1

Overview of Education
The concept and meaning of Education brings to fore and cuts across the ideas of scholars
and researchers on Education. Issues in Education are not a recent phenomenon.
Education is the basis of human life. Development and progress of man depends on
education. Education also constructs personality and beautifies it. A child conducts himself
like an animal at the time of birth; at that time, he acts as inspired by his instincts;
education guides these instincts of his in order to provide maturity; it makes his behaviour,
his conduct and his activities proper and socially useful. Education motivates, encourages
and guides man from falsehood to truth, from dark to illumination, from ignorance to
knowledge and from mortality to immortality. It is by education that man has reached this
zenith of civilization
In the narrow sense, education is equated with schooling. In this sense, education is said to
begin when the child enters to school. It ends when the child leaves the educational
institutions which he/she joined for the purpose of receiving education.
Education understood in the narrow sense, gives priority to classroom teaching and book
learning. In the border sense, education is synonymous with growth and development. In
this sense, the span of education is as wide as that of life. This means every experience in
the life, every activity from the cradle to the grave is educative. The word ‘education’ is
defined in many different ways.
Etymologically, education derived its meaning from two Latin words ‘educare’ and
‘educere’ respectively. The word ‘educare’ is interpreted to mean; to train or to form or to
mould. Education here seems to be sociologically biased. In other words, educare implies
that the society trains, forms or moulds the individual to achieve the societal needs and
aspirations. This perspective of education has little to consider on the natural potentialities
of the individual child.
On the contrary, the word ‘educere’ is interpreted to mean: to build, to lead or to develop.
This perspective of the concept is mostly favoured by the humanists, who insist that the
function of education is to develop the natural potentialities in the child to enable him
function in the society according to his abilities, interest and needs. This perspective of the
concept education is child-centred, whereas the former is society-centred or subject
matter-centred.
From the ongoing discussion, therefore, education could be understood to mean the total
development of the individual child, through acceptable methods and techniques,
according to his abilities and interests, as well as the needs of the society, to take his
rightful place and contribute adequately to the advancement of his society. (Amaele, 2003).
Education defined
The concept of education is not as simple as we generally assume. But in spite of the
difficulties, it is now generally agreed that education implies development in the child what
the society believes to be valuable.
 2

Education is as old as man on earth, and there is no society without one form of education
or the other, because, without education, socialization within the society cannot be
possible.
The term education is elusive. It is simply difficult to say what education is but rather,
simpler definition has been given by UNESCO. They viewed education as "Organized and
sustained instruction designed to communicate a combination of knowledge, skills and
understanding valuable for all the activities of life".
Fafunwa (1974) defined education as what each generation gives to its younger ones,
which makes them to develop attitudes, abilities, skills and other behaviours which are of
positive value to the society in which they live. This position reflects the sociological
perspective.
To Ezewell (1983), education is viewed as" a cultural process in itself and the way a new-
born individual is transformed into a full member of a given society";
In addition, education is generally aimed at making an individual to be socially, mentally,
emotionally and morally sound so as to be able to contribute his quarter to the
development of his society in general.
Winters,(2009), defined education as the acquisition of knowledge. She viewed it as
taking ownership of the information given to you whether through formal education or
through life skills.
Socrates: ‘Education means the bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are
leant in the mind of every man.’
To Swarmi, education is the manifestation of the perfection that is already in man. To him,
there are some potentials or perfections in children or learners that education helps them
to manifest.
Seetharamu (2004) sees education as that which helps an individual to realize the best
that he or she is capable of. To him, there are qualities in learners and education helps us to
realize the best of the qualities.
Plato: ‘Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment.
It develops in the body and in the soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the perfection
which he is capable of.
Aristotle: ‘Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.’
Rousseau: ‘Education of man commences at his birth; before he can speak, before he can
understand he in already instructed.’
Herbert Spencer: ‘Education is complete living.’
Pestalozzi: ‘Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s
innate powers.’
Froebel: ‘Education is leading out of hidden power of man.’
The lexicographical definition of ‘education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring
general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgments and generally of
preparing oneself or other intellectually for nature life.’
 3

