AN ASSESSMENT OF METHODS OF TEACHING HOME ECONOMICS COURSES TO HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN SELECTED NIGERIAN INSTITUTIONS

CHAPTER ONE
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1.1   Background of the Study
 
Home Economics (HE) is a ‘field of study and profession situated in the human sciences applying the Arts, Social and Pure Sciences and a range of other disciplines to achieve optimal sustainable living for individuals, families and communities. As a profession, it is meant to prepare learners for careers based on theoretical and practical activities in specific trades and vocations for direct development and expertise in the techniques that can serve as instruments of technological growth and development (Amkombe, 2000, Pendergast, 2005; McGregor, Pendergast and Turki, 2011). According to the Pakistan Home Economics Association (2008), Home Economics as a discipline functions to extract usable information from various social and physical sciences and delivers it to the profession of homemaking, to strengthen and empower individuals for quality life and home making.
 
The teaching of Home Economics as a practical subject is crucial if the needed skills, knowledge, values and attitudes are to be imparted in the learners. It is critical that teachers have the professional competencies necessary to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes to learners. As such proper teacher education need to be employed in all colleges of education. According to Farrant (1990), the quality of every formal system of education is directly responsible to the quality of teachers who perform their duties in the same system. Hence, teacher education is vital and important (p.169).  Ministry of Education (MOE) (1996) echoes that, in order for teachers to teach effectively there is need to consider the quality of Teacher Education in colleges. Training of teachers is also necessary especially in today’s environment to cope with the changing demands of the profession. As such, proper techniques need to be employed for the teaching and learning process to be real and fruitful. In other words, the quality of teacher education is as good as the quality of teacher. Adeosun (2009) stressed that teachers are important in any educational system because the quality of the teacher in any educational system determines to a greater extent the quality of the system itself. Ingersoll, (1996) states that a measure of the teachers qualification, teaching practice, teacher certification, teacher experience and teaching preparation all define teacher quality. If the quality of teachers is poor, the quality of education will be poor. What this means, therefore is that the quality of teachers will determine the effectiveness of curriculum implementation.  Ololobou (2007) maintains that teacher education programmes are intended to impart not only a body of knowledge in teacher trainees but also to inculcate in them those skills, competencies and attitudes that would enable them to adapt effectively to the changing demands of the educational system and of the society.
 
Teachers at all level of education play the decision role in pivoting the growth and the direction of education. It is an acceptable fact that teacher is the most important cog? In the educational machine and that teachers  are highly instruction the access of any educational programme embarked upon by any  government. This is because apart from being at the implementation level of any educational policy the realization of these progrmame also depend greatly on teacher dedication and commitment to their work (Adeniyi 1999). The teaching of Home Economics as a practical subject is crucial if the needed skills, knowledge, values and attitudes are to be imparted in the learners. It is critical that teachers have the professional competencies necessary to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes to learners. As such proper teacher education need to be employed in all colleges of education. According to Farrant (1990), the quality of every formal system of education is directly responsible to the quality of teachers who perform their duties in the same system. Hence, teacher education is vital and important (p.169).  Ministry of Education (MOE) (1996) echoes that, in order for teachers to teach effectively there is need to consider the quality of Teacher Education in colleges. Training of teachers is also necessary especially in today’s environment to cope with the changing demands of the profession. As such, proper techniques need to be employed for the teaching and learning process to be real and fruitful. In other words, the quality of teacher education is as good as the quality of teacher. Adeosun (2009) stressed that teachers are important in any educational system because the quality of the teacher in any educational system determines to a greater extent the quality of the system itself. Ingersoll,  (1996) states that a measure of the teachers qualification, teaching practice, teacher certification, teacher experience and teaching preparation all define teacher quality. If the quality of teachers is poor, the quality of education will be poor. What this means, therefore is that the quality of teachers will determine the effectiveness of curriculum implementation.  Ololobou (2007) maintains that teacher education programmes are intended to impart not only a body of knowledge in teacher trainees but also to inculcate in them those skills, competencies and attitudes that would enable them to adapt effectively to the changing demands of the educational system and of the society. Hence the study aimed to assess the methods of teaching home economics courses to students of home economics education in selected Nigerian institution.