IMPACT OF LECTURERS’ STRIKE ACTION ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF B.ED STUDENTS IN FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, PANKSHIN

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the impact of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students in Federal College of Education, Pankshin. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of all the academic staff of Federal College of Educatin, Pankshin. The sample of the study was 200 respondents. The sampling technique adopted for the study was convenience sampling technique. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The method of data analysis used in this research was the simple percentage for the demographic information while the mean score was used to analyse the responses to the research questionnaire items. The study finds among others that the causes of lecturers strike actions include lack of payment of salaries and others arears and inability of the government to honour their agreement with COEASU. The effects of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students include laziness among students, low academic performance, engagement in examination malpractice among others. It recommended among others that government and school management of Federal College of Education Pankshin should resolve the causes of strike actions by paying of allowances of lecturers, improving working conditions of lecturers, endeavouring to pay arrears, lecturers and school management should avert the impact of strike on B.Ed students’ performance by not rushing students are rushed to cover up course contents and not denying students the opportunity for lost time.

CHAPTER ONE

                                                              INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Could there be any meaningful transformation programme, structural adjustment programme and many points, agenda in the absence of education imperative in a country? Education is the process that involves all round development of cognitive, psychomotor and affective. Ability of individuals in the society and the world at large should not be relegated to the background in whatever manner. The cacophony between the central authority and the staff unions should not be extended to the point of jeopardizing the success of our educational system which will in turn have undesirable effects on the academic achievement of the students. Bearing in mind, no nation can develop beyond the capacity of her citizens. Staff strikes in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education systems have become the common phenomenon with the detrimental of Nigerian students.

Ivancevich (2007) documented that strike is an effort by employee to withhold work so that the employer will make greater concessions at the bargaining table. It is opined that it is a major bargaining weapon used by the labour union. It is varied from economic strike where the employees stop work until the demand for better condition of employment is met to sit-down strike where employee strike but remain at work place. Michael (2013) asserted that strikes are most politically charged of all the features of industrial relation. “Strikes are too often a weapon of first rather than last resort. However, labour unions have recognized that a strike is a legitimate last resort if all else fails” Ivancevich (2007) sees strike as a temporary stoppage of work aimed at forcing the employers to accept employees demand.

Strike is seen as Collective organized, cessation or slowdown of work by employees, to force acceptance of their demands by the employer. The legality of the strike action requires: approval by the majority of employees by ballot; independent verification to ascertain the majority support the vote; the notice of impending strike must be given to employer in advance; the employer must be provided with the result of the ballot; final notice to embark on the strike must be issued to the employer (Business dictionary, 2015).

International Labour Organisation (2011) posits that strike is the most visible and controversial form of collective action in the event of a labour dispute and is often seen as the last resort of workers’ organizations in pursuit of their demands. Section 2(q) of the Industrial Dispute Act defines strike as cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any industry acting in combination; a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment

(Saharay, 2013).

            Despite the fact that tongue and mouth are inseparable, clash between the two is inevitable. Is long as the academic staff union and employer (government) represented by politicians are at variance in belief and philosophy. There is bound action to be industrial disputes between the two. The action and counteraction of the academic staff unions (ASUU, ASUP, and COEASU) in recent years to recalcitrant attitude of the federal government towards the past agreement, condition of service, salaries and allowances, adequate funding as prescribed by UNESCO, university autonomy, integration of polytechnic academic staff payroll had led to frequent strike by COEASU, ASUP, and specifically ASUU. These unions have resulted to adoption of strike as the last resort to balance the power between their staff and the government when the bargaining and consultation failed to yield desirable result. Implying that the only language understood by the government is the strike action.

            The strike actions of academic staff unions against actions and inactions of the government are not self centred but incited by the quest to revive the acclaimed fall in Nigerian educational standard. The specific evidence to this facts are the agitation by ASUU and ASUP between 2013 and 2014 which included improvement and provision of educational infrastructure in our dilapidated tertiary institutions; fulfilling 26% budgetary allocation to education as prescribed by UNESCO so that Nigerian educational system would be able to turn out the graduates that are capable of contributing to national development and be globally competitive like in the 70s when Nigerian graduates were accorded high esteem at the global stage.

