MANAGING TEACHER EDUCATION FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL EMANCIPATION AUTHORS’ DETAILS

Abstract

A nation’s social, economic, and political emancipation is ineluctably connected with functional education systems in which people learn to create new institutions, utilize new technologies, cope with vagaries and difficulties in their environment, and positively alter their behavioral patterns. Education in a broad sense improves individuals’ and institutions’ capacities. It catalyzes closely interrelated economic, social, cultural, and political changes that are hallmarks of national development. Nevertheless, a teacher stands out as a crucial figure within any educational institution, significantly influencing these changes and transformations. Teacher education is broad. This is based on the praxis that teachers are created in contrast to the assumption that teachers are born. Since teaching is considered an art and a science, the teacher must acquire knowledge and the requisite skills needed to carry out his or her duties or services. The efficiency and effectiveness of every educational system hinge significantly on teachers’ academic achievements. After all, no education can surpass the quality of its educators. Thus, every nation places demands and expectations on the teacher, which must be addressed by both initial and ongoing teacher education. On this note, this paper examines teacher education with respect to its praxis and professionalism, examines the nexus between teacher education and socioeconomic as well as political emancipation, analyses the challenges of teacher education in Nigeria, and in the final analysis, provides recommendations based on the identified challenges