DEMOGRAPHIC AND COGNITIVE FACTORS IN TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS IN JIGAWA STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Curriculum innovation is still seen as an important part of the change process by education reformers in poor countries, which is why it is critical to understand how these innovations can be validated. Many countries have had to change their curricula in response to changing global economic and technological realities in order to increase the output of graduates capable of meeting 21st-century social demands and keeping up with the more market-driven economy. Nigeria is no exception. The Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria has launched a curriculum reform initiative to make school curricula more relevant to current needs. This study’s primary goal is to learn more about teachers’ perspectives on their role in curriculum development, as well as the demographic and cognitive variables that influence them.
However, The impact of curriculum goes beyond curriculum design issues. It includes teaching, learning, administration, and the culture of the school (Shao and Bruening, 2005). According to Reed (2000), significant curricular changes necessitate the full attention of the school community and all school employees. It is widely acknowledged in many parts of the world that the teacher, for example, plays a critical role in any educational reform. Teachers are the most important link in any development and change process, and they are critical to the success of educational reform initiatives (Gordon and Yocke, 1999). According to researchers, teachers are increasingly seen as the heart of educational reform rather than simply the implementers of policies imposed on them (Duke, 2004). Personal characteristics and abilities of teachers that may
Curriculum reform implementation is currently being considered.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Teachers make the final call on which policies to implement and which educational leaders to accompany them (Shao and Bruening, 2005). As a result, teachers’ perceptions of the curriculum should be regarded as a critical factor in ensuring the successful implementation of a new curriculum. People’s perspectives are thought to be influenced by what they know and their background. As a result, Reed (2000) contends that teachers must be deeply involved in the conception and direction of school curriculum changes. This means that the teacher isolation system must give way to a decision-making process based on collaboration. Collaboration among teachers, administrators, and legislators must replace isolationism.
The knowledge of teachers should be incorporated into the transformation process.
In their study of the failure of educational research and best practices in classroom instructional improvements and student performance, Fine and Raack (2012) discovered that the teacher is frequently taken for granted and occasionally ignored for reasons bordering on lack of professionalism. In other words, most systems lack the professional development protocol required to create a successful professional development system that translates research into classroom practice. Failure to provide teachers with opportunities for concurrent professional development to learn, reflect on, and implement new methods is frequently the cause of system failure in a constantly changing and globalized educational system.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the demographic and cognitive factors that influence teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations in Jigawa state.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this study is to investigate demographic and cognitive factors in Jigawa state teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations. As a result, the following goals;
1. To ascertain the demographic factors influencing Jigawa state teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations.
2. To identify cognitive factors that influence teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations in Jigawa state.
3. To ascertain how these factors affect Jigawa state’s educational system.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
This research is guided by the following questions:
1. What demographic factors influence Jigawa state teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations?
2. What cognitive factors influence Jigawa state teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations?
3. How do these factors affect Jigawa state’s educational system?
1.5 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The demographic and cognitive factors on teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations will be investigated in this study, which will raise awareness about an otherwise hidden issue confronting the Jigawa state educational system. This research will also be useful to other researchers who want to delve deeper or broaden the scope of this research.
1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES
This study will only look at demographic and cognitive factors in Jigawa state teachers’ perceptions of curriculum innovations. As a result, this study will only cover Jigawa state, leaving out all other states.
1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
During the course of conducting this study, the researcher encountered a financial constraint that prevented him from delving deeper and broadening his scope.
the scope of this research.
1.8 TERM DEFINITION
1. CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS: According to the Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, curriculum innovations are deliberate actions to improve a learning environment by adapting a method of presenting material to students that involves human interaction, hands-on activities, and student feedback.
2. DEMOGRAPHIC: a population segment identified by demographics in order to reach a younger demographic.
3. COGNITIVE: involving or relating to conscious intellectual activity such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering.
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