curriculum implementation as the actual engagement<br>of learners with planned learning opportunities. It is the actual carrying-out<br>of societal culture and/or government policies spelt out in the curriculum.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It<br>is a stage in curriculum process when in the midst of learning activities, the<br>teacher and learners are involved in negotiation aimed at promoting learning.<br>This is the interactive stage of the curriculum process which takes place in<br>the classroom through the combined effort of the teachers, learner, school<br>administrators and parents. It also integrates the application of physical<br>facilities and the adoption of appropriate teaching strategies and methods. The<br>quality of curriculum implementation of any society is the bedrock of its<br>political, economic,</p><p>scientific<br>and technological well being. Little wonder, it is always said that no society<br>can rise above the standard of its education system.</p><p>The<br>job of a teacher, according to Davis and Krajkcik (2005) involves helping the<br>students to achieve their learning goals by teaching meaningful contents and<br>engaging the students in relevant activities. In the process, the teacher is<br>expected to address need of each student to ensure that all students are<br>successful. The learning goals are often specified in the curriculum for each<br>of the course. The Curriculum in Estate Management Education in Nigeria is<br>often a blend of requirements of The Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC),<br>The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and the<br>mission of individual universities to meet the needs of the profession.<br>Although the content of each course is often explicitly set out, the<br>implementation depends on the way(s) each lecturer use the curriculum. This may<br>create a chasm between the overt curriculum, which is the intention of the<br>institution, and the operational curriculum, which is what the students<br>actually experience or the taught curriculum.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p>Remilard<br>(2005) suggested the teachers use curriculum materials in flexible ways,<br>depending on their interpretation. This results in varying classroom<br>experiences. In addition, Sherin and Drake (2009) identified three stages of curriculum<br>implementation. These are reading, evaluating and adapting. In reading the<br>curriculum, the teacher attempts to get the big idea, while in evaluating, the<br>teacher attempts to judge aspect of the curriculum. Thereafter, the teacher<br>adapts the curriculum to the students. In this case, the teacher makes changes<br>to the curriculum in terms of structure, activities and purpose to suit a<br>particular set of students at a particular time. This is often the reason the<br>overt curriculum is different from the operational curriculum.<b></b></p><b><p><b></b></p><b><p>Sherin<br>and Drake (2009) observed that while some teachers may omit some aspects of the<br>overt curriculum in their adaptation, others would add new components to the<br>curriculum to meet perceived needs of the students. In fact, suggest that the<br>implementation of the curriculum is determined by the teacher’s perceptions of<br>the needs and capabilities of the needs of the students. There are very few<br>studies however, that investigated the gap between the formal or overt<br>curriculum. O’ Donnell (2008) linked the fidelity to the implementation of<br>overt curriculum to the students’ academic achievements. The focus of this is<br>that estate management education has often been identified with some<br>professionalism, where skills in daily practice are modeled in the classroom.</p><p>There<br>is therefore the need to understand how teachers, particularly in Estate<br>management use the overt curriculum. Although the bodies that dictates the<br>components of the curriculum specified what should be taught, however, it is important<br>to perceive the gaps that may exist in terms of what the students are expected<br>to know and what they are actually taught. In the light of the fact that<br>different teachers interpret the curriculum in different ways, it is expedient<br>to know how the interpretations of same curriculum vary with different<br>teachers. This investigation is made in Estate Management Education, University<br>Of Uyo, using five courses that have been taught by different lecturers over<br>the years. A study of this nature may give an insight into the level of<br>preparedness of the students for professional practices. This is because such<br>investigation would reveal if the course objectives were being achieved. It may<br>also reveal how a change in the teacher teaching a particular course may modify<br>overt curriculum. Another important justification for this study is, it may<br>suggest needed reviews in the course investigated.