AN INVESTIGATION OF PRE-NCE AND DIRECT ENTRY REQUIREMENTS INTO FINE AND APPLIED ARTS DEPARTMENT IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN YOBE AND BAUCHI STATES, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT.

The study investigates the students and lecturers perception on entry qualifications of Pre-NCE and Direct Entry in Fine and Applied Arts programme in College of Education, Gashua, Yobe State and College of Education, Azare, Bauchi State. A pilot study was conducted at Federal College of Education (Technical) Potiskum Yobe State. The Study set out to examine whether admitted students meet the prerequisite requirement for admission. Descriptive survey design was used while the population comprised all the Pre-NCE and Direct entry students of Fine and Applied Arts that are in the two Colleges of Education. The sample were 118 in number which comprised of 17 lecturers and 101 students from the two Colleges of Education that were studied. The instrument used for data collection included records of students that were admitted between 2010 to 1014; a structured questionnaire was also used for lecturers and students to seek their views on the entry qualifications of Pre-NCE and Direct Entry students in the two colleges that were studied. Data used was analysed using t-test and results showed that 80% of students reading Fine and Applied Arts in the two colleges studied lack the relevant entry qualifications. Students admitted through Pre-NCE usually gain admission into NCE 100 level through transmition. An insignificant number of students gain admission through Join Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). It was concluded that admission into Fine and Applied Arts was done through purchase and completion of forms and through aptitude test. Also qualified students should be admitted and trained in Fine and Applied Arts programme.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Education has been viewed differently by different people in a variety of ways, depending the perspective one views it. However, it is the transmission of what is worthwhile from generation to generation. Education is a social institution that is usually organised to improve the social life of individuals in a society by imparting knowledge on people to develop the mind, character, and behaviour in order to induce some positive changes in the society (Longbap, 2014). Hence, it is seen as the most potent instrument for developing a nation.

The importance of education to human and societal development becomes clearer when viewed against the background of the general definitions of its concept and philosophy. The National Policy on Education Document (NPE, 2004), states that education is the effort to change a person‟s behaviour as a result of his interaction with his environment, community, and society in general. It is to initiate the learner into a way of thinking and behaving as well as into a core of norms, values, skills and techniques considered desirable for development purposes in his society. According to Maiwada (1986), education is not just attending lectures, reading books and passing end-of-course examinations, but ability to tackle simple and complex life problems. Maiwada believes also that, education is not only the acquisition of letters, but the acquisition of beneficial knowledge, skills, attitudes and its application to solving personal and social problems.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that, education should not be viewed within a narrow conceptual framework. Three forms of education exist, formal, informal and non-formal, all geared towards facilitating individual efforts to learn and transfer that learning in solving practical problems. It has to be noted that from the elementary level of education, some amount of knowledge is passed to children, beginning with general knowledge which exposes various disciplines to the learner, leading towards specialization in a specific discipline. Many people however, fail to realize that this knowledge can be used to greater advantage if conscious effort is made for correct application. In the same way, Nigeria is determined to use education as an instrument for national development as contained in the National Policy on Education (2004). This is anchored on five main national goals namely, the building of:

• a free and democratic society;
• a just and egalitarian society;
• a united, strong and self-reliant nation
• a great and dynamic economy;
• a land full of bright opportunities for all citizens.

However, insecurity and other related issues are inimical to the realization of these noble goals.

Stating further the Nigeria‟s philosophy of education put it that;

• education is an instrument for national development, to this end, the formation of ideas, their integration for national development and the interaction of persons and ideas are all aspects of education;
• education fosters the worth and development of the individual, for each individual‟s sake and for the general development of the society;

