Dynamics of the Art Teacher’s Competence and Desirable Art Learning Outcomes in the Nigerian Senior Secondary School

Abstract

Visual art is taught in the Nigerian Senior Secondary School as a subject designed to build creativity, skills of critical thinking as well as art-making in the learners.  While learning the subject, these creative qualities are developed and nurtured through hands-on activities in divergent areas of art practice that combine to form the Visual arts. A detailed curriculum has been designed for the subject to be implemented at all levels of education and qualified teachers are also provided for its teaching. However, the art teachers’ success in engaging the students purposefully to achieve desirable learning outcomes is dependent on competence, a phenomenon which is different from certification and also varies from one art teacher to another. Thus, this paper sought to investigate the complexities of art teachers’ competence and how it may influence the learning outcomes of Visual Arts students in the Senior Secondary School. This is in order to appreciate the need to understand the place of teachers’ competence and relate it to what students learn. The study relied on secondary data in categorising art teachers’ competence. Findings revealed that mere certification of art teachers is not enough to guarantee competence, especially in realising art learning objectives in the Senior Secondary Schools. Based on the findings, the paper recommended that oral interviews alone should not be used in selecting art teachers’ employment. It further suggested that teachers who already possess certificate qualifications should take mandatory Operational Competence Test in form of Micro Teaching, which should combine art theory, art practice and instructional pedagogy before employment.