Teachers Attitude Towards Teaching and Learning of Social Studies in Upper Basic Schools
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives Of Study
The main objective of this study is to examine teachers attitude towards teaching and learning of social studies in upper basic schools.
- To assess the attitudes of social studies teachers towards teaching the subject in secondary schools.
- To examine the factors that are responsible for teacher’s attitudes towards teaching and learning of social studies in upper basic schools.
- To investigate if rewards and incentives affect attitudes of the social studies teachers towards teaching.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Attitude and Its Formation
Attitudinal formation is determined by a number of motivational bases . According to David (2013 ) citing Rusell (1971) There are four motivational bases for attitude formation. These include utilitarian, valueexpressive, ego-defensive, and knowledge. Attitude formed on utilitarian base is associated with survival, safety and other social needs of individuals. This means that one’s attitude towards teaching and learning of a subject is bound to be favorable if it improves one’s survival needs.
Value expressive attitude is based on a person’s motive for self-esteem and self-actualization. People
seek to develop an identity and on the concept of self-esteem in which they have pride. This implies that attitude that coincides with a person’s values and ego-ideals will enhance one’s feeling of self-esteem. Majority of the social studies teachers are exhibiting negatives attitude to teaching social studies because of the low self-esteem attached to the subject. Ego-defensive attitude is a mechanism formed by a person to defend one’s anxieties. The implication is that teachers who become dissatisfied with their teaching conditions and environment are likely to express negative attitude towards teaching and learning of their students. The last one is knowledge. This is needed to cope with the attitudes of those around a person or by adopting an attitude which is consistent with one’s thinking towards the subject matter under study. In this case, teaching and learning of social studies concepts can be effectively carried out in a welcoming environment that is free of tensions, threats and molestations.
The concept of Social Studies
The comparative education study and adaptation centre CESAC (1996) defines social studies as a study of man in society with all the interplay between him, his environment and affect of science and technology. There is no agreement among social studies educators on what it is expected to be the reason might perhaps to be a result of the very complicated nature of the subject or probably because it application may be peculiar to a particular environment, meaning to social studies have always one point on which most social studies educators agree that social studies is a study of society.
One could see this subject on the basis of interdisciplinary nature of this subject on the basis of comparative newness of it as an academic subject, social studies is not just a precise field of study but instead deals on a broaden spectrum issues, experts have variously attempted this subject. According to Kissock (1981) define social studies as a programme of study which a society uses to entitle in pupils, the knowledge, skill, attitude and actions it consider important concerning relationship human being have with each other, their world and themselves.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The research was of a descriptive survey type which aimed at examining the factors affecting Social Studies teachers’ attitudes towards teaching of social studies in upper basic schools and their attitudes to teaching the subject as well.
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Prince Udoyen: 2019). In this study the study population constitute of teachers and students offereing social studies in upper basic schools.
Sample and sampling technique
The sample consisted of 100 qualified upper basic school Social Studies teachers. This was made up of 41 male and 59 female teachers from five government owned secondary schools and 100 upper basic school students from the selected schools.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND ANALYSES
The following questionnaire items were developed to answer research question 1.
What are the attitudes of social studies teacher towards teaching of social studies in secondary schools?
Discussion
Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching social studies
It was evident from our results that Social Studies teachers are not always ready to teach their students. This revealed that the teachers were reluctant to teach their subject as expected of them. Krecie and Grmek (2005) explained this observation by quoting a second-year pedagogy student who said it was important for an individual to choose the right profession especially if they would choose teaching.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
From the research reveals that Social Studies teachers have bad attitudes towards teaching the subject. The attitudes are irregularities in attending class, poor mastery of the subject, monotony in the method of instructional delivery, and lack of enthusiasm. In the same vein, the reasons which pre-disposes them poor attitudes towards teaching are poor support from the students’ parents, lack of motivation and job satisfaction, poor attitudes of students towards learning, poor social status, inadequate government support,, lack of relevant and up to date teaching and learning materials, low level of instructional supervision and delay in the payment of their salaries.
Recommendation
The researcher suggests the following recommendations in order to change the attitudes of teachers, learners, and the societies at large towards teaching and learning of social studies in secondary schools.
Government at all level in local, State and federal should try to recognize the great benefit to be derived when social studies is well taught in secondary school system. Therefore, there is need for adequate provision of both human and material resources needed for the successful implementation of the subject in schools.
School heads should treat all teachers equally. It requires the same training to be a professional teacher in a particular field. Social studies teachers should be rated high and more valued in the school system.
The social studies teachers should try to pursue all beneficial knowledge that can improve their skills and teaching competencies as a teacher.
School heads and board members should organize a parent-teacher association meeting and allow each teacher to discuss the value and important attached to his /her own subject.
Field trip and other interesting method of teaching should be exposed to learners in order to stimulate their interest in the learning of social studies.
References
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