• there is need for equality of educational opportunities to all Nigerian children, irrespective of any real or imagined disabilities; each is to be educated according to his or her ability.
• there is need for functional education for the promotion of a progressive and united Nigeria; to this end, school programmes need to be relevant, practical and comprehensive, while interest and ability should determine individuals‟ directly in education. The establishment of Colleges of Education and, of course, School of Vocational Education, a number of courses have been introduced relative to specific disciplines for learners to specialise Among the departments in School of Vocational and Technical Education in these Colleges of Education in Nigeria, asidentified in the Minimum Standard as coordinated by National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE, 2008), include Business Education, Home Economic Education, Fine and Applied Arts Education and Agricultural Science Education. The general objectives for the inclusion of vocational courses in the Nigerian educational system are to ensure an all round skills and competency development in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learners of vocational and technical education. Consequently, learners are most often required to handle concrete learning resources and to meet conditions for admission. In Fine and Applied Arts Education, for instance, students are expected to posses some readiness of skills which are believed to have been acquired in fine art, art and craft or creative art which is believed to have been acquired in the secondary schools before seeking admission into colleges of education.

Ekpenyong (2011) buttresses this assumption by pointing out that, the expected rudiments of skills by students from the secondary schools, give learners greater opportunity not only to acquire general education and vocational skills, but also affords them a wider career choices and decision making. These skills are further grouped into different areas namely painting, art education, art history, sculpture, ceramics education, graphics and textile design of

which students are expected to opt for two for graduation in the department, aside the copulsary courses like life and general drawing and art history.

Fine and Applied Arts education, is the main focus of this research. It is an integral part of Vocational and Technical Education that prepares individuals for the world of work. Fine and Applied Arts education leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as knowledge necessary to play vocational and technical role in national development. These vocational subjects are naturally dynamic in contents, and do respond to practical application of abilities and skills necessary for functional and management changes in the world of work. The convenient means of ascertaining learning abilities and skills of Fine and Applied Arts education students‟ preparedness and standards are based on the results obtained from West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) (Obioma and Salau, 2010). Any of these alternative examination bodies, supply students‟ placement in each of the different areas earlier mentioned, and serves as reliable instrument or tool for meeting parts of the entry requirements into colleges of education programmes.

The result obtained by students at the secondary school levels indicate, on a general note their performance levels. Academic performance is basically a reflection of a student‟s abilities, efforts and achievement. It is related to many intellectual activities, and therefore of equal importance in measuring the abilities of the candidates (Sternberg, 1999). In line with this, it could be assumed, that academic performance is the index of general mental abilities which are response to test of different kinds. In colleges of education in Nigeria, standardized tests of different kinds are used, and the students‟ response to these standardized tests, represents the academic performance of the students. This being the case, entry grades ought to have revealed the extent of influence that exists between secondary school certificate examination results and future academic performance of the learners. Academic performance is basically a reflection of a student‟s abilities, efforts and achievement. It is related to many intellectual activities, and therefore of equal importance in measuring the abilities of the candidates (Sternberg, 1999). In line with this, it could be assumed that, academic performance is the index of general mental abilities which are response to test of different kinds. In Colleges of Education in Nigeria, standardized tests of different kinds are used, and the students‟ response to these standardized tests represents the academic performance of the students.

According to Sternberg (1985), the more the students are taught based on a broader set of abilities, the more racially, ethically and socio-economically diverse student achievement can be. For instance, an art education student‟ s academic performance can be above average, average or below average in relation to his or her mental abilities (cognitive level). In any case, education without standard is worthless and if education is to retain some relevance or worth, there should be a need for standardization (Aremu, 2011). This forms the more fundamental reason why entry qualification should be considered necessary for the purpose of maintaining improving and determining academic standard in fine and applied arts. Entry qualification or prerequisite for academic advancement from secondary to tertiary institutions are often viewed as a determining factor towards students‟ progressive academic performance (Farooq, Chaudhry, Shafiq and Berhanu, 2011). For instance, in Nigeria the student aptitude test embraces the general school performance in various subjects and this serves as an entry qualification into higher institutions of learning. Brown (2009) and Peter (2011) described entry qualification as academic requirement which vary according to the programme of study. This being the case, entry grades ought to have revealed the extent of influence that exist between secondary school certificate examination results and future academic performance of the learners.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The study investigates the entry qualification of Pre-NCE and Direct Entry of students with a view to suggesting for Educational Administrators in order to make valid decisions regarding Pre NCE and Direct Entry programmes. According to Idika (2003), the main objective of establishing Colleges of Education is to afford students found with minor deficiency in their principal subject areas opportunity to gain admission into Colleges of Education since they are unqualified for direct admission into Universities. A lot of people are still being admitted into the Nigerian Colleges of Education yearly based on their high performance in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), National Examination Council (NECO) National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB). However, despite their paper qualifications in those examinations (SSCE, NECO, and NABTEB), the students admitted to read Fine and Applied Arts in Colleges of Education are admitted wrongly. They are admitted without the entry qualifications Fine and Applied Arts, and such students seem to have no idea about Art. Again, such students admitted into Fine and Applied Arts did not apply for the course, but are offered admission into the department as alternative for the students to gain admission into the Colleges of Education. The problem of this study is therefore, to investigate the processes of admission for Pre-NCE and Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts in colleges of education

