Challenges of Education in Nigeria, Article Review Example

What was the purpose of the research? 

The main purpose of the research article reviewed below (Ewoh, 2014) is to analyze the changes in the past century in public service training and education In Nigeria. By analyzing the various approaches, reforms, and impact of changes to the public service education system, the author is attempting to provide recommendations for policymakers for making the system more effective in the future.

Were there any research questions explicitly stated or implied? If so, what were they?

The author only provided the readers with a vague research question: how can the education and training system for public service staff become more effective. There are several problems with this approach. First of all, it is not well-defined, and the article does not provide a definition of an effective public service education course.  The logical connection between the quality of education and the public service is not established well. This means that the research article is not specific and it is not focused on one area of development.

Was any theory or model tested by the research or used to guide the research? If so, briefly describe it. 

The descriptive and investigative study does not test theories, and does not follow a theoretical approach, which is the main weakness of the article. While the author states that diversity and ethics training should be introduced in the public administration education system, Ewoh (2014) fails to provide evidence that these modifications of the curricula would improve the quality of public service in Nigeria. Likewise, when talking about the lack of qualified and merit-appointed university professors and trainers, the author fails to back his claims by statistics, public opinion survey results, and other data.

Were any hypotheses stated or implied? What were they?

The author failed to provide theories, hypotheses, or test frameworks. Without hypotheses, the research is less focused and provides general information, instead of specific one. He did not test any hypotheses, and this means that the research purpose is not clearly defined.

Who/what/where did they study?

The main area of study represented by the author was the background of the public education and education systems. The descriptive literature and historical review provided information on the main development steps within the Nigerian public service field, and highlighted some of the challenges in the system. Further, the author (Ewoh, 2014) found three problematic areas where development is needed, and provides detailed, concrete recommendations for improving both training and public administration quality. While there is an independent course accreditation body that oversees course development and curricula, it is also important to note that corruption is still a major issue in the country. However, changing university course curriculum only will not result in the elimination of corruption within the public sector. There is a need for creating workshops and conferences around the issue. While the author criticizes the quota system, calling it unfair for some students, he fails to offer alternatives. While it is important that equity is maintained in every area of public services, it is naturally impossible. Restructuring training centers is another recommendation that needs to be further explored in order to be implemented. Without providing details on how to improve the quality of service, the recommendations are not useful for staff working on policies focusing on public service worker training. The question is how would the introduction of ethics and diversity in public sector training would impact the level of corruption in the entire federal government. Further, changing the curriculum would not tackle the corruption initiated by public sector employees who were trained decades ago, therefore, there is a need for enrolling existing employees to further training, as well.

What were the findings?

The author (Ewoh, 2014) uses an “exploratory method of inquiry” (Ewoh, 2014, p. 455), to analyze the historical development of policies and education training legislation. The article also focuses on curricula and pedagogical methods in order to draw a conclusion, provide guidance based on lessons learned and challenges overcome. According to the article, the main challenge within the public administration training and education system in Nigeria is that the courses cannot effectively address “the lack of accountability, transparency, the rule of law, and citizen participation in the formulation and implementation of public policies”  (Ewoh, 2014, p. 464).

What were the limitations?

There are several limitations clearly visible in the study.  The article does not use data from statistics, public opinion surveys, and university databases, in order to back up his claims. A research that focuses on the differences between Nigeria’s public service training and education system and one that is considered to be effective could have highlighted the problems and challenges clearer, and backed up the claims that corruption in the education and public sector is one of the main reasons for ineffective operation. Further, the descriptive, investigative design of study reduces the credibility of the researcher, in particular when the statements are not carefully backed up by statistics and tables.

The article does not provide the reader with clear recommendations related to interventions designed to improve the quality of public service education and delivery.

What do you think about the article (based on your knowledge-to-date)?

Overall, the above reviewed article has provided in a detailed insight into the history and challenges of public service training and education, however, it failed to back up claims related to proposed improvements’ effectiveness. The author has successfully identified some important development areas and issues, but failed to provide a blueprint taken from other countries’ example on how to reduce corruption and improve the quality of teaching, while improving equality.

References

Ewoh, A. I. (2014). Public Administration Education and Training in Nigeria: Problems, Challenges, and Prospects. JpaeJournal of Public Affairs Education Volume 20 Number 4, 455.