Research
Nigeria, National Association for Exceptional Children Junior Academicsa Mentors and Quality Research Assurance
This study investigated National Association for Exceptional Children (NAEC) Junior academics’ mentors and quality research assurance. The study was all about members of NAEC in Nigeria who are junior academics and the status of their mentorship by senior academics and quality research assurance as a result in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling technique was used to draw 24 paper presenters that are junior academics in the NAEC 2015 annual Conference held in Port Harcourt, River State of Nigeria. The sample was made up of junior academics that were drawn four each from among those on attendance from six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. All the states in Nigeria are zoned into six that guided the researcher in reaching the sample. An instrument for data collection named Junior Academics Mentors’ Activities for Quality Research Assurance Questionnaire (JAMAFQRAQ) was constructed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by experts in Special Education, Measurement and Evaluation and Guidance and Counselling. The reliability coefficient of .84 as a measure of internal consistency was established through the use of Cronbach Alpha statistical technique. Frequencies, percentages and means were the descriptive statistics used for analysis of data collected. The results showed that the junior academics of NAEC are not exposed nor made to have access to all the useful principle standards that could assure quality of their research works and their senior colleagues that are regarded as their mentors do not make available for them adequate supervision activities that can guarantee improved quality assurance of their research works. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made which include among others that it should be made a tradition in the NAEC annual conference that one of the lead papers should address strategies of assuring quality research by curious investigators and inculcation of mentorship spirits am
Dance Play Method: A Strategy for Teaching Emotionally Challenged Primary Schools Children in Cross River State, Nigeria
Most school children who are emotionally challenged are often stigmatized and left abandoned by their teachers and classmates. Although Federal Legislation (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) protects the inherent rights of individuals with emotional challenges and disabilities, that legislation cannot always protect them from subtle forms of discrimination and prejudice. This paper clearly point out the undisputable place of dance play method as a strategy for helping children who are emotionally challenged. School counselors, administrators, and teachers have a unique opportunity to directly address emotionally challenged children by providing organized, enjoyable dance and movement activities in a supportive environment and helping students gain better body control and develop nonverbal and social skills. This paper examined the place of the teacher as dance educator to have insights into these learner’s abilities and effectively guide the children overcomes their emotional challenges in the school.
An Impact Assessment of Academic Disciplines on Secondary School Teachersa Dispositions to Affective Characteristics in Cross River State, Nigeria
The study was an assessment of teachers’ academic disciplines and their dispositions to some affective characteristics like values orientation, work attitude, motivation, and needs satisfaction. The study which adopted survey design used a sample of 1062 teachers selected from an estimated population of 21,240 teachers spread across the 203 public secondary schools in Cross River State of Nigeria. An instrument called Teachers’ Affective Characteristics Questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analysed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test statistic. Results of the study showed that teachers’ academic disciplines significantly influence their dispositions to affective characteristics. It was concluded that, it was teachers with education disciplines that were more disposed to affective characteristics than their counterparts with non-education disciplines. The study concludes that teachers should be encouraged to pick higher degrees in education after their first degrees as this will improve their work values, work attitude, motivation and needs satisfaction (also considered in this study as job satisfaction).
