Volume 4, Issue 7, July – 2019 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Meta-Analysis on TVET Curriculum Implementation

Challenges in Nigeria
John Nehemiah Marwa1,2, Muhammad Sukri Saud1, Yusri Kamai1 and Nur Hazirah Binti Noh@Seth1
1
Department of Technical and Engineering Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities,
University Tecknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia.
2
Department of Technical Education, Kaduna State College of Education,
Gidan Waya, Kafanchan Kaduna State Nigeria.

Abstract:- The sole aim of TVET (technical vocational
education training) in Nigeria is to train and produce
competent craftsmen and technician capable of
handling different kind of jobs in industries and other
sectors of the economy. However, the expected results of
becoming enterprising and self-reliance is jeopardise in
such a way that individuals and personnel have not been
adequately provided by the TVET institutions due to
numerous implementation challenges. The purpose of
this review therefore, is to analyse the available
affirmation in literatures about curriculum
implementation challenges responsible in jeopardising
the sole aim of TVET in Nigeria. The study adopted a
systematic review approach of search for relevant
articles on TVET, curriculum implementation, TVET
curriculum challenges, TVET implementation
challenges, such were the key words used in the
selection of related literatures from a data web-based
provider of Scopus, google scholar, science direct and
online library. The obtainable results from the searched
revealed that the numerous TVET curriculum
implementation challenges in Nigeria is ranging from
inadequate funding, brain drain, faulty curriculum,
government factor, poor perception of TVET education,
inadequate facilities, staff training and retention and
politics Among others. It is however recommended that
adequate majors be taken by the concern body of
government to ensure effectiveness in the training and
producing of qualified TVET graduates for workforce
in Nigeria.
Keyword:- Technical Education, TVET Curriculum,
Vocational Education, And Implementation Challenges.
I. INTRODUCTION
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equations, graphics, and tables are not prescribed, although
the various table text styles are provided. The formatter will
need to create these components, incorporating the
applicable criteria that follow. Vocational education general
refers to every form of education that focuses and aims at
the acquiring of the basic qualifications related to a certain
profession, art or employment that provides the basic
training and the appropriate skills and attitude as well as
technical knowledge, so that students are able to exercise a
profession, art or activity, independently of their age and
their training stage, this also implies that even if the
training program contains also elements of general
education Kotsikis,[1] Vocational training is generally
defined as the part of vocational education that provides the
specialized professional knowledge skills and attitudes,
which attribute professional adequacy to the trainee and are
the focus of every vocational training program. Vocational
education in another word, is seen as a structured
programme of activities which designed in order to transmit
theoretical knowledge and also professional skills that are
required for certain types of jobs Kotsikis, [1] therefore, As
an educational policy, technical and vocational education
training refers to the initial vocational training, whose aims
are connected to the given offer and demand of specialties,
as they are formed by the structural characteristics of each
county’s economy. in many nations of the world, TVET is
an essential human resource of development initiative for
economy and technological growth. This implies that the
economic and technological advancement of any nation is
directly geared to her quality and availability of its human
resources, as such promote productivity of human resources
and advances technical knowledge and skill acquisition.
Arowolo, et al [2] stated that a curriculum is an educational
plan that spells out which goals and objectives should be
achieved, which topics should be covered and which
methodology and approaches are to be used for learning,
teaching and evaluation. Coles [3] in his submission argues
that, a curriculum is more than a list of topics to be covered
by an educational programme, for which the most
commonly accepted word is a ‘syllabus’. A curriculum
however, is a policy statement about a piece of education,
and secondly an indication as to the ways in which that
policy is to be realised through a programme of action.

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Volume 4, Issue 7, July – 2019
This implies that a Curriculum is the sum of all the
activities, experiences and learning opportunities for which
a society, an institution assume a responsibility deliberately
or by default. A curriculum is determined by the activity or
what is not offered, and what has been rejected.
Arowolo, et al [2] published that a curriculum is a
structured series of intended learning experiences, it is the
means by which educational institutions endeavour to
realize the goals of the society, the curriculum it is adopted
to pursue set objectives or goals of the society in which the
schools are and serve. Good Implementation is the major
key that leads to actualization of a curriculum, through
implementation the aims and objectives of the National
policy on education can be realise and achieve. TVET
education as stated on the national conference in 1965 is
saddle with the responsibility of transforming the Nigerian
society from shame to fame.
Therefore, a good implementation of the TVET
curriculum is a determinants element which intel’s the
growth and development of the Nigerian society, this also
will be a determines of the quality of graduate produced
into the industries and the labour workforce.
