Teacher Training Quality and Effectiveness in the Context of Basic Education : An Examination of Primary Education Studies (PES) Programme in Two Colleges of Education in Nigeria

The need to ensure quality teachers that will implement basic education motivated this study. Teacher education in Nigeria is aimed at providing trainees with intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment and to make them adaptable to any changing situations in the country and the world. This goal remains a mere wish as most teachers do not exhibit the required competencies needed, especially to teach at the foundation level. This calls into question the quality of their training. The study therefore undertakes an examination of the Primary Education Studies (PES) curriculum used in training teachers for basic education. Two Colleges of Education were isolated as a case study, using the Integrated Curriculum evaluation model. It employed purposive and random sampling procedures to select subjects from teacher trainees, trainers, in-service teachers, headteachers of basic schools, and offi cials of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). The fi ndings showed, among other things, that the content of PES curriculum is adequate, but the teaching strategies need a lot of improvement. This has serious implications for the successful implementation of basic education in Nigeria.