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Review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>literature</strong> on basic education in NigeriaEducation is concerned with all-round development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> learner, with due attention paid to <strong>the</strong>intellectual, physical, social and moral dimensions <strong>of</strong> personal development. One-sided development isno development at all (FME 2011a: 71).In terms <strong>of</strong> teacher–pupil interactions, this means <strong>the</strong> teacher: showing empathy towardpupils/students; ‘radiating ethical values’; engaging pupils creatively; helping pupils to develop intraandinterpersonal skills and developing emotional intelligence. In addition, <strong>the</strong> report emphasised thatteacher interactions with pupils have to go beyond <strong>the</strong> classroom (ibid.).However, even in schools that have been part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> CFS initiative for several years, actually enactingsuch relations was clearly proving difficult in some cases. The survey data from <strong>the</strong> 23-school evaluationindicated that most students and teachers thought <strong>the</strong>ir school placed a high value on respectingchildren’s rights, although <strong>the</strong> picture was mixed on <strong>the</strong> practice: one in three pupils <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1,800surveyed said that teachers said unkind things to pupils and one in three reported that <strong>the</strong>y sometimesdid not want to come to school because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y are treated by <strong>the</strong>ir teachers. The evaluatorsurged for more guidance and pr<strong>of</strong>essional support to enable teachers to implement more positivebehaviour-management techniques in <strong>the</strong> classroom and to create a more respectful environment forpupils (UNICEF 2009a: 49).Fan’s (2012) quantitative study <strong>of</strong> just under 2,000 JSS III students in a senatorial zone <strong>of</strong> Cross RiverState found that <strong>the</strong>re was a significant statistical relationship between good teacher–pupil relationsand high attainment in Social Studies. However, with scarcely any details given, little else can be learnedfrom <strong>the</strong> study.The little available evidence that exists on teacher–pupil relations derives from a few quantitativestudies on school violence and from a small amount <strong>of</strong> qualitative data on gender violence (generallyunderstood in <strong>the</strong> limited sense <strong>of</strong> sexual violence against girls (see Section 8.4)) from some genderfocusedstudies.In <strong>the</strong> national teacher motivation study (Sherry 2008), teachers and o<strong>the</strong>r stakeholders recognised <strong>the</strong>importance <strong>of</strong> good teacher–pupil relations to teachers’ and pupils’ motivation, which was related toteachers feeling <strong>the</strong>y have succeeded in helping pupils learn. The fact that this rarely occurred wasrelated to teaching classes that were too large in a poor physical learning environment. However,teacher frustration at being unable to help pupils learn and/or manage <strong>the</strong> class (be it on account <strong>of</strong>difficult teaching circumstances and/or <strong>the</strong>ir own lack <strong>of</strong> capacity) <strong>of</strong>ten spills over into excessiveauthoritarianism and corporal punishment (ibid.). A high level <strong>of</strong> ‘psychological violence’ from teacherswas also reported in <strong>the</strong> national study on violence in schools (FME 2007b) and pupils have complained<strong>of</strong> teachers being verbally abusive if <strong>the</strong>y make mistakes in class (UNICEF 2012; Dunne et al. 2013).In turn, teachers and o<strong>the</strong>r educational stakeholders have complained about ‘unruly pupil behaviour’and problems with pupil control (Sherry 2008; Bakari 2013; Iwu and Iwu 2013). In <strong>the</strong> 2004 ESAcountrywide survey <strong>of</strong> secondary school head teachers, student indiscipline was identified as <strong>the</strong> secondbiggest constraint on effective school administration after underfunding, and was mentioned by arounda third <strong>of</strong> head teachers.Improved teacher motivation and confidence in <strong>the</strong> classroom is likely to have a knock-on positive effecton teacher–pupil relations. This was <strong>the</strong> reported result that came about from involvement in a WorldBank school-based teacher development programme that involved reflective practice (Adekola 2007).Similarly, classroom observations evaluating in-service teacher education on ‘child-friendly’ pedagogyreported teachers encouraging pupils to express <strong>the</strong>ir views and giving positive reinforcement (UNICEF2012). Although in nei<strong>the</strong>r case were pupils questioned on whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y subsequently experiencedimproved teacher–pupil relations as a result, <strong>the</strong> signs seem encouraging.EDOREN – Education Data, Research and Evaluation in Nigeria 45