The remarks of different thinkers and educators highlight the following features of
education:
1. it’s unilateral as well as be-polar nature.
2. it’s being drawing out or bring up process.
3. it’s being knowledge or experience.
4. it’s being conducive for the good of the individual or the welfare of the Society.
5. it’s being a liberal discipline or a vocational course.
Education as it is today known is a triune concept with at least three connotations. It is a
process, a product, and a discipline.
But this is only lexically so, for the three concepts are in turn interlaced.
Thus, we can say that education is a means through which an individual "develops his
abilities skills, capabilities and all forms of behaviour patterns that are of positive value in
the society he lives"(Good1945).
In this definition, the "means" is the process, while the skills, and all forms of behaviour
patterns acquired, which constitute the aggregate of all the processes, are the products.
Education as a Process
Education is a process whereby the immature members of a group or society are brought
to maturity through the influence of the environment. An individual is said to be mature
when he has been conditioned to the habits, attitudes, values and customs of the group to
which he belongs. An individual's environment includes those forces, which direct his
actions. They may be physical or non-physical, near in time and space or extensively
remote. They may include animate objects like man and other living things as well as
inanimate objects or non-living things. Environment may be social or psychological.
The social environment consists of all the activities of fellow beings that are bound up in
the carrying on of the activities of anyone of its members. The psychological environment,
on the other hand, consists of all those things "around us" which stimulate us to action and
make us behave in the way we do.
Education is a social process which begins at birth. As a social being, the child interacts
with the people and things around him, at first completely dependent on them.
From birth through childhood to adulthood, he assesses through different stages of life.
At each stage, he has distinct needs and varying capacities. At each stage of his growth he is
expected to behave according to the norms of each group to which he belongs, the roles
and the parts he plays in each sub-culture and at each level are quite distinct.
Education is, therefore, a process through which the individual passes from birth to death.
Education as a Product
Education as a product is the sum total of a man’s experiences. Through the process of
education, we learn. This learning may be simply cognitive, as when we acquire ordinary
knowledge; that is when we simply now. Or it may be the acquisition of a motor skill, as
when we learn to eat, write or drive.
Or it may be simply effective, as when there is a formation or change of attitude in us.
 4

In other words, the knowledge we haveofl1ings around us; the things we can do today, and
our attitudes, interest, tastes and values are the products of education.
Education as a Discipline
Education as a discipline is an organized body of knowledge, multi-patrious in nature
which deals with issues) of what, why, how, who and even when in the educational process.
The questions often asked here are: Why do we educate? How do we educate?
Who do we educate? What do we educate with? When do we educate?
In other words, education as a discipline deals with such pathogenic questions of context,
reasons, methods, and timing in the process of education, as well as the background of the
individual to be educated. These questions are usually treated under different
specializations within the broader field of education. For example, the questions of who
and when do we educate take us to the field of educational psychology, that of why:
educational philosophy, that of who to educational methodology, while the issue of what
comes under the focus of educational curriculum.
FORMS OF EDUCATION
Education can generally be classified into three forms, namely: formal, informal and non-
formal. By these various forms some people might be receiving education without knowing.
But there are limits to what each form of education can do to the receiver. The type of
society one finds oneself and the type of person one is, determines what form of education
is most appropriate for one. It is also important to observe that so many people have
passed through all the three forms of education without knowing. Is that true of you too?
(This question is for the student)
Formal Education
This is the type of education which is received in the regular formal school setting, for
instance, the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Formal education has well
determined setting where well trained and equipped personnel (teachers) interact, on
regular basis, with the learner(s) on planned educative processes. The curriculum, the
learning environment, instructional materials, testing and evaluation, human resources and
others are planned ahead of time to achieve specific objectives within the time frame.
Everything is patterned from the entry point to the exit point. The books, the classroom, the
pupils, teachers, curriculum, etc are selected and formalized.
Informal Education
This process of education includes all other agencies of learning outside the formal learning
system. These agencies include the home (family), church or mosque, peer-group, mass-
media. Informal education can also be received in the market, farm, along the road and so
on. Though, not deliberately, planned like the formal education, informal education
provides learning opportunities for the child to develop his natural potentialities within a
given limit. It enlarges the child’s scope of learning and helps to build up the
comprehensive experience of the formal education system.
 5

What the child learns from his/her mother, father, elderly ones, peer-groups, associations
etc, fall under the informal education. In this form of education the child or the adult can
learn from one another or from the society, consciously or and unconsciously. Informal
education is still relevant today. It can also provide some raw data to the child, which could
be refined in the formal school system. But he should be guided so that what he/she learns
through this form of education would not be negative.
Non-Formal
This form of education has some basic characteristics of formal education like planned
programme of action, contact persons, programmed assignment or examination and others,
but it is not formal.
It is non-formal. It is not within the regular school system. Non-formal education is mainly
received through workshops, seminars, correspondences, television and radio media. In
the case of workshops and seminars, non-formal education is used to equip the individual
with some basic skills, attitudes and intelligence required for human and societal growth at
one particular time or the other. In this case it is occasional or adhoc. But in
correspondence cases, the learning process is spread over the years but it lacks the regular
person to person interaction. However, it is a complementary form of education. It helps to
up-date knowledge as in the case of workshops and seminars and for care of the education
of particular class as in the case of the correspondence programme.
Each of these three forms of education is important to human and societal growth and
survival and should be encouraged. An average person must pass through all of them
consciously and/or unconsciously.
GOALS, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION
Goals, aims and objectives of education are often used as though they mean the same thing.
There are however slight differences in their meanings.
Educational Goals: Educational goals are the ends that the society sets for its educational
system. These are often expressed in political or cultural and economic terms such as
citizenship, democracy or national unity. Goals are ends, what one wants to achieve. For
example the nation’s educational goal is to produce patriotic citizens who love, are
committed and are willing to die for the nation.
Educational goals are often broad. They are simply the point making the end of a
race, the actual destination of leaning and sometimes goals are referred to as aspects of
learning.
Educational Aims: Aims are express goals in narrow and more specific terms. They are
more direct and to the point. For example, the aims of primary education in Nigeria are:
 To help the child acquire permanent literacy and numeracy
 To help the child acquire scientific and reflective thinking.
Educational Objectives: These are intended outcomes of the process of education. At
times if refers to what individuals will be able to do as a result of the lesson taught.
Educational objectives can also be more general. It involves starting out in details the
 6