This study therefore, is a review of educational journal
articles to synthesize the available evidences in the
literature review about Implementation and challenges of
TVET curriculum in Nigeria. Hence the study is aimed to
answer the research question. “What are the
implementation challenges of TVET curriculum in
Nigeria”? Okoye, et, al [4] conducted a research on
technical and vocational education and training in Nigeria
and energy development and National transformation, and
Udoka et, al [5] researched on the global economic crisis: a
challenge implementation technical vocational technology
in Nigeria. However, there is a need to analyse and identify
the real issues of the TVET curriculum implementation
challenges in Nigeria and proffer recommendations to
serves as a road map for improvement which the present
study aims at.
II. METHODOLOGY
An On-line data base of educational research
information centre (ERIC) was used to access relevant
published articles through web-based service providers, and
other articles source were obtained from science direct,
online library, google scholar, web of science, Scopus.
Abstracts, results, and conclusions were also screened,
other related studies to curriculum implementation
challenges were selected for the study. At the beginning of
the study, the search was broaden which included all
IJISRT19JL178 www.ijisrt.com
International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
concept papers, research papers, and conference papers, at
the second stage a reviewed of resent study on
implementation and challenges of TVET curriculum in
Nigeria were used, a search of literatures conducted in
ERIC database and google scholar, with related terms such
as curriculum, implementation, challenges where used for
the search, thus resulted to reduction of the 26 sourced
articles to 9 which guided to fulfilling the criteria. The
papers were qualitatively analysed and discussed according
to the research question as presented in table 1. However,
the present study aims at analysing the challenges of TVET
curriculum implementation in Nigeria.
III. RESULTS
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Finally, complete content and organizational editing
before formatting. Please take note of the following items
when proofreading spelling and grammar: The table (1)
make a summary of the research conducted on TVET
curriculum implementation and challenges in Nigeria. The
analysis shown that, “Inadequate funding was indicated by
Ifeyinwa et,al, Okoye et,al., [4], Udoka et al. [5],
Ayonmike. [6], Kennedy et al, [7], and Ojimba, et,al. [8], as
one of the TVET curriculum implementation challenges in
Nigeria, in the same regard, Okoye et, al, [13], Udoka et,al.
[5], Kennedy et,al. [7], Egesi, et al. [9], Ojimba, [8],
Serumu[10], and Bathe et al [2], identified “Inadequate
facility” as one of the TVET curriculum implementation
challenges in Nigeria, Ayonmike.[6], Ojimba, [8], Udoka
et al,[5], and Okoye et al [13], signified “Brain drain” to
be a TVET curriculum implementation challenges in
Nigeria.
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Table 1:- Analysis of TVET Curriculum Implementation Challenges in Nigeria.
“Staff training and retention” was denoted by Serumu,
Comfort, et al, [12], Udoka et al.[5], Okoye et al,[4], and
Ojimba, to be a TVET curriculum implementation
challenge in Nigeria. In the same vein, “Faulty curriculum”
was verified by Egesi et al. [9], Ojimba.[8], Kennedy et
al.[7], Serumu, [10], and Okoye et al.[4], as an
implementation challenges of TVET curriculum in Nigeria.
“Politics” was also signified by Okoye eta al, [4], and
Ojimba, to be a TVET curriculum implementation
challenge in Nigeria.
Based on the analysis on the table, “Value System”
was confirm by Udoka, Okoye et al, [4], and Ayonmike,
[2], to be a TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria. Okoye et al, .[4], Ayonmike,[2]. and George et
al.[7], signified that “Policies, strategies and poor planning”
are TVET curriculum implementation challenges in
Nigeria. Comfort, identified “Evaluation” to be a
curriculum implementation challenging in Nigeria,
“Government factor” was cited by Egesi et al. [2], Kennedy
et al. [7], and Serumu, [10], to also be one of the TVET
curriculum implementation challenge in Nigeria. Likewise,
Ojimba, [8], and Serumu, [10], verified that “Staff/lecturer
factor” is a TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria. Serumu, [10], Kennedy et al. [7] sported “Poor
perception and lack of guidance service” to a curriculum
challenge of TVET implementation in Nigeria.
IV. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The findings of the research work where discussed
based on the guided research question.
 What are the Curriculum Implementation Challenges of
TVET in Nigeria?
