Andragogy and Effective Teacher Education in Colleges of Education in North Central Nigeria: An Overview

Abstract

The general goal of this study was to explore andragogy and the effectiveness of teacher education for adequate teaching and learning in the North Central zone of Nigeria. Knowles’ assumptions on characteristics and principles applicable to adult learners were explored. Three research questions and one hypothesis were each answered and tested respectively. The study adopted a survey design and targeted lecturers and students at colleges of education in the North Central zone of Nigeria, with 160 and 240 respondents from federal and state institutions respectively. Two instruments were validated (ALQ = .635; LQ = .573) and used to generate data. The data generated were analysed. Results showed that colleges of education in the North Central zone of Nigeria harnessed the characteristics of adult learners at an equal level; both lecturers and students subscribed adequately to teaching and learning in colleges of education, irrespective of their sex, and lecturers complied with the principles of andragogy. It was concluded that to raise students’ achievement, classrooms in colleges of education would require skilled staff who could adopt an andragogical approach. It was thus recommended that: learners in colleges of education are given a brochure at registration; instructors at colleges should adopt andragogy as their medium of instruction and college management should coordinate the sensitisation of lecturers and students on andragogical requirements concomitantly.