</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp;<br></b><b>STATEMENT<br>OF A PROBLEM</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Despite<br>the wide recognition and acceptance accorded the role of curriculum as a career<br>of the national philosophy in Nigerian educational system, there seems to be<br>problems in the implementation of this important educational blue-print. Many<br>laudable goals of the curriculum have failed to pass the planning stage of the<br>curriculum due to faulty implementation. Well conceived curriculum ideas have<br>remained virtually inert and dysfunctional. The outcome of this is the bred of<br>graduates of higher institution who are found to be grossly deficient in<br>practical and professional competences (Izuagba and Afurobi 2009).</p><p>The<br>euphoria of new, energetic and dedicated teachers wears with the increasing<br>numbers of years in the field. Besides, some teachers do not know or were<br>ill-informed in the utilization of the overt curriculum which is the intention<br>of the institution and may feel some confident when they make use of none so as<br>not to embarrass themselves and disappoint their lecturers. Some teachers may<br>omit some aspects of the overt curriculum in their adaptation; others would add<br>new components to the curriculum to meet perceived needs of the students. This<br>is often the reason overt curriculum is different from the operational<br>curriculum.</p><p>There<br>are also problems militating against the effective and efficient implementation<br>of overt curriculum and these include: lack of teacher participation on<br>decision making and curriculum planning, lack of sufficient finance, frequent<br>turnover of teachers, policy changes, poor <br>ICT, attitude of schools/ college heads, curriculum review when needed,<br>rapid increase in knowledge, incompetency of teachers etc.</p><p>Consequent<br>upon this type of development, the government loses nothing except half-baked<br>and incompetent students to the labor market; the parent cannot get value for<br>their legitimate right. The result of this state of affair according to Idaka<br>and Joshua (2005) is the production of half baked, ill trained and sometimes<br>confused graduates. This problem and other related problems should be a cause<br>for concern to all patriotic and serious minded stake holder of the educational<br>sub-sector.</p><p>How<br>the teachers fares without the proper implementation of overt curriculum<br>grossly weakens the channel of achievement of the behavioral objectives, hence<br>the persistent decline in the quality of the outputs from our higher<br>institution educational system. This study therefore evaluates the Gap between<br>Overt Curriculum and Operational Curriculum in Estate Management Education:<br>Implication for Professional Practices.</p><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.3 &nbsp; &nbsp; AIM AND OBJECTIVES</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>aim of this research is to evaluate The Gap between Overt and Operational<br>Curriculum in Estate Management Education: Implication on Professional<br>Practice, Case Study of the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. To achieve<br>this aim, the following objectives shall be pursued.</p><p>i. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To assess the overt and operational<br>curriculum in Estate Management Education.</p><p>ii. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To evaluate the gap between overt and<br>operational curriculum in Estate Management Education.</p><p>iii. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To identify the problems militating<br>against effective implementation of overt curriculum in Estate Management<br>Education.</p><p>iv. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To assess the implications of the<br>identified problems on professional practice.</p><p><b>1.4 &nbsp; &nbsp; RESEARCH QUESTIONS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>research questions are given as follows:</p><p>i. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What is the assessment of the overt and<br>operational curriculum in estate management education?</p><p>ii. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>Is there any gap between overt and<br>operational curriculum in estate management education?</p><p>iii. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What are the problems militating against<br>the proper and effective the proper and effective implementation of estate<br>management education?</p><p>iv. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What is the implication of the identified<br>problems of curriculum implementation for professional practice?