Table 1 underline six (6) articles which signified inadequate
funding as TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria, funding plays a very significant role in TVET
education, to build and maintain a good workshop,
laboratories and to acquire modern and efficient equipment,
a lot of funds is needed. According to Odu [16], inadequate
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International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
funding of TVET institutions has caused the turning out of
half backed graduates because there are no funds to build
and maintains workshops, laboratories or even purchase
modern equipment. TVET in no doubt has contributed to
the growth of Nigerian society, in regards to the training
programmes across the country by developing individual
who are contributing their own quarter to the economic
growth and development of the nation through various
industrial establishment.
Table 1 also underline seven (7) articles which
signified “Inadequate facilities” to be a TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Okoye. [13] &
Maxwell [3], researched and published that most technical
education department in Nigerian universities do not have
good laboratories or workshop space, let alone useable
equipment and where they exist they are grossly
inadequate. For any educational system to function
effectively gearing towards meeting her sets objectives and
goals, it must have the needed facilities in order to meet up
with the required practical classes schedule for the
programme. Practical skill acquisition is more pronounce in
TVET, as such a well provided learning environment with
the required facilities is mandatory. In the same regards,
Table 1 highlighted four (4) articles which indicated
“Brain drain” to be one of the TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Brain drain in most of
the Nigerian technical institutions affect teaching and
learning of TVET this is because, technical teachers in most
of the institutions move from one organisation to the other,
from college of education to polytechnic, from polytechnic
to university or to other professions where they feel will
offer them better and convenient service. According to
Okoye et,al [4], 45% of Nigerian professionals including
technical educators have left the Nigerian shores over the
years. In 1999 and 2007 alone, the country Nigeria lost
about 10,000 middle class and high level managers to the
western economics, and about 500 lecturers from Nigeria
tertiary institutions have continued to move each year,
particularly to Europe, America and other African
countries.
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Table 1 also feature five (5) articles which verified
“Staff training and retention” to be a TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Academic staff need
to be aware of current innovations, invention and
familiarise with latest happenings in their respected fields
of specialisation, this suggested a continue professional
training in order to improve in the quality of their
deliveries. Staff training and retention could be acquiring
locally or overseas irrespective of the capital involved,
academic staff should be giving the privilege to study
overseas especially where there is a need for a staff to get
knowledge that has to do with current changes and acquired
training with new digital equipment for productivity.
Table 1 accentuate five (5) articles verifying “The
curriculum the technical education (faulty)” as a TVET
curriculum implementation challenge in Nigeria. According
to Uwaifo, [15], noted that one of the issues confronting the
design of appropriate curriculum for technical education is
preparing students for the shift from the fordist to
information communication and technology (ICT)
paradigm in technology practice. The curriculum of every
programme is the master plan that shows in detail how such
a programme is to be operating or conducted. TVET
curriculum is generally organised into theoretical classes
and practical. The curriculum experts assigned percentages
to theoretical classes and for practical for effectiveness.
Table 1 also accentuate two (2) articles which verified
“Politics” to be one of the TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Technical education
in Nigeria have suffered a grossly set back and neglect,
Nigeria law makers have not seen anything good or special
about TVET and why they should give priority attention to
the programme in resources allocation. Previous budgets
for the last 5 years shows a lop side attitude to TVET
system in Nigeria. When this attitude is not reversed
gearing toward the set objective of TVET system in Nigeria
based on the national conference of 1963 recommendation,
Nigeria will technologically remain backward.
Table 1 spotlight two (2) articles verifying “System
value” as a TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria. According to Nworlu-Elechi [4] for this reason,
secondary school graduates and parents prefer university
education to technical education. in Nigeria, university
qualification education is given too much emphases and
priority not minding whether the graduates possess the
needed knowledge and the required skills unlike the
advance society where the TVET graduates are highly
regarded. R. Okoye et,al [4], research that the value system
of TVET in those countries depend on the persons skills
and knowledge, not on the stack of academic degree one
has.
Table 1 highlighted four (4) articles verified “Policies
strategies and poor planning” as a TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Ibeneme [18],
published that many administrators of TVET programme at
policy making level are not TVET trained persons and thus
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International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
do not seem to understand the need of the programme. One
of the most confronting challenge of TVET curriculum
implementation is the involvement of professional’s
teachers in handling and addressing TVET issues. For
TVET education system to be successful and meeting the
societal challenges for economic growth and development,
professionals most be involve in decision and policy
making of TVET programme in terms of deploying human
and material resources to the programme effectiveness
which will also promotes supervision, good monitoring and
evaluation this is because the professional of TVET have
the necessary abilities, skills and capabilities to carry out
the programme.
Table 1 emphasize one (1) article which verified
“Evaluation” to be a TVET curriculum implementation
challenge in Nigeria. Evaluation by definition mean an
orderly determination of a subjects’ merit, worth and
significance, using criteria governed by a set of standards.