intended outcomes of educational process. For example, the aims and objectives of primary
education in Nigeria are:
i. Inculcation of permanent literacy and numeracy and ability to communicate
effectively
ii. The laying of sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking
iii. Provide citizenship education as a basis for effective participation in and contribution
to the life of the society
iv. Development in the child the ability to adapt to his or her changing environment
v. Character and moral training for the development of sound attitudes
vi. Manipulate skills that will enable him/her to function effectively in the society
vii. Provide basic tools for further education in a preparation for trade and craft in the
locality
Objectives generally indicate the end points of a journey. They specify where you want to
be or what you intend to achieve at the end of a process. An educational objective is that
achievement which a specific educational instruction is expected to make or accomplish.
Various Level of Educational objectives
Educational objectives can be specified at various levels.
These levels include the national level, the institutional level and the instructional level. In
this unit we shall look at the various levels.
At the National Level
At this level of educational objectives, we have merely policy statements of what education
should achieve for the nation. They are in broad outlines reflecting national interests,
values, aspirations and goals.
The objectives are general and somewhat vague. At this level, they may be interpreted. It
can be in the form of the National Policy on Education.
Have you seen the Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Policy on Education? The latest
edition is the 2004 edition and another edition will soon be released. The national
educational aims and objectives are stated, you will try to get a copy for your use. The goals
of education include:
To motivate national consciousness and national unity
To inculcate the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the
Nigerian society.
To train the mind in the understanding of the world around.
To acquire the appropriate skills, abilities and competences both mental and physical as
equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of the society.
Apart from these goals of education in Nigeria, the
National Policy also specifies objectives for early childhood education, primary education,
secondary education, adult, technical, teacher, special education, university and other
forms of education.
 7

These educational goals can also be specified in the National development plan. Let us look
at one of such goals specified in the Nigerian National development plan. It says that the
development of
(i) a strong and self-reliant nation
(ii) a great and dynamic economy
(iii) a just and egalitarian society
(iv) a land of bright and full opportunity for all citizens and
(v) a free and democratic society. You will recall that we have earlier said that these are
called goals or aims. They are broad and too vague to give focused direction to
curriculum development.
Get a copy of the National Policy on Education and read the goals or aims of secondary
education, primary education, Technical education and Pre-Primary education.
At the Institutional level
This is the intermediate objectives level. The aims are logically derived and related to both
the ones at the national level and the one’s at the instructional levels. What are the
objectives of your university? By the time you look at the educational objectives of three or
four institutions, you would have noticed that the educational objectives at this institution
have been established. They are narrowed to achieve local needs like the kinds of
certificate to be awarded by the institutions. These institutional objectives are usually
specified by an act or edict of the house of assembly if it is a state government institution,
otherwise by an act of the national assembly.
These objectives are often in line with those stipulated for that kind of institution at the
national level. These objectives are not specific.
They are also broad aims.
For instance, an objective for a college of education can be to produce intermediate level
teachers to teach in the Pre-primary, primary and secondary schools. What do you think
would be the objectives for a Monotechnic which awards diploma in Agriculture?
At the Instructional Level
You have seen that objectives specified at both the national and institutional level are all
broad goals and aims. These can be realized in its and pieces at the instructional level. Here,
educational objectives are stated in the form in which they are to operate in the classroom.
They are therefore referred to as instructional objectives, behavioural objectives or
learning outcomes. They are specified based on the intended learning outcomes.
These objectives state what teaching is expected to achieve, what the learner is expected to
learn from the instruction, how the learner is expected to behave after being subjected to
the instruction and what he has to do in order to demonstrate that he has learnt what is
expected from the instruction.
These instructional objectives are therefore stated in behavioural terms with the use of
action verbs to specify the desirable behaviour which the learner will exhibit in order to
 8

