Project Abstract

                 ABSTRACT 

The title of the study is “Role of Educational Technology in Teacher Education in Nigeria”. The population of the study happened to be all the professional diploma in education lecturers and students in Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto. The hypothesis tested during the study includes, there is no significant role of educational technology in teacher education in Nigeria. The instrument for this study is questionnaire and oral interview, the finding shows a significant role.

Project Overview

1.0 INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Background to the Study 

In recent times our educational needs have grown beyond the competence of our teachers know how. Since no education system may rise above the quality of its teachers and the training facilities, teacher education and the training facilities are being continuously given major emphasis in all educational planning and development in Nigeria. In these crucial endeavour teachers need help by being provided with instructional materials, which will enhance effective teaching and learning at all levels of education i.e primary, secondary, postsecondary, and tertiary - from the local, state and the federal governments. Educational technology can be considered either as a designed science or as a collection of difference research interested in addressing fundamental issues, of learning, teaching and social organizations. The importance attached to educational technology include, improved open access to education, including access to full degree programmes, it also develops once designs proper and accurate curriculum for the attainment of specific goals, it also analyses and evaluate the teaching learning processes. 

The important functions of the educational technology are described as follows: 

i. It identified educational goals and objectives of the community. 

ii. It develops and designs proper and accurate curriculum for the attainment of specific goals. 

iii. It analysis and evaluates the teaching learning process. 

iv. It develops and organizes suitable instructional materials for teaching learning process. 

v. Better integration for non-full time students, particularly in continuing education. 

vi. Improved interactions between students and instructors.

(Sharma & Sharma, 2006.) Technology in teacher education should be viewed as more than tools, resources, and procedures, it should be explored in an attempt to understand it’s live earnings. Ideals of instrument internationality and technology relations may be one vehicle for helping us do that. By recognizing the “Internationality” of technology and examining the “relation” it has with preservice teachers, we may add debth to our understanding of technology and more toward a more thorough analysis of its existential impact, extending our ability to be more critical of its use in educational setting. It is against this background  that this research wants to explore on the role of educational technology in teachers education. 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

Educational technology has the potentialities to solve some educational problems, which include rote learning, large-scale examination malpractices, high rate of school dropouts, indiscipline, learning difficulty, slow learning, negative learning interest, perceived abstractness of some subjects, and mass failure among others. It could at least reduce them to the barest minimum. With the aid of Educational technology, teaching functions are enriched by an array of teaching machines that are under the control of the teacher; coupled with a systematic or process approach to educational technology, which is based on clearly stated objective. The problem now is that, the service educational technology offer to teacher education programme are not clearly defined and inadequate coupled with the students inefficient use of the services rendered in addition to the misunderstanding of the relationship between the educational technology as a course of study and the educational technology center in the SSCOE. 

1.3 Research Questions 

The following are the research questions for this study: 

a. What services do educational technology offer to teacher education programme in Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto (SSCOE)? 

b. To what extent do students of NCE programme in SSCOE use the services of educational technology? 

c. Does relationship between educational technology as a course and educational technology centre abound for effective teaching?

 1.4 Objectives of the Study 

This research study intends to achieve the following objectives: 

a. To find out the services educational technology offer to teacher education in SSCOE. 

b. To find out do students of N.C.E programmes in SSCOE use the services of educational technology.

 c. To find out if there is any relationship between educational technology as a course and effective technology centre abound for effective teaching. 

1.5 Significance of the Study 

The study of the (services) i.e function, operation, control and problems' confronting an institutions owned Technology will enable student teacher know the role of the Educational Technology as well as the problems confronting the Educational Technology, Especially that the primary aim of Educational Technology is to teach the student  teacher on how to identify teaching skills that can enhance their effectiveness, Moreover, teach the student teacher on how to gather instructional materials for various aspects during their teaching practice and in future. 

To show that Educational Technology is useful for Model Teaching, Teachers (students) in training, Sandwich Teacher education for training in-service teachers for professional improvement; and that there are also many machines that could be used as instructional materials including computer and video coverage (films recording). To show that Educational Technology plays a complementary role by providing opportunity for viewing and review of educational programmes such as Lectures, Seminars, Workshops and conferences. 

ï‚· It develops and organizes suitable instruction materials for teaching leaning process. 

ï‚· It helps in selecting and developing appropriate instructional strategies in order to achieve fruitful results. 

ï‚· It also helps in utilizing hardware media effectively and successfully. 

ï‚· It also provides essential feedback and controls through evaluation. It prepares teachers in the use of new teaching technology 

 1.6 Scope and the Delimitation 

The study has been limited to Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto Educational Technology Centre's services, covering the Educational Technology Centre operation from January 2006 to August, 2007 for student enrolled in the NCE programme. Educational technology thus refers to the use of both physical hardware and educational theories. It encompasses several domain, including learning theory, computer-based training, online learning, and where mobile technologies are use M-learning. However, the study is to find out the following: 

ï‚· Organisational history and structure of educational technology centre in the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto. 

ï‚· The development of educational technology in Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto. 

ï‚· The nature of the professional Diploma in Education programme as a pre-requisite for practice of teaching in Nigeria

. 1.7 Operational Definition of Terms 

Education Education is the way the individual acquires the physical, moral and social capacities demanded of him by the group into which he is born and within which he must function (Swift, 1969). 

Technology 

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to solve the practical problems of man environment. It is a systematic integral process for separation and analysing problems, devising, implementing; managing; controlling and evaluating solutions, to the problems. 

Teacher Education 

Teacher education is that aspect of education, which deals with the acquisition of practical and applied skills in the teaching profession. 

Educational Technology 

Educational Technology is complex integrated process involving people, procedure, ideas, device and organization for analysing problems and designing, implementing, evaluating and managing solution to those problems involved in all aspects of human learning.

 Educational technology centre 

A place, space, or area within an educational environment used for the storage, supply, design, and development of resources. Whether data, devices, messages, techniques, people, materials hardware and software. The resources are organised for lending and use.