COMPETENCY IMPROVEMENT NEEDS OF TECHNOLOGY TEACHERS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BASIC TECHNOLOGY

Background of the Study: A good educational system is a strong base for technological development. It equips people with knowledges and skills for designing methods and process that will enable them to make maximum use of their natural resources for the benefit of the society. The development of a nation also depends mostly on the type of technology education, the process of impartation inherited or invented and the ability to train her citizens to sustain the level of such technological education development. Technology according Waziri (2005) is the use of the product of creativity, inventions and scientific research in the service of man. Miller, Bakare and Ikatule (2010) described technology as the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants.

In years back, the teaching of technology education has not been made a major focus at the lower level of Nigerian educational system most especially at secondary school level. To address the lapses, the Federal Ministry of Education brought about the former 6-3-3-4 system that introduced the teaching of introductory technology as a subject in junior secondary schools in Nigeria. Ajeyalemi (1990) stated that what is now technology education was formerly restricted to technical education which in essence meant skills training in crafts and in certain trades and can be used interchangeably. It shows that vocational technical education can be found or was formerly taught in technical colleges.

Due to the overwhelming desires of the world for technological development, the Nigerian government joined the force for introduction of the teaching of technology in Nigerian secondary school education system (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2004). The new system is called universal basic education (UBE/JSS), 9-3-4 year’s system of education. Basic technology therefore is one of the essential pre-vocational and integrated subjects that offered by students in junior secondary schools. It exposes students to basic ideas and concepts of technology and skill development in the various components that make up the subject (Miller, Bakare and Ikatule, 2010).

Basic technology is a foundation subject on which future technological development of students are built for those interested in vocational technical courses or engineering in higher institutions. According to the Report of Federal Ministry of Education (2007), basic technology is a compulsory subject in the 9 year basic education programme. Its purpose according to the report is to contribute to the achievement of the national education goals by inculcation of technology literacy, exposure of students to the world of work to match their talents and interests for wise vocational choice and inculcation of positive attitudes towards work as a source of human identity, livelihood and power. Basic technology gives opportunities to students to use tools and machines used in the industries. This helps to develop good attitudes towards technology and the industry. The study of basic technology helps to reduce ignorance about technology. The teaching of basic technology according to Report of Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) (2007) became necessary due to technological development and increased national policy orientation towards vocational education development. The desired development in the Nigerian vocational education system can only be achieved through effective implementation of basic technology in secondary school level.

Implementation is a process of making something work. According to Patrica (2002), implementation is the carrying out, or the practice of a plan for doing something. It is the action that must have preliminary thinking in order for something to happen. Olaitan (2003) described implementation to be a process, technique or means of extending the content of what is planned for the learner. In this study, implementation means the process of carrying out series of planned activities towards achieving the stated objectives of basic technology at secondary school level. In Nigerian Secondary School education system, teachers play major roles in the implementation of subjects such as technology.