show that he has learnt. Now, look at the objective at the section 2.0 of this unit or any
other unit or any other course material.
How are the objectives specified?
They are example of the instructional objectives. They are learner- centered not teacher
centered. They can easily be assessed on observed.
They are specified according to each unity, lesson etc.
Now look at the following objectives:
At the end of this lesson or unit you should be able to
a. Define the mean
b. Calculate the mean in a given distribution of scores
c. Calculate the mean using the assumed mean (AM) method.
d. Explain the median of a set of scores.
e. Explain the procedure for finding the median in a set of a score
f. Calculate the median in a grouped set of scores.
Now look at the action verbs, define, explain, calculate, specify, construct, design, state,
mention, list, draw, choose, find, prepare, paint, apply, analyze, deduce, differentiate etc.
These can be easily evaluated. These are the type of verbs you will be using when you
specify your objectives. You will learn more about them in other courses in education.
Importance of Instructional Objectives
So far you can see that instructional objectives are very important component of teaching
system. Let us mention some of the importance especially as a feedback mechanism in the
education system.
Learning outcomes as displayed by the learners serve as feedback on how much the
instructional objectives have been achieved. They also show how appropriate the
curriculum of the institution is. These instructional objectives can be used as a feedback on
how much the institutional objectives have been achieved and how appropriate these
objectives are.
You remember that objectives start from broad goals at the national level to the
instructional level. In the same way when evaluating these objectives, we use the
instructional level objectives.
From this, evaluation goes to the institutional to the national levels.
In other words, the feedback got from the assessment of the instructional objectives is
translated into finding and how much the national educational objectives have been
achieved in respect to the particular type of institution, and their appropriateness. In the
final analysis, the findings may lead to revising the objectives of any level or all the levels.
They may lead to curriculum modification at the institution level. At the instructional level,
they may lead to the adjustment of teaching methods or provision of instructional
materials. You see, from the small things, activities, tests, examinations, projects,
assignments, exercises, quizzes, home works etc done in the classroom setting, we can use
to evaluate, in a general process, the national policy at the national level.
 9

Apart from the feedback instructional objectives are also important because the teacher’s
plans of what to teach and how to teach it is based on the objectives specified to be
achieved. The evaluation of pupils’ learning outcome will make him know whether the
objectives are being achieved or not. It means therefore that the instructional objectives
give meaning and direction to the educational process.
DOMAINS OF EDUCATION
This is also called the taxonomy of education. There are three major types of domains in
education. These are:
 Cognitive domain
 Affective domain
 Psychomotor domain
COGNITIVE DOMAIN:
The major proponent was Benjamin Bloom. This area deals with the knowledge and
intellectual abilities of the learner. This domain covers how much facts, theories, principles
and thinking the learner knows and can engage the behavioural objectives of this domain
focuses on remembering and reproduction of what has been learnt. It also involves
originality and creativity in the area of combining and synthesizing of new ideas and what
has been learnt. This domain has six levels beginning from the simple to the complex levels:
Knowledge: This is the lowest level of learning. It deals with the remembering of
previously learnt materials and involves recalling of principles and systems. The teacher is
interested in getting the pupils to know common terms, specific facts, information, skill, etc
by the end of the lesson, pupils are expected specifically to be able to define, describe,
identify label, list, match, name, reproduce, select and state.
Comprehension: This is the level of understanding. This level of comprehension goes
beyond mere ability to recall or remember. It is the ability to grasp meaning of materials. It
involves explaining, translating, summarizing, interpreting maps etc.
Application: This level is one in which the pupils are expected to utilize what has be learnt,
the practical use of theories or discoveries in new and concrete situation. This level uses
such behavioural words like change, compute, discover, manipulate, modify, separate,
predict, prepare, produce, relate, show, solve and use.
Analysis: This is break apart. This is the ability to break down or to separate materials into
component parts for better understanding. Analysis includes the ability to identify
component parts. Behavioural objectives for this level expects students to break down,
illustrate in diagrams, differentiate, discriminate, identify, infer, outline, point out, relate,
select, separate and subdivide.
Synthesis: This level deals with the ability to separate parts to form a new whole. Here,
intensions or creation arising from insights, intuition et.c. are made. Behavioural objectives
for this level is for the students to be able to categorize, combine, compile, compose, create,
devise, design, explain generate modify, organize, plan, rearrange, reconstruct, relate,
recognize, revise etc.
 10

Evaluation: This is the higher level of the cognitive domain. Its main concern is
assessment. The ability to judge the value of a given material on clearly defined criteria e.g
grading essay competition. On the whole, students are expected to appraise, compare,
conclude, conclude, contrast, explain, criticize, discriminate, justify, interpret, relate,
summarize and support.
AFFECTIVE DOMAIN:
This domain deals mainly with feelings, emotions, dispositions, sentiments and degree of
acceptance, or rejection. It also deals with interest, attitudes, appreciation, emotional bias
and values. The affective function of instruction pertains to emotion and passions, the
dispositions, moral and aesthetic sensibilities. Focus is on the capacity for feeling, concern,
attachment or detachment, sympathy and appreciation.
There are five objectives in this domain-receiving, responding, valuing, organization and
characterization.
Receiving (Attending) This refers to the willingness of the learner to attend to a particular
stimulus, the emphasis is on getting and sustaining the attention of the learner. Receiving
has three levels:
 Awareness of the stimuli
 Willingness to knowledge stimuli
 Controlled or selected attention
In a classroom situation receiving has to do with getting security, holding and directing the
learner’s attention to what the teacher has for him or her. Use of behavioural words such as
accept, listen, name, select, speak, follow, e.t.c is applicable here.
Responding: This refers to the active participation of the learner. The learner does not
only receive but also reacts by doing. There are three levels of responding.
 Acquiescence: The learner simply complies or obeys
 Willingness to respond: The learner voluntarily reacts to a given situation and
 The learner gains satisfaction in the response. He or she enjoys reacting to the
situation. A classroom illustration is that of giving students an assigned text to read.
The students obey; the students read beyond the text, the students actually enjoy the
reading.
Valuing: This refers to the worth the learner attaches to the stimulus. That is a particular
object, behaviour or situation.
It is concerned with the worth or value or benefit which a leaner attaches to a particular
object, behaviour or situation. This ranges in degree from mere acceptance of value or a
desire to improve group skills to a more complex level of commitment or an assumption of
responsibility for the effective functioning of the group.
This could range from simple acceptance of value to complex levels of commitment such as:
 Acceptance of the value
 Preference of the value
 Commitment of the value
 11