Review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>literature</strong> on basic education in Nigeria4.7 Pupil–pupil relationsThere is no available research that has focused exclusively on pupil–pupil relations in class, althoughDunne et al.’s (2013) Adamawa-based study at primary level and Bakari’s (2013) study in Kogi State atsecondary level present qualitative data highlighting some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> issues.In <strong>the</strong> Adamawa study, teacher interviews and classroom observations <strong>of</strong>ten suggested that pupilsgenerally got on well toge<strong>the</strong>r in class, and some amicable cross-gender interactions were witnessed(Dunne et al. 2013). Even so, girls more <strong>of</strong>ten interacted with o<strong>the</strong>r girls and boys with boys; forexample, borrowing pencils among students <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same gender, even when seating was mixed. In bothstudies, however, pupils preferred to sit in gender-segregated blocks in class. This was usually leftunchallenged by teachers and ascribed to biology (e.g. <strong>the</strong> presumed innate shyness <strong>of</strong> girls or <strong>the</strong>desire for girls to sit apart during menstruation) and/or religious culture (Bakari 2013; Dunne et al.2013).Pupils interviewed in <strong>the</strong> Adamawa study were less positive about peer relations than teachers were(Dunne et al. 2013). In all six schools, girls complained <strong>of</strong> (some) boys physically and/or verballyharassing, bullying or teasing <strong>the</strong>m. Some boys also complained <strong>of</strong> being teased by (some) girls and/oro<strong>the</strong>r boys, especially for not doing as well academically as girls. Over-age pupils were also identified asa group prone to bullying and being bullied, so tended to self-segregate <strong>of</strong>ten at <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> class,probably to protect <strong>the</strong>mselves from being teased by o<strong>the</strong>r pupils (ibid.).Boys also complained about o<strong>the</strong>r boys fighting in class, which was also observed. ‘Teasing’, for sittingnext to a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘opposite sex’, for not answering a question in class or for doing badly in tests,could reportedly result in feelings <strong>of</strong> shame, non-participation in class or even pupil absenteeism ordropout (ibid.). There have been similar findings in studies elsewhere in SSA (see Dunne et al. 2006), butthis is clearly an area that needs fur<strong>the</strong>r research.Pupil feedback for <strong>the</strong> end-<strong>of</strong>-project report for GEP II noted that <strong>the</strong>y do not like disruption from o<strong>the</strong>rpupils in class, including shouting, horseplay or pupils being abusive (UNICEF 2012).O<strong>the</strong>r studies describing patterns <strong>of</strong> school bullying (e.g. Egbochuku 2007; FME 2007b; Adefunke 2010)are considered more fully in Section 12.3.2, since <strong>the</strong>y discuss bullying inside and outside <strong>the</strong> classroom.4.8 Issues arising and gaps in <strong>the</strong> evidenceGiven that teacher–pupil and pupil–pupil interactions form <strong>the</strong> crux <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> teaching/learning nexus, it issurprising how little in-depth classroom research is available on <strong>the</strong> processes <strong>of</strong> teaching and learning.Information is also lacking on <strong>the</strong> specific interactions that pupils find most helpful in learning.Teachers clearly need more support and guidance in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> assessment, both formative andsummative. If teachers are unable to diagnose pupil difficulties, <strong>the</strong>y will be unable to help pupilsovercome <strong>the</strong>se difficulties. Related to this is <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> record-keeping; especially with such largeclasses, teachers need support in learning how to keep records that allow <strong>the</strong>m to monitor progress.An<strong>the</strong>r absence is empirical classroom-based research across <strong>the</strong> various subjects that describes <strong>the</strong>curriculum in action at both primary and JSS level.More classroom research is needed in Nigeria that provides a more nuanced account <strong>of</strong> classroomprocesses. To achieve this, one-<strong>of</strong>f observations <strong>of</strong> a class should be minimised in order to avoid <strong>the</strong>‘special lesson’ and magnified observer effects, which are acknowledged as potential limitations in somestudies (e.g. Hardman et al. 2008; Dunne et al. 2013).EDOREN – Education Data, Research and Evaluation in Nigeria 46
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