INVESTIGATING THE CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS OF REFORMING TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES ON NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY IN OWERRI EDUCATION ZONE ONE, IMO STATE

Abstract

This study is on Consequences and Implications of Reforming Traditional Educational Practices on National Education Policy in Owerri Education Zone One, Imo State. The study was guided by three research questions. Owerri Education Zone One is comprised of three Local Government Areas which are; Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West. The population of this study is comprised of all secondary school teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Owerri Education Zone One, Imo State. The population of teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Owerri Zone 1 is comprised of 1102 teachers. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 4 schools of both Junior Secondary Schools and Senior Secondary Schools from each Local Government Area in Owerri Zone 1. The sample comprised of 300 teachers in Owerri Zone One. Simple proportionate random sampling technique was used in selecting 75 teachers from each of the LGA. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Reforming Traditional Educational Practices on National Education Policy Questionnaire (RTENEPQ).” The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach alpha coefficient which yielded an index of 0.86. Data collected was and analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings in Table 1 provide strong evidence that reformed educational practices are influencing student learning outcomes in a positive way in Owerri Education Zone One. The data suggests that these reforms are promoting critical thinking, deeper understanding, and increased engagement and motivation among students, ultimately leading to improved academic achievement. The study recommended that Policymakers should prioritize increased funding and resource allocation to support the implementation of reformed educational practices in Owerri Education Zone One. This will help address the challenges of inadequate infrastructure, technology, and instructional materials.