Acceptance of a value:
This is a situation where the learner believes tentatively in a proportion, doctrine,
condition or situation a denomination says that women should be ordained priest in the e.g
churches; the members accept the doctrine.
Preference for a value:
In this case the learner believes in the desirability or necessity of the condition, doctrine,
proposition etc. and ignores or rejects other alternatives and deliberately looks for other
people views where the issues are controversial, so as to form his own opinion.
Commitment to a value:
In this stage the learner is convinced and fully committed to the doctrine, principle or
cause.
Inconsequence, the learner internalizes a set of specific values, which consistently manifest
themselves in his event behaviour, attitudes and appreciation.
In classroom setting the learner internalizes a set of specific values which consistently
manifest themselves in his or her overt behaviour, attitude and appreciation.
Organization: This entails bringing together different values, recognizing them and
resolving their conflicts in order to build an internal consistent value system. The learner
does this by comparing, relating and synthesizing value. This usually culminates into
development of a philosophy in life.
Characterization: At this level, an individual has internalized a value system which
controls his or her behaviour; such behaviour is consistent, persistent and predictable.
Here, an individual can be said to develop a philosophy of life. The value system controls an
individual.
PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN:
This domain has to do with motor skills, the sill that focuses on the development of physical
and manipulative skills in an individual. It deals mainly with muscular coordination
movement. Most psychomotor tasks are inherent in all human organisms, they develop
naturally. Yet in order to performance of variety of psychomotor tasks, the educator must
develop various skills of a more complex nature in addition to the inherent ones, such as:
1. Reflex movement: These are natural unconditioned movements made by every normal
human being, in case of abnormality therapy programme may be needed.
2. Basic fundamental movements: There are three categories of this level namely:
a. Locomotive movement: This is the movement of the body from one place to another
e.g crawling, running, leaping etc.
b. Non-locomotor movement: This involves movement of the body but not from place
to place. It is stationary e.g twisting, turning and wriggling of the head or trunk or
other parts of the body.
c. Manipulative movements: This is the use of limbs to control or move things. As in
reflex movement, here the educator has no role to play except in case of abnormality.
Four levels in the psychomotor domain are:-
 12

i. Perceptual abilities: This level is concerned with the individual’s ability to use the five
senses i.e seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling and smelling to distinguish things. It refers to
the interpretation of various stimuli that enable one to make adjustments to the
environment through visual, auditory, kinesthetic or tactile discrimination. This entails
cognitive as well as psychomotor behaviour. It may include coordinated movements to
respond to stimuli.
ii. Physical abilities: This level includes endurance, strength, flexibility and agility. These
are developed through practices. The level falls in the category of physical and health
education.
iii. Skilled movement: This level combines various types of physical abilities to produce a
thing. Here, the individual combines strength, endurance and manipulative movement
and perceptive abilities necessary in skills such as drumming, typing or playing organ
or piano.
iv. Non-discursive communications: This is the highest level of the psychomotor domain.
It combines different aspects of lower levels. It requires practice and demands certain
perceptive abilities to swim, drive, type and dive accurately with speed and precision. It
is the communication through bodily movements ranging from posture to gestures,
creative movements, facial expression, act a part in a play through sophiscated
choreographics. Body postures, gestures and facial expressions efficiently executed in
skilled dance movement and choreographics.
STATEMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES IN EDUCATION
Behavioural objectives refer to statement of what the learner should be able to do at the
end of a lesson. The focus here is an observable change in the behaviour that can be
attributed to the learner’s exposure to education or learning experiences.
Behavioural objectives center on how environment influences change in the behaviour
rather than heredity, mind or consciousness. These objectives are learner centered. Various
scholars have used different names or terms in describing individual behavioural
objectives such as instructional objectives, performance objectives, lesson objectives etc
clearly defined objectives can be observed and measured.
Properly stated behavioural objectives serve as an essential tool for effective teaching in
the classroom. It guides in the selection of content, teaching method and evaluation
technique
PRINCIPLES FOR STATING BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES
Clarity: Behavioural objectives must be clearly stated in unambiguous terms. Vague terms
such as “to know” “to understand” “to grasp” etc must be avoided because they cannot be
properly evaluated. Clear statement of the behavioural objectives must begin like this “At
the end of the lesson the students should be able to list five state capitals” examples of
measurable and clearly stated objectives that could be used are “to define”, “name”, “list”
“analyze” and sketch, “mention” “apply” “explain” “describe” and multiply etc.
 13

