Abstract:
The study was aimed at assessing the utilization of available resources for the improvement of Nigeria Certificate in Education programme of the National Teachers’ Institute (by Distance Learning System) in South-South, Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. Four null hypotheses were formulated for the study and were tested at the probability of 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and was carried out in the 18 NCE study centres of National Teachers’ Institute in South-South States. The population of the study was 7,118; made up of 6, 806 distance learning students and 312 course tutors of National Teachers’ Institute in South-South States. The sample of the study was 1, 125 respondents, drawn by using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Utilization of Available Resources for the Improvement of NCE Programme of National Teachers’ Institute Questionnaire” (UARINCEPNTIQ). The instrument was face validated by three experts and its reliability was determined using Cronbach alpha estimate with an overall reliability co-efficient of 0.89. Weighted mean and standard deviation were used to answer the four research questions while Student t-test was used to test the four null hypotheses. Copies of the instrument were administered to the respondents through direct delivery technique. Findings of the study revealed that the utilization of staff development programmes, physical facilities, media facilities, and student-support services improved the NCE programme of National Teachers’ Institute by distance learning system to a high extent. All the four null hypotheses tested revealed that there were significant differences between the mean ratings of distance learning students and course tutors of NTI on the extent of utilization of staff development programmes, physical and media facilities, and student-support services in the NCE programme of the National Teachers’ Institute by distance learning system in South-South States. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the National Teachers’ Institute should mount various staff development programmes for to the development, upgrading and certification of NTI academic staff (course tutors or facilitators); and that National Teachers’ Institute should accept the innovation in teaching approaches (methods) through the use of ICT media to enhance academic performance of distance learning students.