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the entry qualifications of Pre-NCE and Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts, while the objectives are to:

1. assess students‟ entry qualification for Pre-NCE into Fine and Applied Arts.
2. find out students‟ entry qualification for Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts programme.
3. investigate the processes of admission for Pre-NCE and Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts.
4. investigate problems associated with Pre-NCE and Direct Entry qualifications for Fine and Applied Arts programme.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions were raised to guide the study:

1. What is the entry qualification for Pre-NCE for Fine and Applied Arts programme?
2. What is the entry qualification for NCE Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts programme?
3. What are the processes for admission into Pre-NCE and Direct Entry into Fine and Applied Arts?
4. What are the problems associated with the Pre-NCE and Direct Entry requirements into Fine and Applied Arts?

1.5 Assumptions for the Study

It is assumed in this study that:

1. The entry requirement for Pre-NCE in Fine and Applied Arts are not adequate.
2. The entry requirement for Direct Entry in Fine and Applied Arts are not adequate.

3. The process of admission for Direct Entry in Fine and Applied Arts are not adequate.
4. There are problems associated with entry requirements into the Pre-NCE and Direct Entry of Fine and Applied Arts.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The research is on Pre-NCE and Direct admission entry qualifications of students in Colleges of Education. Two Colleges of Education in two states were involved; College of Education Gashua, Yobe State and College of Education Azare, Bauchi State. These colleges were selected due to proximity, and consideration for the prevailing insecurity in North-Eastern Nigeria. The study involved 17 lecturers, 101 Pre-NCE and Direct Entry students of Fine and Applied Arts in the two Colleges of Education. Also, records of students admitted from 2010 to 2014 were examined for the study. This is because most programmes, academic policies and changes in school calendars usually take place within the period of four years.

1.7 Justification of the Study

The failure and low performance of NCE students in Fine and Applied Arts in the two Colleges of Education is alarming; this could be associated with their entry qualifications. Also lack of good entry requirement to read Fine and Applied Arts, lack of experience in Fine and Applied Arts, low interest in the programme, institutions challenge of filling in space and urge to be in school are issues necessitated the need to investigate the entry requirements of Pre-NCE and Direct Entry into the department of Fine and Applied Arts in Colleges of Education in Yobe and Bauchi states.

1.8 Significance of the Study

The finding of the study is expected to be beneficial to, curriculum planners, heads of tertiary institutions and researchers. The study will provide framework for lecturers on how to handle the students academically since students are given Fine and Apllied Arts to read without the entry prerequisite for admission. Lecturers will also use the findings to adopt suitable and appropriate methods of acquiring skill in theory and practical to students. Curriculum planners will benefit from the study by enabling them make necessary modifications and improvements in the secondary school curriculum contents of Fine Art. That will serve as a motivating factor for students to register for the course (Fine Art) at that level (secondary school). Heads of tertiary institutions will benefit from the study by admitting only those with the entry qualification, it will also help them (Heads of tertiary institutions) to maintain and control quality of the programme or standard. Finally, researchers will benefit from the study as a basis for further investigation into entry requirements as a determinant of Fine and Applied Arts performance.