            Academic Performance is the outcome of students’ evaluation in the educational process indicating to what level the students have achieved the educational goals as specified in the curriculum which is greatly influenced by internal and external classroom factors. Wikipedia (2014) buttresses the above concepts by putting forward that academic performance is commonly measured by evaluation (examination) and continuous assessment but there is no general agreement on how it can best be captured. It emphasized among other factors that learning environments/ conditions have great influence on academic achievement of the student in the related study by Mellisa (2012) emphasized that academic performance indicates how well a student meets standard set out by the institution. A student success is measured by academic performance. Scottk (2012) generally refers academic performance to how well a student is accomplishing his or her tasks and studies. The study emphasizes that Grades is the most well-known indicator of academic performance, grades are student’s “scores” for their overall tenure. Grades are often the average of assignment, continuous assessment and semester terminal evaluation that are often affected by student psychological status, attendance, education environment etc. Arul (2013) described academic achievement as the level of actual accomplishment or proficiency one has achieved in an academic area, as opposed to one’s potential in the educational goal measured by examinations. Crow and Crow (1969) as cited in Arul (2013) sees academic performance as the extent to which a learner is profiting from instruction in a given area of learning i.e. achievement is reflected by the extent to which skill and knowledge has been imparted to him. It is obvious that Crow and Crow (2015) does not specify how best the profit from learning can be measured.

The students’ circumstances associated with the strike action of academic staff union by being at the receiving end. This is because their educational success had always been in jeopardy whenever there is strike action, therefore, it is in the light of the above discussions that this study sets out to investigate the impact of strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students in Federal college of Education, Pankshin.

• Statement of the Problem

Over the years the Nigerian government has not been listening or attending to the needs of staff unions of tertiary institutions in the country unless they go on strike. There is hardly a full academic session that unions and government, students and staff crises will not result in strike leading to loss of studies, delayed graduation for students and economic waste for students, parents and the country as a whole. However, little or no attention is given to the effect of this constant strikes on the academic performance of students in Nigerian institutions.

            It is in line with the above that this study therefore attends to examine the impact of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students in Federal College of Education Pankshin, with the aim of proffering a lasting solutions to the lingering problems.

• Purpose of the Study

The main aim of the study is to examine the impact of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students in Federal College of Education Pankshin.

Specific purpose of the study includes:

1. To examine the causes of lecturers’ strike actions among COEASU in FCE Pankshin.
2. To determine the effect of lecturers’ strike on the academic performance of B.Ed students.

• To evaluate the perception of the lecturers on the strike actions.
  • Research Questions

            The following questions were raised to guide the study:

1. What are the causes of lecturers’ strike actions among COEASU in FCE Pankshin?
2. What are the effects of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students?

• What are the perceptions of the lecturers on the strike actions?

• Significance of the Study

The importance of the study is to bring to the knowledge of the public; the effect of strikes on our educational system and how it affects the academic performance of students. The study will be of benefit to government, teachers and students and even the society.

Government:  It will be of benefit to the government by providing framework for government to relate with teachers for achievement of educational goals.

Teachers:  it will be of benefit to teachers in providing the basis in ensuring that the re-orientation objectives are achieved for better and harmonious institutional relationship with students.

Student: it will be of benefit to the student to co-operate to enhance the achievement of educational objectives of education in institutions.

Society: it will be of benefit to the society to co-exist in a mutual relationship with the institution.

• Delimitation of the study

The study is limited to the impact of lecturers’ strike action on the academic performance of B.Ed students. The study is limited to Federal College of Education Pankshin,  Plateau state. However, despite the fact that the study is limited to the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, the findings will be generalized to the entire state and the country at large.

• Operational Definition of Terms

                     The terms highlighted are defined in the context of this research work.

Strike Action: this is a situation whereby workers stay away from their work place due to failure of employers to fulfill certain agreement. The workers withdraw their services in other to pressurize their employers to either reverse their earlier stand or threatens them to fulfill an unfulfilled agreement.

Impact: This is the effect one variable has over another variable. In this context it is the effect or influence of strike action on B.Ed. students

Academic: academic in this context is the teaching and learning process(s) in a college were subjects are taught in for skill acquisition.

Performance: This is an achievement resulting from learning.

Academic performance: This is the achievement in terms of mark or skills resulting from learning.

Conflict: a clash of interest or disagreement between two or more people.

COEASU: colleges of Education Academic Staff Union

FCEP: Federal College of Education Pankshin

B.Ed.: Bachelor in Education