Must be achievable: Behavioural objectives must be achievable. It is important to consider

the time frame. It should be not be too short or too long. Behavioural objectives must be
achieved within the specified period of the lesson.
Must contain only one item of measurable action: This is to avoid confusion on the part
of both the teacher and learner. A confusing behavioural objective will sound like this; “By
the end of the lesson the student is to list and explain at least 4 out of 5 agents of erosion.
This statement of behavioural objective can confuse both the teacher and the students. The
teacher will mix both the teaching and the explaining while teaching. A better way to state
the same objective will be;
 List 4 of out of agents of erosion or
 Explain any 4 out of agents of erosion
Must consider the age and ability of the students: This will help to avoid teaching
content that is either above or below the ability of the students or learners. In stating
behavioural objectives, teachers must take into consideration the three domains of
education.
CRITERIA FOR STATING BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES
There are three main criteria for stating behavioural objectives
Expected behaviour: Here the teacher is expected to state clearly what the students are
expected to do at the end of the lesson e.g are they expected to define, list, identify,
evaluate, compare, construct, display, arrange, cite, solve, etc. the student’s expected
behaviours should be stated in form of action verbs that can be observed.
Prevailing condition: This refers to the condition under which the learner will perform
the desired behaviour e.g At the end of the lesson, after reading the passage on the “poor
farmer”, the students should be able to:
List 3 out of 4 qualities of the poor farmer
Explain any 2 out of 3 mentioned
The prevailing condition in the above behavioural objective is “reading a passage”.
Prevailing conditions can include; listening to the teacher, listening to a tape, watching a
programme on TV or video, listen to a resource person, a class discussion etc. all of these
are conditions under which students are expected to learn.
Level of performance: This refers to the standard of performance expected from the
students. The teacher should be able to state succinctly what is required of the students.
For example, if the students are expected to write an essay, the teacher should state the
exact level of accuracy expected from the students. E.g 80% or 70% accuracy. If it is listing
of state capitals, the teacher should state the exact number of state capitals the students are
expected to list. A behavioural objective utilizing the three criteria above will look like this;
i. At the end of the lesson, after watching the fill on the process of germinations, the
students should be able to list 3 out of 5 conditions necessary for germination or
ii. At the end of the lesson, after listening to the teacher, the student should be able to list
3 out 5 parts of a flowering plant.
 14

THE CONCEPT OF OCCUPATION

The concept of occupation is seemed to mean the same thing with job. However, job is
defined as a set of tasks and duties performed or meant to be performed by one person
including an employer in self employment. On the other hand occupation refers to the kind
of work performed in a job.
The concept of occupation is defined as a set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are
characterized by a high degree of similarity. A person may be associated with an
occupation through the main job currently held, a second job, future job or a job previously
held.
RELEVANCE OF OCCUPATION
Occupation allows an individual to be able to express themselves socially, physically and
mentally. They provide an individual with meaning and purpose to participate in everyday
activity. Without meaningful occupation, one may become depressed and feel they do not
have purpose in this world.
Occupation contributes to the identity of an individual and their community. The
meaningful occupation one may perform contributes to the uniqueness of the individual
that differentiate them from everyone else. To truly understand one’s identity, the
occupation one performs in their daily life must be recognized.
TYPES OF OCCUPATION
There are however different types of occupation related to the environment in which one
finds him or herself. Some of these occupations are:-
Accounting , Teaching,, Midwifery, Nursing , Pharmacist veterinarians, dentists, farming,
fisheries and forestry, engineers, medical doctors, drivers, shoes makers, hunting, etc. all
these occupations help an individual and his family to earn a living and even support other
relatives in one way or the other.
RELEVANCE OF EDUATION IN OUR SOCIETY
It is quite obvious that education has played a very significant role in our society and our
country Nigeria at large. Some of these roles are:-
Education increases knowledge: The price people pay for ignorance is exorbitant. Since
education increases knowledge, which in itself is cure for ignorance, education is important
to us, as individuals. Knowledge acquired can be in diverse fields but ultimately, it is such
that can better our lives and make us more civil citizens of our country Nigeria.
Education brings about socialization: Through education, people get to know the values,
norms and values of the place in which they live; they get to interact with a number of
people from lecturer to student’s relationships. What is most important is that it brings
people together and in the process of learning people can increase their social capacity and
build interrelationship skills.
Education trains younger expert to take over from the aging superiors: This is the self-
explanatory, several examples can buttress it. For instance, more nurses are trained to take
 15