This can assist a programme or organisational design,
project or any other intervention or initiative to assess any
aim realisation or any alternative to help in decision making
or to ascertain the degree of achievement or value in
regards to the aim and objectives and results of any action
that has been completed. Lack of evaluation to have an
insight into the existing process of TVET in Nigeria has
affected the programme this is because government cannot
ascertain without TVET is meeting it set objectives or not.
Table 1 underline three (3) articles which signified
“Government factor” as a TVET curriculum
implementation challenge in Nigeria. Government factor
could be a non-challan attitude or negligent of
responsibilities by not giving the needed priority in times of
funding, poor infrastructure, poor facilities. When
government is not paying attention or not meeting the need
of TVET institutions, it becomes a very big challenge
which will result to a poor performance from the side of the
programme, this is one of the challenges face by TVET
institution in Nigeria.
Table 1 highlighted two (2) article indicating “Student
factor” as a TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria. Serumu, [10], published that irregular
attendance of lectures by students is a challenge to the
implementation of TVET curriculum. This signified that by
the time students abscond from class it shows that some of
them have started keeping or involving themselves in
activities like cultism, examination malpractice, and other
social academic vices which resulted to challenges of
implementing the curriculum.
Table 1 weight one (1) article signified “Lecturer
factor” to be a TVET curriculum implementation challenge
in Nigeria. Aigbepue [11] opined that inadequate and ill-
equipped vocational education teachers are challenges to
the implementation of TVET curriculum. Lecturers factors
result from lack of interest in teaching and skill
competence, another one is poor working condition and
poor preparation of lesson could also be among.
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Table 1 emphasize two (2) articles which signified
“Poor public perception to TVET” as a TVET curriculum
implementation challenges in Nigeria. TVET in Nigeria has
a very low perception to the general public in terms of
acceptance. By one experience in teaching TVET for 13
years, the elites, the rich and the political class do not
encourage their wards to make TVET a career. Sibling of
the ministers, senators, vice chancellors, governors,
professors are hardly found to be enlisted for TVET
certificates, but rather prefer their siblings into studying
courses like medicine, Law, engineering, accounting,
pharmacy and the likes. A need for boosting and portraying
the many significant of TVET to the general public need to
be emphasize or encourage by the government, this could
be achieved through exhibitions, competition among
technology institution organized by the government
through the ministry of science and technology.
Table 1 spotlight two (2) articles which underline
“Inadequate qualified vocational and technical teachers”
as a TVET curriculum implementation challenge in
Nigeria. Kennedy et al. [7], many tertiary institution across
the country are inadequately staffed, in most department
especially in TVET programmes the number of qualified
TVET teachers for each specialized area is insufficient.
Fig 1 show a road map which serve as a guide for TVET
curriculum implementation challenges in Nigeria, was
developed from the result of the study. Though, there are
other challenges, but still can be manage appropriately
when the right steps of the implementation policies are
followed as recommended by the philosophy that guided
the TVET educational system. where effectiveness is not
achieved, the curriculum resulted to meaningless.
However, effectiveness is a true measure of how a
system perform its expected duties and functions, an
effective system (curriculum) is where every member
knows the most important duty he performs in order to
meet her objectives and goals. To achieve effectiveness, a
body of policy makers needs improvement to understand
the expected outcome of her programme or system and
translate those expectations into actions. In TVET
institutions in Nigeria, the NCCE, NBTE, and other users
of the curriculum need to regularly have a formative type of
evaluation exercise to be much aware of every kind of
curriculum challenge by such reporting back to the
appropriate monitoring body for onward feedback to the
federal and state government for adequate implementation
and providing remedy to every single challenge for
effectiveness as the case may be.
IJISRT19JL178 www.ijisrt.com
International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Fig 1:- Road Map for Effective TVET Curriculum
Implementation.
V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The study investigated into the curriculum
implementation challenges of TVET in Nigeria, a
systematic review of relevant journal articles was adopted
for the study which were obtained from different data-base.
The study highlighted some challenges billeting TVET
curriculum implementation in Nigeria technical schools and
technology institutions. The reviewers therefore strongly
recommended that government should endeavoured to
make provision for an enabling environment for proper
implementation of TVET curriculum.
For our society to be technologically develop with
meaningful growth and development in our societies, and
by reducing un-employability, our technical institutions
need to be provided with the needed man power to ensure
effectiveness. Appropriate measures need to be taken by the
concern bodies who are saddle with the responsibilities of
monitoring and quality provision.
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