Enforcement of the National Minimum Standards Specifications for Implementation of the 3-Year Upper Basic Science and Technology Curriculum in North Central Nigeria

This study assessed the extent to which the National Minimum Standards Specifications are enforced for effective implementation of the 3-year Upper Basic Science and Technology curriculum in North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey research design was used for the study. The population comprised all 10,688 Basic Science and Technology teachers. The sample consisted of 288 teachers randomly selected from 72 government and private secondary schools in the study area. Basic Science and Technology Facilities Checklist (BSTFC), Basic Science and Technology Teachers Minimum Qualification Questionnaire (BSTTMQQ) and Basic Science and Technology Teachers In-service Training Inventory (BSTTITI) were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by three experts, two in Science Education and one in Test and Measurement. The reliability coefficient of the instruments was determined using Cronbach alpha and the internal consistencies of instruments were obtained as 0.92, 0.78 and 0.79 respectively. The three research questions which guided the study were answered using mean and standard deviation (SD), while the three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using independent t-test. The result revealed that the National Minimum Standards are enforced to a less extent as the basic facilities for the implementation of the 3-year Upper Basic Science and Technology curriculum are available moderately only in Government Secondary Schools (GSS). The minimum teaching qualification of Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) is less enforced especially in Private Secondary Schools (PSS). Teachers in Private Secondary Schools attend workshops and seminars for effective implementation of the curriculum moderately while the Government Secondary School teachers attend workshops and seminars to a less extent. It was recommended that Government through the Ministry of Education (MOE) and private schools owners should ensure full enforcement of the National Minimum Standards specifications for the implementation of the curriculum in both government and private secondary schools in the country. This can be achieved through the provision of basic facilities such as classrooms, furniture, laboratories, workshops, sport/games, ICT/ computer multimedia, electricity, water, stores, library, offices and toilets. It was also recommended that authorities ensure the minimum teaching qualification, that is NCE, is enforced to a great extent in both government and private secondary schools. Educational authorities should also harmonize the in-service training for both government and private secondary school teachers by organizing regular workshops and seminars as well as strict monitoring of all schools to ensure that the National Minimum Standards Specifications for effective implementation of the 3-year upper science and technology curriculum are enforced.VillageMath Educational Review is an International Multidisciplinary Journal of the Network for Grassroots Science and Mathematics Education (The VillageMath Network), Department of Mathematics Education, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, NIGERI