over the duties of the aging nurses and the retired ones. Other importance of education
are:-
 Reduction in illiteracy
 Effective communication skills
 Right of the child
 Improve learning skills
 Reduction of poverty
 It creates jobs
 Public health
 Impact on democracy
 Help to develop social standard of individual conduct
 It ensures economic growth and development
 Education helps in manpower transformation
 Education is an investment where individuals involved earns more and more by
progressing further in education
 Education stipulates and stimulates specialization. That is to say education creates
areas of specialization and stimulates learners to participate in these areas for their
good and that of the society.
 Education creates work opportunities or jobs where people engage themselves for
their living.
THE CONCEP OF EDUCAITONAL INFORMATION
Educational information as used by Noris is a valid and useable data about all types of
present and future educational or training opportunities and requirements including
curricular and co-curricular offerings, requirements for entrance and conditions and
problems of students’ life.
Present educational opportunities look at all the resources of the school that the students
now attend, dealing with vocational and technical schools, apprenticeship and other
trainings as well as adult education, college and university trainings etc.
THE CONCEP OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION
Occupational information as defined by Noris is a valid and usable data or information
about positions, jobs and occupations including duties, requirement for entrance,
conditions or work, rewards offered, advancement, pattern existing and predicted supply
and demand for workers and sources for further information.
Information that met the above definition is accurate authoritative, timely and balanced on
the level of the individual using it.
It is natural that information about anything energizes an individual if he is interested in
that matter. For different categories of individuals, different types of information are
important. But for the student community, information on different educational careers
and occupations is noteworthy and worth mentioning. Because to make a wise choice or
 16

proper decision on any matter, the students must be well informed about the pros and cons
of that matter.
Hence for providing detail information relating any matter, a service may be meant for this.
Similarly for giving detail information to pupils on different occupations a service is meant
for it which is called “occupational information service.” This information service provides
a variety of information to the pupils on various occupations as and when needed.
For accelerating this process now in our educational institutions or schools information in
educational and vocational opportunities are being provided. For this an “occupational
information service” is working in our schools from which the pupils have to decide on
matters relating to their educational and vocational choices.
The occupational information service is very useful for students of secondary and higher
secondary classes. It is a service designed to assist pupils to explore the world of work by
propagating accurate, valid and useful information about educational and vocational
opportunities, their characteristics, demands and requirements. More specifically, the
occupational information service provides information about various vocational courses.
Need of Occupational Information:
The need of occupational information service is felt for the pupils in the following
grounds:
1. Students of secondary and higher secondary schools have to make choices relating to
their future occupation, choice always involves knowledge and idea. It means one can’t
choose what one doesn’t know. A pupil may join in an occupation by virtue of mere love.
But the wise choice of an occupation requires accurate information about an occupation.
Thus selecting an occupation without accurate information results in square pegs in round
holes and round pegs in square holes.
2. The guidance worker or counselor may be a highly qualified and trained person, but
without adequate information about various occupations his services will be like an out
worldly showing good thing having no value in reality. Vocational guidance without
adequate occupational information in fact has no value.
3. Occupational information makes the guidance service informative, motivational,
adjective and evaluative and is accepted as helpful for the pupils.
4. Now there are more than 400 occupations in the world of work. Each occupation is
different from the other in terms of characteristics and requirements. Every pupil should
be helped to choose an occupation, prepare for it, enter into the occupation and make
satisfactory progress in it in accordance with his ambition, interests, abilities and
limitations. Collection, classification and dissemination of occupational information are
therefore important to assist students in their vocational choices, vocational planning and
vocational placement.
Some Important Types of Information:
There are some important types of information that the pupils need are as follows:
1. Educational Information:
 17

This type of information refers information relating to curriculum, syllabus, books, policies
and programmes of schools, its rules and regulations, traditions of schools and colleges, co-
curricular activities, special measures and programmes adopted by schools, information
about higher education, colleges and universities, information about loans, scholarships
and stipends, information about the scholar exchange programmes etc.
2. Occupational Information:
Information relating to different occupations, their nature, requirements, scope and
prospects, information about part time employment and employment agencies etc.
3. Industrial Information:
Information relating to industries in the neighbour-hood, small scale and large scale
industries etc.
4. Training Information:
Information about all types of training opportunities offered by vocational institutions and
training schools on the job training, apprenticeship, facilities for the correspondence
education, evening classes, coaching classes, preparatory training programmes etc.
5. Health Information:
Information relating to health, psychological and psychiatric services, information about
medical centres of great repute.
6. Recreational Information:
Information relating to different types of recreations, leisure time pursuits and hobbies.
7. Socio-economic and Cultural Information:
Information relating to population trends and population education, environmental
pollution, child labour laws, religious influences, technological trends, economic trends,
influences of urbanization, social service organizations, philanthropic organizations etc.
Types of Information to be collected:
The following types of information are to be collected from the pupils for the sake of
occupational information service:
1. Name of the occupation.
[Link] of organization which provide the specific occupation whether
government/private or self-employment.
3. Hours of work……. (Morning/Day/Night)
4. Salary Offered…….
5. Other allowances offered
6. Rewards offered
7. Promotion and future of the occupation
8. Methods of recruitment…..
9. Requirements of the occupation…..
10. Age, Sex………
11. Qualification (Desirable/essential)
12. Training and experience, physical fitness.
 18