1.9 Conceptual Framework

The goal of Fine and Applied Arts is to ensure that all students have a foundation and experience in the complete artistic/creative process, and that they achieve competence in this process by the time they graduate from the colleges. To assist students in identifying or developing their dreams, it paved way for the introduction of the Pre-NCE programme in Colleges of Education in the late 1980s. The programme was also introduced to address the issue of low intake of students into some programmes such as; Science, Vocational and Technical Education (Fine and Applied Arts inclusive) as well as languages. At a point, the Pre-NCE programme became a point through which students gain admission into colleges of education.

According to Wikipedia (2013), academic performance is the outcome of education; performance is characterized by tests associated with coursework and the performance of students in other types of examinations (Kyoshaba, 2009). Various studies have been carried out on the factors that affect students‟ academic performance or achievement in colleges and universities. Some of the factors identified and reported to have affected the academic performance of students in these different settings are: student effort, previous or prior educational performance, different entry qualifications, tuition trends, (Khan and Ahmed, 2013).

Admission points and the different entry qualifications are the results of prior or previous academic performance, which are likely to affect the students‟ future academic performance, have been considered in this study, as this research investigate the entry qualifications into fine and applied arts. Tertiary institutions all over the world, including Nigeria, use prior academic performance (NEC, NABTEB) in terms of entry qualifications as a basis for selecting students for admission into the colleges of education, polytechnics and universities. These admissions or entry qualifications are always of equivalent rating or value, even though they may be awarded by different examination bodies. Thus Brat and Stafolani (2002) observed that the measurement of the students‟ prior educational outcomes or performance is the most important indicator or determinant of the students‟ future academic performance. The type of school a child attended also affects the academic performance of the student. In this regard, Kyoshaba (2009) observed that students‟ educational outcome and academic success is greatly influenced by the type of school which they attended. The school attended is the institutional environment that sets the parameters of a student‟s learning experience. In agreement with this, Clonidine and Zappala (2002) reported that the type of school a child attends influences the educational outcomes; furthermore, schools have an independent effect on the students‟ educational attainment, and this is likely to operate through the variation of quality and aptitudes. Thus, a student‟s school background is positively related to his or her academic performance at the NCE level. In addition, Ali et al. (2013) and Kwesiga (2002) also observed that the learning outcomes and educational performance of students are strongly affected by the type of educational institution they received their education. However, this is a function of the number of facilities school offers, which usually determines their quality and which in turn affects the performance and accomplishments of its students. Entry qualifications linked to different qualifications of equivalent value for student admission into post-secondary institution is another factor that affects the students‟ academic performance at post-secondary levels. Although the certificates each group of students obtained from different examination bodies may be equivalent, but the curriculum content and the expected educational outcomes may not be exactly the same. In a related study, Mlambo (2011) observed that for a number of institutions, students‟ admission is based on a number of different qualifications, to the extent that students receiving instruction in the same course differ greatly in terms of their prior knowledge. This being the case, one might wonder whether other researchers totally agree that prior educational performance, admission points and different entry qualifications truly affect future academic performance. The answer is no. In a study on the relationship between previous academic performance and subsequent achievement at the college level, Huws, Reddy and Talcot (2006) found that students learning or studying at the graduate level and scores earned failed to predict any level of academic achievement in the college. Mlambo (2011) also reported that there was no significant difference in the academic performance among students due to differences in the admission criteria employed; the same study observed that while varied, these criteria adequately assessed the potential of students to handle the demands of courses in Fine and Applied Arts. However, holders of NCE in Fine and Applied Arts and other qualifications appeared on the average of the academic performance chart. Nonetheless, it is very important to note that even though these studies do not agree with former studies that indicate achievement in previous studies affects future performance, they did confirm that admission scores are related to academic performance in NCE level, but to a very minimal extent (Ali, et al.; Mlambo, 2011; Kyoshaba, 2007). The level of academic performance of students in Fine and Applied Arts (NCE) Programme could prove to be an index of the quality of the teachers in the system (Ihiegbulem, 1992). Thus, the entry qualifications, in terms of the two groups (Pre-NCE and Direct Entry) of students admitted into the NCE Fine and Applied arts Programme with SSCE or its equivalent qualifications, respectively, was the subject of this study.

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