An Investigation Into the Challenges of Teaching Social Studies Under Universal Basic Education
Chapter One
Objective of The Study
The aim of this study, therefore, is summarized as follows.
- To identify the relationship between performance in social studies and the use of teaching and learning facilities under the Universal Basic Education Programme.
- To determine the effects of government policies on the students’ performance under the UBE programme.
- To find out the attitudes of students to social studies as a subject under UBE programme.
- To determine the student’s teachers inspection and the students performance in social studies.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The UBE (universal basic education) is one of the boldest attempts in the national history of educational development to equalize the access to literary education in Nigeria. National development in all its entirety is visibly realized and achieved with productive labour force who are adequately informed and skilled to initiate their intellectual ideas, creativity, and enterprise into the political, social, economic, and technological transformation of the polity. National economic development is anchored on collective qualitative transformation initiative contribution of citizens through qualitative education pioneered by teachers who are sufficiently prepared to be knowledgeable on evolving curriculum innovations in terms of its requisite contents, pedagogies, values, and skills components geared at making the learner functionally productive in a dramatic transforming society. The National Policy on Education (2004) made social studies a core subject in the junior secondary schools in Nigeria, with the objectives of inculcating in the learner in integrated forms, basic skills, values, and attitudes for useful living. This is in line with the objectives and goals of the UBE programme at the junior secondary school level. In simple terms, the effective implementation of the UBE in junior secondary school through social studies instruction is inextricably dependent on quality social studies teachers who are adequately informed about what to teach, how to teach, attitudes, values, and skills expected to be injected in the learner for the realization of functional educational goals. Nworgu (2007) and Ibiam (2007) in their respective studies established that most social studies teachers are not sufficiently informed about the demands, implications, and objectives of education reforms in Nigeria, specifically the UBE. This anomaly is likely to affect the potency, worth, and relevance of instruction delivered to the learner. Adamechi and Romaine (2000) and Ukeje (2000) agreed that the focus of the UBE in junior secondary schools is to equip the learner with practical, creative skills, values, and ingenuity to become a functional member of the society. Nwazuoke (2007) thought that this is realizable when the social studies teacher integrates creativity process in the classroom instruction, as a means of energizing the thought processes of the learners in thinking reflectively about their personal and national problems. It is therefore instructive that social studies teachers should be adequately trained by teacher preparing institutes of education, the universities and colleges of education by enriching their social studies teacher education programmes with current educational reforms and policies, as well as emerging contemporary issues. This will make the social studies teacher functional in the implementation of the UBE programme as well as being sufficiently acquainted with educational reforms and evolving contemporary issues. Afe (2003) said that teacher quality and effectiveness is imperative for realistic implementation of UBE in Nigeria. Mezieobi and Osakwe (2003), Esu and Inyang-Abia (2004), and Mezieobi (2007) have indicated that the essence of social studies instruction in junior secondary school is to equip the learner with attitudes, values, knowledge, and skills for functional living in the Nigerian society. It is therefore imperative that effective implementation of social studies instruction in line with vocational ideals of UBE be focused on equipping the learner with entrepreneurial and creative skills for productive living. Social studies education classroom instruction ought to be innovative in exposing the learner to discover knowledge, create ideas, and think scientifically. This is a veritable process of exposing and preparing the learners to become job creators rather than job seekers in future. In their perception of existent social studies classroom interaction process, Ukadike and Iyamu (2007) reported that social studies teachers are yet to involve learners adequately in active learning engagement and condemned the expository method which is responsible for the poor implementation of the social studies curriculum and consequent poor appreciation by learners of knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills in social studies curriculum.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to investigate the challenges of teaching social studies under universal basic education.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the study an investigation into the challenges of teaching social studies under universal basic education. 200 teachers in secondary schools in Ondo state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to investigate the challenges of teaching of social studies in secondary schools.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of teaching social studies in secondary schools in Nigeria.
Summary
The effectively trained, informed, and skill-equipped social studies teacher is an asset to the effective implementation of the UBE. This is more realistic when the social studies teacher is knowledgeable about the objectives of UBE, which will be a benchmark for the teacher’s instructional delivery guide in the classrooms. To achieve functional education, the leaner needs to be exposed to practical tasks and provided with ample opportunities to think reflectively, scientifically, and creatively. Teacher preparatory institutions of Nigerian universities, institutes of education, and colleges of education should constantly enrich, revise, and review their programmes to include contemporary education reforms as UBE amongst others. This step will ultimately enhance social studies teachers’ quality for effective implementation of UBE in junior secondary schools in Nigeria.
Conclusion
It is hereby concluded that for successful implementation of the social studies curriculum and to realize its aims and objectives in Nigeria and as a genuine means of accomplishing the educational objective of instilling societal values, emphasis should be given to character and personality development, good virtues and conduct, and knowledge and skills that would sustain the individuals and the Nigerian society. Again, if social studies should help students develop positive attitudes, ethics, values, and moral principles that will make them good and involved members of the society, the current social studies curriculum should be reviewed and emphasis should be laid on those subjects that will foster children’s intellectual, ethical, and social development. Similarly, if the social studies curriculum is to be successfully implemented in our junior secondary schools as well as achieve the ultimate goal imbibing values in Nigerian society, both government and policy makers should create opportunities for teachers to participate in curriculum planning. This will in turn lead to achievements of the aims and objectives of the subject to develop basic skills, knowledge, values, and good attitudes in the learners.
Recommendations
For social studies education to realize its ultimate goal, efforts should be made for teacher training, seminars, forums, and workshops to familiarize teachers with the curriculum and to improve teacher competence and provide them with relevant materials. Teachers should be empowered and exposed to a variety of ways of improving their own knowledge and skills. Finally, the government needs to compensate teachers by paying good salaries and allowances to facilitate teaching and learning and inculcate good morals in students, as is being done in other sectors of the economy
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