13. Names of organization which offers training for the occupation.

14. Stipends/Scholarships available during training…
15. Duration of the training……
16. Post retirement benefits…..
17. Pre-conditions for leaving the job.
18. Special features of the occupation……
Such information should be collected from the various sources which are called sources of
collection of occupational information.
Sources of Collection of Occupational Information:
Collection of occupational information can be done from the following sources:
(i) Employers and Employees
(ii)Training institutions and training centres.
(iii) Information from district employment exchange.
(iv)Directories, books, postures, monographs, bibliographies, magazines, occupational
index, pamphlets and other printed materials.
(v)Central and state bureau of educational and vocational guidance.
(vi) University employment bureaus.
(vii) State service selection boards.
(viii) Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and State Public Service Commission (SPSC)
(ix) Staff selection boards.
(x) Official notice boards of organizations.
(xi) Professional and industrial organizations.
(xii) Ministry of education-information section.
(xiii) Employment news and employment bulletins.
After collecting various types of information about different types of occupations they
should be classified in some systematic manner on some basis. After that there will be
dissemination of information about it through different agencies or forms or means.
INFORMATION TRANSMISSION
Information transmission can be defined as the process of passing information from one
person or place to another. In other words, it is the process of transferring already
conceived information from one location to another location, from one person to another
person or from one apparatus to another.
Methods of information Transmission
The methods of information transmission are the means in which information pass from
one place to another and from one person to another. It can be classified into ancient and
modern methods.
1. Ancient methods: This is the traditional method in which typical African society
settings pass information basically with the use of less sophiscated means. This
includes:
 19

Talking Drums: Drums are used to transmit information to people within the society
people read through the sound of the talking drums.
Town criers: Though they exist till today, they are persons that pass information from one
place to another on fast, horseback, bicycles, motorcycle. They use bell, Gog, or other metal,
horn, whistle etc
Sign: The type of sing used to transmit information will depend on the type of information
to be transmitted, for example gun blast, trumpet etc.
Masquerades: although, they are essentially impersonation of ancestors, the masquerades
in some societies like Igbo land emerge at to gossip and expose scandals. In some parts of
Nigerian society the effective channels of communication in maintenance of village security
or discipline
Courier chiefs: These are lesser chiefs assisting the king and the council to disseminate
information to the villages
2. Modern methods of information transmission: As the society changes from simple to
complex so do other phenomenal structures change. There are transformations in the
way and manner information is being transferred nowadays compared to the pre-
colonial Africa. The modern methods of information transmission include:
The libraries/information centres: A library is the store house of knowledge where
educative information are collected, organized, stored, retrieved and disseminated and
managed by professionals. Libraries/information centres are agents through which
information can easily be transmitted, we have two major types of libraries namely:
 Electronic/virtual library
 Physical library
The newspapers/magazines: This is one of the channels through which information is
disseminated to the people. The pages of the newspapers carry advertisements, intention
of the government, obituary and other happenings in and outside the country. We have
private owned newspapers till today which employs men and women who are competent
in both spoken and written indigenous languages that write and translate in local
languages
The radio and television: These are potent channels of reaching the non literate members
of the society because it is audio in the case of radio and audio/visual in the case of
television. It is an added advantage when one sees people of his area perform on the screen
of a television set. News is translated and read on the television and radio to reach the
people who do not understand English language. They inform people about health matters,
education matters, religious matters and how to keep their environment clean.
Electronic mails: This has to do with sending electronic messages from one person to
another through the use of computer with internet connectivity.
Telephone messages: These are messages that can be sent quickly and reply is instantly
received.
 20

Fax: This is a short for of telescoping. It involves the use of telephone numbers and
telephone sets that have printer outlet device. It is a telephone transmission of scanned in
materials in form of text and images. Fax machines are hardly seen nowadays.
Satellite: It is an object that is intentionally placed in the orbits that relay and transmit
information around the world
Fliers: It is usually small handbill used for advertising events and products
Handbooks: These are books that are conveniently carried
Barriers To information dissemination
 Language
 Poor infrastructural base
 Lack of technical know how
 Leadership trait in Africa

REFERENCES
Aboyade B. O (1990) Access to Information in Rural Nigeria, Int. Library
Fafunwa, A.B, (1974.) History of Education in Nigeria. London:
Segun A. etaI, (1996) Foundation Studies in Education. Ibadan: University Press Limited.
Will Noris etal. (1960) The information guidance. Chicago. Band MC-Nally and CO