Educational Broadcasting – The Role of the Media in Uplifting Educational System

Educational Broadcasting – The Role of the Media in Uplifting Educational System

Educational Broadcasting Objectives:

  1. To inculcated informally academic, political social, scientific, religious and economic knowledge in students in particular and the public in general;
  2. To create a general desire for knowledge
  3. To aid teachers in schools, rather supplement teacher’s work in the classrooms;
  4. To create an awareness of acceptable life goals and values;
  5. To provide an extra opportunity for learning for the not- so – fortunate group in the society worthy  of mention is that the NTA general  manager, Mr. Elobuike is a producer of the UNIAIR programme:
  6. Explain national educational polices to people  who might benefit from it.

Broadcast Media as Instruments for Educational Advancement:

Development in the word of  Akinmabagunie is to be refereed to or regarded as the process of moving the world.  It is essentially concerned with mobilizing communities  and societies as a whole to engage in the task of  self improvement  with the resources available,  and it is similarly true according to John Merill that “communication is necessary , not only for all aspects of a person’s development, but also for all aspects of a nation’s development”.   It seems to follow that for any reasons  if the mass media of a nation     (and not just a few privileged citizens) fail towards the attainment of this upward mobility, then in such a case, such media should be accused of having failed in their most important roles as an agent of change, a prime mover of development such media in fact should be adjudged guilty of social responsibility and criminal apathy (Nwosu , 1990).

The development spectrum of a nation is demonstrable correlated with the amount of national resources, indigenous technology and political stability, whereas the affluence  or poverty of individuals within a nation may be correlated with family background, ethnic origin , educational attainment, etc.  depending on the character of the nation attainment, etc.  depending on the character of the nation in question (Osuala, 1995).

The national development and the enlightened spectrum of the society are aware of the need for inde-spread  education for both children and adults in order to adhere  certain prescribed goals in economic growth,   healthcare, political and social awareness, political stability self, reliance and national identity, among other things.  There is also recognition  that the broadcast edia are a powerful and effective tool or  instrument  for achieving these national goals.   (Schrarum, 1967)

Elgin (1991) goes as far as to assert that broadcast media are the most powerful instrument available  for influencing  masses of people to either consumer or  conserve.  In developed countries, an issue which does not appear on televisions or radio does not even  exist in mass social  consciousness (Nwosu, 1990).  In developing countries, however, irregular water supply, high costs, distribution problems and one- way transmission make television less than reliable as modes of development.  Although there is no where one finds ideal broadcast  media should serve the people and should be responsive to their needs.  If individual members of a society are to play their parts as responsible citizens at the local, state. National and even international levels, they must be entertained. These are the three traditional categories in which broadcast media functions are described (Nwosu, 1990).

An  important objective in programming for broadcast media is to educated the listening  and viewing audience given the high rate of illiteracy and how level of  education prevalent in many developing countries.  Through education adults assimilate fundamental values and develop new ones. It is also through education that an adult develops the capacity to  contribute to the welfare of the society. The entire development process showed in fact be perceived as an educational process in the view of faundez  (1988).   One cannot conceive of development in the absence of education or education in the absence   of development.

Most development agencies or organization gear all of their development efforts to adults  since immediately put into practice what they learn   thus accelerating development objectives.

Adult education also contributed immensely   t o the social economic and cultural development of developing countries.  This may explain why the well- known adult education leader  Roby Kidd (1990) summarized that the adult education may call him or herself an agricultural extension agent, a health worker, a community  organizer, literacy teacher, etc. part of the educational needs may be met through formal education programmes as in teaching of academic courses and the institution of “universities of the air”. Broadcast media have proven to be very effective in educating the masses particularly illiterates)  on many topics and issues of political,  economic and social importance in nation building.  Some of the programme objectives are to educated the populace on electoral processes, on how to register and how to vote and to educate them on the need for them to subjugate certain primordial sentiments and parochial allegiance to national goals, civic right and responsibilities and good citizenship. Broadcast media also educate people on desirable social values, as in distinguishing between good and bad behavior in public places and developing the spirit of tolerance for differences between individuals and between groups in a homogenous society. Broadcast media culturally educate the people to be able to distinguish between indigenous culture and alien culture as well as understanding the posture aspects if indigenous culture (to be preserved and the negative aspects of foreign culture in the local context. Broadcast media also educate the society in wealth as childcare, communication schedule, nutritional foods, balanced diets and physical fitness, also, broadcast media technologically educate on the use of tools and machinery including a scientific and rational attitude to life and promoting originality and inventiveness in technical work (wilbur schramm, 1967). In the area of entertainment, broadcast media perhaps command a much former ground theme print media through sounds and images of drama, dance art literature, music, sports games, comedy, etc. For the process of entertainment a common fund of knowledge is provided which would enable people behave as responsible members of the society. They also foster social cohesion and awareness, thereby making it possible for people to contribute to the development spectrum of the country.

