Attitude of Teachers Towards Teaching in Rural Areas
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose or reason for this study is to examine the attitude of teachers towards teaching in rural school. Movement from one place or location to another geographical location involves a lot of risks, financial and social inconveniences particularly at this period of economic squeeze and like in transport fares and accommodation in the ever rushing and busying cities and towns.
As a result of these known difficulties that both the civil servant and workers in the private sectors enjoying inconveniences allowances since the colonial era, benefits rarely extended to teachers, hence the discontentment amongst the teachers in the rural service. Since, the teachers in the rural service nurse some grudges, there is the danger of ineffectiveness in the discharge of their duties and releasing of their full potentials in the teaching job.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literatures that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
IMPORTANCE OF RURAL AREAS.
Rural area refers generally to areas of open country and small settlements, but the definition of “rural areas” in both policy-oriented and scholarly literature are terms often taken for granted or left undefined, in a process of definition that is often fraught with difficulties (IFAD, 2010). Ultimately, in developing countries as well as developed countries, the rural is defined as the inverse or the residual of the urban (Lerner and Eakin, 2010). Human settlements in fact exist along a continuum from “rural” to “urban,” with “large villages,” “small towns,” and “small urban centers” not clearly fitting into one or the other. The variations in definitions from country to country can best be described through several examples (from both developed and developing countries of different sizes) shown in Table 9-1. Researchers have increasingly recognized that the simple dichotomy between “rural” and “urban” is extremely problematic (Simon et al., 2006, p. 4). Additional categories such as “peri-urban areas” (Webster 2002; Bowyer-Bower, 2006; Simon et al., 2006; Simon, 2008; Lerner and Eakin, 2010) and “desakota” (McGee, 1991; Desakota Study Team, 2008; Moench and Gyawali, 2008) allow more nuanced analysis of the permeable boundaries of rural and urban areas and the diversified economicsystems that exist across the urban-rural spectrum; see Box CC-UR.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
In this study, our focus was to examine the attitude of teachers towards teaching in the rural areas using secondary schools as a case study. The study specifically was aimed at the attitude of teachers towards teaching in rural school. Movement from one place or location to another geographical location involves a lot of risks, financial and social inconveniences particularly at this period of economic squeeze and like in transport fares and accommodation in the ever rushing and busying cities and towns.
As a result of these known difficulties that both the civil servant and workers in the private sectors enjoying inconveniences allowances since the colonial era, benefits rarely extended to teachers, hence the discontentment amongst the teachers in the rural service. Since, the teachers in the rural service nurse some grudges, there is the danger of ineffectiveness in the discharge of their duties and releasing of their full potentials in the teaching job. A total of 77 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are drawn from teachers of the selected schools.
CONCLUSION
Based on the finding of this study, the following conclusions were made:
- the sex of the teacherdoes not really affect his or her attitude to rural posting
- the qualification of the teacher does have a effect on his or her attitude on rural posting
- the teaching experience of a teacherdoes have a influence on the attitude of teachers to rural posting
- the marital status of a teacher affect his or her acceptance to rural areas
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the responses obtained, the researcher proffers the following recommendations:
- That teachers should be motivated in other for them to accept posting to rural areas
- That proper educational facilities and instructional materials should be made available for teachers in other to aid the smooth teaching process
- That government should provide basic amenities like ,good roads, water, light, etc, so as to make it easier for teachers who have been posted to rural areas
REFERENCES
- Adedeji, S.O. & Olaniyan, O. (2011). Improving the conditions of teachers and teaching in rural schools across African countries. Addis Ababa: UNESCO.
- Akyeampong, K. & Bennel, P. (2007). Teacher Motivation in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. London: Department for International Development.
- Akyeampong, K. & Stephens, D. (2002). Exploring the Backgrounds and Shaping of Beginning Student Teachers in Ghana: Toward Greater Contextualisation of Teacher Education. International Journal of Educational Development, 22(3):262–274.
- Anney, V. C. (2014). Ensuring the Quality of the Findings of Qualitative Research: Looking at Trustworthiness Criteria. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS), 5(2):272-281.
- Arnold, M.L., Newman, J. H., Gaddy, B. B., & Dean, C. B. (2005). A look at the condition of rural education research: Setting a difference for future research. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 20(6):1-25.
