AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE STRATEGIES

FOR IMPROVING MANAGEMENT/STAFF

RELATIONSHIP IN TERTIARY

 INSTITUTIONS

ABSTRACT

It is no longer news that the standard of education in Nigeria has drastically fallen. Different methods and approaches have been adopted severally to savage the situation, but it has yielded no particular positive result. Bad teaching method, poor reading habits, poverty, ill-equipped laboratories and libraries, are among the claims put by scholars that had caused that standard of education in Nigeria. This paper examines the need to enhance the learning and teaching process in tertiary education through balance student-staff and student–student relationship to achieve a sustainable tertiary education system that will produce optimal results thereby salvaging the falling standard of education in Nigeria.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

‘‘In view of the central nature of staff relationship, and the almost universal assumption that institution benefits management staff, and the importance of scholarship, it is perhaps surprising how relatively few institution have specific policies in place to either monitor or to develop and maximize these  beneficial synergies’’, (J.M consulting 200, p.16).

        Academic leaders and managers need to understand the conditions likely to facilitate links between management staff of an institution and the relationship existing within them (member of staff) and those that inhibit connections and seek to compartmentalize academic activities (Locke, 2004, pp. 108)

         This publication seeks to support institutional policy- makers to enable their institutions to maintain a cordial relationship between the members of staff and discipline – based scholarship more effectively. The focus however, is on supporting the relationships between staff and the inter-relationship among member of staff a higher institution of learning with respect to policies and practices.

         In terms of the work of the higher education academy, we seek to support its strategic aim of working with institutions in their strategies for improving the students learning experience’’ (higher education and academy, 2005a.) and to ensure that the advice is based on research evidence. Ultimately, the central issue that national system and institution hade decide is ‘’what is distinctive about higher education?’’ however, what is distinctive about higher education is supporting student and the wider society understanding of the complexities of the worlds in which we live

Although, for many staff, their motivations and the sense of their role is highly shaped by both their own appreciation of, and belief I the value of relationship to other member wider society. While there is evidently much practice in realizing these values we also have to recognize that it is unevenly distributed, much is implicit and many institutional policies in this area are poorly developed and sometimes work against nexus.

        In the long run, more recent research demonstrates the potential value of staff relationship to student learning and for motivating student to learn. This research also how that the linkage is not automatic, and has to be built systematically into the curriculum, department institutional and national planning questioning the value or possibility of the link also stems from the realities of mass higher education. Thus, the linkage might once have been readily assumed or delivered with small classes, selective student entry, and staff with time to teach and relate effectively clearly, if that golden age ever existed, it has now gone.

        Paul Ramsden (2001), then pro-vices- chancellor (learning and teaching) at the university of Sydney and now chief executive of the higher education academy, expressed this works perspective when her stated ‘’the main hope for relating a genuinely student-centered undergraduate education lies in re-engineering the enter academic institution of higher learning. The word ‘engineer’ suggests that the link does not occur automatically; it has to be designed; ‘created’; constructed; and brought about. The word ‘reengineer’ suggest that even if once the linkage did exist, it now needs significant ‘re-inventing’ to ensure it is in place or, even better, that it is embedded in many places and processes. Therefore, there is much that individual, course teams, department and national systems can and should do to forge these links (Jenkins et al, 2003).

Statement of the Problem

“The mission statement included retaining a core commitment to learning-based teaching and enhancing scholarship through clearly linking research, professional practice and teaching. However, it was difficult to find this mission executed in the policy statement. For example the only instance in the process of appointment, continuation, promotion, performance review, or application for study leaves for promotion to the rank of senior lecturer, whereby there was a criterion under the teaching  category, ‘ application’ of research to teaching. There was no reference to the nexus in proposal for new course student evaluation forms, review of department or internal grants procedure. We suggest that if such a case study was conducted in most universities, there would be a similar pattern of rewarding the parts separately, but rarely the nexus. It is therefore not surprising that the context in which academic works is part of the explanation as to why there is a zero relationship between teaching and learning. ( Hattie and marsh,2004 pp5-6; emphasis added).

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to determine the strategies for improving standard of education in the higher institution as well as management- staff and relationship in tertiary institution.

To determine how reward system support the staff in binding teaching and learning together in higher institution.

To investigate the behaviors of the staff toward the students and vice versa.

To examine the performance of the academic staff and how it can enhance to the teaching and learning of the students.

To identify different strategies that must be adopt in the other to maintain good relationship between the staff and students in tertiary institutions.

Research Questions

Can management and staff relationship improve the standard of education in the higher institution?

To what extent can reward system support the staff in bringing teaching and learning together in higher institution?

Can the behaviors of staff in tertiary institution improve management/students relationship?

How can the performance of the academic staffs enhance the learning habits of the student?

How can we indentify strategies that must be adopted in other to maintain good relationship between the staff and the student in tertiary institution?

What can be the barrier in the improvement of management and staff relationship?