The question paramount in the mends of those who rote on broadcast media and education has basically been: to what extent have broadcast media played in educating the masses?

Over the years,   lots of studies and researches has been  carried out and consequently many books written in order to discover the answer to the above question.  Social scientists interested in the study of mass media effects have been involved in the efforts to find out the relationship between the media and educational advancement of students, like in their understanding ability, retentive interest and out- spoken ability.  The research had been concentrated both in the areas of real life and laboratory experiments.  Today, it has become accepted that broadcast media have  produced some positive effects on the education of our children and adults, and that educational programmes on television and radio have the ability to increase the child’s retentiveness comprehension, out spokenness and understanding ability.  They have also enabled children and adult alike to recall information immediately after  walking and listening to educational broadcasts.  Early  investigations of the  effects media have on children  have been demonstrated  to show that they learn behaviour through observation and limitations of models and that these models may come form real life  (Bandura and Walter 1963).  Ever since, there has been  series of other researches which show that broadcast media can be  descries as a powerful, all pervasive and all manipulating instruments  capable of  educating the masses particularly illiterates).  On many topics and  issues of political,    economic and social importance in nation  building.  Broadcast media also educated people on desirable social values as in distinguishing between good and bad behaviour  in public places  and developing the spirit of tolerances   for differences between individuals and groups.

The mass media  have been known to provoke people to do some desperate things know certain information  even if he information communicated is illusory.  EvetteRoger and Beltran did independent studies which punctuated many  of the previous erroneous assumptions of earlier development communication theories, and research exposed their alien orientations and recommended new methods of re- orientating development communication studies and   application.  But the dependency on new world information and communication old theories and modern researchers like Amen (1977),  macbriede Report (1980) Nwuneli (1984) and Sobowale and Sogbanomi (1984) among many others, have helped to throw greater light on how the broadcast media actually function or can function in different developing countries, while criticizing the lapses of the old modern action and diffusion theories of development communication.  A study  by some scandinarlans   found out that children and adults have also learned through television some mobile and urban life style about other places to live in, about glamorous occupations, about fashion and personal appearance.   These too area of life  that used to be more or less unfamiliar to them, thus the information the masses get from radio and television is not confused to news alone but also acquaintance with people’s role and what it is like to live outside home and school.  According to Walter Nanji, educational  programmes on the broadcast media are simpler and easier to understand and television makes everything simpler or more dramatic or more immediate  that it really is .  J. Martin (1912) generalized from accumulated audience and said that an important skill of future educators will be to select the best medium for the message and to use combined media  to maximize the effect of automated teaching.   A  combination of views, data and television is better than either  alone and seems  like a natural marriage.

 

—————- project not complete———–project not complete————–—-

  This article was extracted from a Project Research Work Topic “THE ROLE OF THE BROADCASTING MEDIA IN UPLIFTING THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF ENUGU STATE.(A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU METROPOLIS ).”

  Do you want the full project work? CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Educational Broadcasting – The Role of the Media in Uplifting Educational System

6 Comments on “Educational Broadcasting – The Role of the Media in Uplifting Educational System”

  1. florenceawin says:

    This is so complete and egucative. Thanks. This will propel me to have a grade A.

  2. iwu evelyn says:

    Please I need material fo this topic. The role of broadcast media in the educational system of imo state(a case study of orient 94.4 fm, IBC Owerri)

    1. Contact us on 07033378184

  3. Olumide Renner says:

    This is insightful and detailed. Good job.

  4. Wilson Erefagha Frank says:

    Please I need material on the following topic; Yenagoa residents reaction to selected educational programmes on broadcast stations in Bayelsa State.

  5. Carl Lyne says:

    this is a good job.please send the production procedures of these programs together with their advantages and disadvantages discussed separetely. thanks.

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