</p><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.5 &nbsp; &nbsp; THE SCOPE OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>scope of the study was limited to The Gap between Overt Curriculum and<br>Operational Curriculum: In Estate Management Education: Implication for Professional<br>Practice, Case Study the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Hence, every<br>other institution in Akwa Ibom state or other states was not taken into<br>consideration. Secondly, the study was restricted to curriculum studies in<br>estate management discipline. Hence, every other courses/discipline was not<br>taken into consideration. Furthermore, six courses studied in first semester<br>which includes: ESM 211, ESM311, ESM 412, ESM 415, ESM 514 and ESM 516, will be<br>used in evaluating the gap. The curriculum will be qualitatively analyzed by<br>comparing the contents with the subject areas of the course objectives as<br>identified by the overt(written) and operational(taught) curriculum in terms of<br>the specification in the handbook and outlines as taught over the years. Hence,<br>every other course taught will not be taken into consideration.</p><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.6 &nbsp; &nbsp; SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>significance of study lies to a great extent in setting a stage for a more<br>urgent and more evaluation of The Gap between Overt Curriculum and Operational<br>Curriculum in Estate Management Education: Implication for Professional<br>Practices. This work will also be of importance to all those who may carry out<br>further studies on the examination of proper curriculum implementation in<br>schools and how it affects professional practice. Among whom are:</p><p>a. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Research<br>students for whom it will open an avenue for further research work.</p><p>b. &nbsp; &nbsp; Educational<br>administrators and policy makers to whom it will give a general view of the<br>problems and thereby pave way for possible solutions through implementation of<br>policy to ensure the establishment of quality control and monitoring mechanism<br>measure that would ensure that ‘what is written’ is actually ‘what is taught’.</p><p>c. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Learners<br>or students to whom it will give them the understanding that whatever<br>educational curriculum provided by the school are meant for them to use in<br>learning either by the assistance of the teacher or independently.</p><p>d. &nbsp; &nbsp; Teachers<br>to whom it will ensure the proper and effective implementation of overt<br>curriculum intended by the institution.</p><p>e. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The<br>general public at large who may now find it easier to have access to<br>information on curriculum studies in Estate Management Education. </p><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.7 &nbsp; THE STUDY AREA</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The University of<br>Uyo (UNIUYO) lies between<br>longitude 5.04080N, 7.91980E is located in Uyo, capital<br>of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.</p><p>The<br>university was formerly known as the University of Cross River State<br>(UNICROSS). On October 1, 1991 the federal government of Nigeria established it<br>as a federal university and the name was changed to the University of Uyo. The<br>university inherited students, staff, academic programmes and the entire<br>facilities of the erstwhile University of Cross River State established by<br>Cross River State in 1983. Academic activities commenced during the 1991/92<br>academic session. UNIUYO has about 12<br>faculties and the school of continuing Education, the various faculties are as<br>follows:</p><p>1. Faculty of Agriculture</p><p>2. Faculty of Arts</p><p>3. Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences</p><p>4. Faculty of Business Administration</p><p>5. Faculty of Clinical Sciences</p><p>6. Faculty of education</p><p>7. Faculty of Engineering</p><p>8. Faculty of Environmental studies</p><p>9. Faculty of Law</p><p>10. Faculty of Science</p><p>11. Faculty of Social Sciences</p><p>12. Faculty of Pharmacy</p><p>13. School of Continuing Education.</p><p>UNIUYO is in the heart of Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom,<br>Nigeria’s second largest oil-producing state. Uyo is easily accessible by road,<br>though there is an international airport for external use(s). It operates from<br>four campuses:</p><ul><li>The Permanent Site/Main Campus<br>which accommodates Parts of Central Administration, Faculties of<br>Engineering and Natural and Applied Sciences, International Centre for<br>Energy and Environmental Sustainability Research (ICEESR), and the<br>Postgraduate School</li><li>The Town Campus which<br>accommodates Faculties of Arts, Education, Social Sciences, Pharmacy</li><li>The Annex Campus, home for the<br>Faculties of Agriculture, Business Administration, Law, Environment<br>Studies and General Studies</li><li>The Ime Umana Campus, Ediene<br>Abak, which accommodates the Pre-Degree, JUPEB and other special courses.</li></ul><p>The Permanent Site/Main Campus of the university along<br>Nwaniba Road, Uyo is about 4.5 km from the city centre and covers an area<br>of about 1,443 hectares.</p></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>