Home » STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN LAGOS STATE

STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN LAGOS STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Training has been defined as “an organised procedure by which
people learn knowledge and or skills for a definite purpose”. It is a
process for equipping the employee particularly the nonmanagement
employee with specific skills e.g. technical skills like
plumbing, electrical wiring, repairing, artistic skills, clerical and
typing skills that would enable them to improve on their
performances and overall efficiency (Banjoko, 2001).
Asobie (2002), states that the objective of training is to enable
employees to perform his/her job in such a way as to meet the
standards of output, quality, waste control, safety and other
operational requirements.
Ayodele (2003) states that, for the fact that ours is a world that is
currently undergoing rapid changes particularly in the area of skill
obsolescence and technological capability, training is not exclusively
reserved for newly employed staff but also for the old employees as
well. It is therefore, for the purpose of enhancing individual
performance that training and development should be made a
continuous process that should last through an employees entire
working life. Anyanwu (2004) affirms that because low and middle
level employees need to adapt to new skills and technologies, while managers and top management personnel need deeper knowledge
and understanding of their jobs, the jobs of others, a good
understanding of where and how their jobs fit into the wider
organisation pattern, an understanding of government and societal
constraints, and a sensitive social awareness of the environment
within which organisation or school operates.

For jobs like teaching that requires complex and diverse range of
skills and knowledge, a period of apprenticeship training is usually
required. For example, in technical jobs such as carpentry, plumbing,
printing, welding, engraving, tool making, and other jobs that
require long period of practice and experience, apprenticeship
programmes are necessary if the trainee is to fully grasp or
understand the intricacies and complexities of the job. Besides, since
training takes place over an extended period of time, the distributed
learning necessary to master such skills is able to take place. In
addition, when apprenticeship programmes or training is well
planned and operated, it permits the integration of the best features
of on-the-job training and off-the-job training. It gives the apprentice
an opportunity to earn something while learning (Banjoko, 2001).
Constant training or organisation of seminars, workshops and other
courses for teachers would improve to a great extent, the
effectiveness and efficiency of teachers’ productivity in the school
environment. Teachers occupy a central position in harnessing the
administrative and material resources necessary to blend with
learners (students). According to Nkemakolam (2005), a close look at
the Nigerian schools, especially the public schools, one would find out
that there exists a shortage of technical teachers in many primary
and secondary schools. This is largely due to lack of job satisfaction
as a result of poor conditions of service, lack of motivation,
ineffectiveness on the job due to non-further training etc. In any case,
this affects students’ academic performance. 
Onuoha and Uzodinma (2000), state that once an organization has employed those it considered qualified, suitable and competent to perform those
jobs for which they were hired, it must embark on an effective training and development programme that is necessary to enhance the productive
capabilities of the newly hired employees, while it also embarks on training and retratining the old workers or employees in order to maximize their
productivity. 
Training of staff is important in the following ways: to remove performance deficiency; to match the employees’ abilities with the job requirements
and organizational needs; to enhance organizational viability and the transformation process, to cope with the new technological advancement; to
improve quality and quantity of work; to improve productivity and efficiency; to help staff cope with increased organizational complexity resulting
from increased mechanization automation. Training, sometimes, may be undertaken to enhance employees’ self-esteem; to boost staff morale and
thereby improve organisational climate, especially, in the school (Munonye, 2006).
For teachers to maximize their potentials or exhibit maximum effectiveness in their duties in the school system, constant staff training and
development programmes must be put in place and these programmes must be geared towards the enhancement and improvement of teachers work
performance which will also enhance the academic performance of students in the school environment.

1.2 Statement of the Problem 
Training is very essential in the creation of high productivity of staff, especially teachers in the school system. When teachers are not trained, it
brings about emptiness in teaching and learning process. Non-trained teachers in the school are not only cheats, they are not helping the school
system to grow and develop. People who teach in the school without having the required qualifications, are the causes of low standard of education
and low students’ academic performance (Ayo, 2003).
The school system in Nigeria, has the problem of untrained teachers who have greatly infiltrated into the teaching profession, because they think
that teaching is an all-comers’ job. They think that everyone knows how to teach, but they forget that not everyone is trained to teach. Untrained
and inexperience teachers lack the mastery of content (what to teach), the methodology (how to teach). Any teachers who do not possess the
mastery of both what to teach and how to teach cannot be said to be a teacher in the first place. Untrained and teachers therefore, lack the skills and
the capabilities to achieve the goods in teaching and learning process. It is this belief that the researcher is motivated to find out the extent to which
training influence teachers development and their job performance in secondary school.
1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine the teachers’ training and work performance in selected secondary schools in Mainland Local
Government Area of Lagos State.

Other objectives of the study include:

(1) To find out what types of training programmes are available for teachers in schools

(2) To evaluate the training needs of teachers in the school.

(3) To differentiate the productivity of male and female teachers in the school.

(4) To find out whether there is a relationship between training of teachers and academic performance of students in the school.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions will be raised in this study:

1. What types of training programmes are available for secondary teachers in Lagos State?

2. Why do teachers need to be trained?

3. Will there be any relationship between training of teachers and academic performance of students in the school?
1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses will be formulated and tested in this study:

1. There is no significant relationship between quality training of teachers in terms of writing and effective assessment.

2. There is no significant relationship between training methodology and teachers effective in classroom management

3. There is no significant relationship between teachers’ training and students’ excellent performance
1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial to the following individuals in many ways:

1. Principals: This study will help managers of the school system, benefit from the findings and recommendations made by the researcher. This
is because, the principals would be able to understand the essence of maintaining a conducive atmosphere in the school. It is important that
principals maintain good relationship with their teachers and students so that they will be able to have good school climate running in the
school for the overall maximization of high productivity.

2. Teachers: They will benefit from this study because it will enable them to be able to know more about the essence of having good principal –
teacher relationships in the school, and how bad principal – teacher relationship can affect the school atmosphere badly. This is because
nothing works in an organization or school where there is rancour and bad blood amongst principals, teachers and school community or even
students and parents. For the school to achieve its goals and objectives, it must operate on good climate or cordial culture which promote high
productivity.

3. Parents: Parents being one of the important stakeholders in the school system, ought to be in good relationship with the
principals, the teachers and all that are in the school. Therefore, assisting parents to be able to be well informed on the importance of having
their children in schools where there is good relationship among the school personnel and schools where is provision of infrastructures and
other amenities in the school.
1.7 Scope of the Study

This study will cover the examination of the staff training and development of school personnel in selected secondary schools in Mainland Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
1.8 Definition of Terms

The following terms were operationally defined thus:

Employee Behaviour: Refers to manners, moral conduct and treatment shown to or towards management

Workers’ Productivity: This has to do with the total output or result of work obtainable from the input of employees in any organisation. In other
words, it is the total production level of all the workers in a company, industries, schools and other parastatals within the private and public sectors.

Job fulfillment: This is the final result an organization intends to see from the employees after being motivated.

Training: This means training somebody for something in order to be somebody or something; the act of giving teaching and practice to an
individual or a worker in order to bring to a directed standard of behaviour, efficiency or physical condition.
Staff Training and
Development: Training and development are processes for equipping the employees particularly the non-managerial
employees with specific skills e.g. technical skills such as plumbing, electrical, wiring, repairing, artistic skills, clerical and typing skills that could
enable them to improve on their performances and overall efficiency. Adamson and Adamson (2000) state that the objective of training and
development on the job is to enable an employee to perform his job in such a way as to meet the standards of output, quality, waste control, safety
and other operational requirements.