An Examination of Factors Affecting Students’ Behaviour in Cultural and Creative Arts in Junior Secondary Schools in Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study was to examine the factors affecting students‟ performance in Cultural and Creative Arts in Junior Secondary Schools in Nasarawa State. The Objectives of the study were to:
- As certain if instructional strategies employed by art teachers have any significant influence on students‟ performance in Cultural and Creative Arts.
- Assess the environmental factors (such as family, school, peers and the society) which affect students
- Assess socio-cultural and religious factors which influence students‟ performance in Cultural and Creative
- Determine if gender of students have influence on the students‟ performance in Cultural and Creative
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The chapter on review of relevant literature has subtopics that are organized as follow: Instructional strategies
- Environmental factors which affect students
- Socio– cultural and religious factors
- Gender and art teaching
- Empirical Studies
The term „factor‟ as defined by the New Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary, 8th Edition (2010),can be attributed, in part, to one of several things that cause or influence something, or the amount by which something increases or decreases.Also, the encyclopediaBritannica(2009) reflects this in definition of terms as a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system.The vast literature in the journals of psychology, sociology, education, and political science dealing with behaviour and performance attest to the concern for the concept throughout the social sciences. The concept is commonly used because it represents a rather abstract entity which is adaptable to a range of theoretical applications and experimental settings. Further, utilization of the termbehaviour as a specialized concept has permitted art educators to describe more accurately certain aspects of human feelings, thoughts, and responses toward the Arts (Jerry and Michael, 2008).
This work is based on the outcome of several studies conducted by Olorukooba‟s (1984); Mbahi‟s (2000) and Mamza‟s (2008) in which the authors/researchers found that non application of suitable teaching methods by teachers as well as lack of art materials constitute some of the factors responsible for students‟ loss of interest in Cultural and Creative Arts. Also they found that some powerful social and emotional factors such as peer-group influence, societal perception of the subject and parental influence affectthe teaching and learning of art. Some other factors as reported includesocial relationships. These social factors include the teacher‟s relationship with students, the overall climate of the student‟s learning environment, as suggested byCambournein Hurwitz and Day (2007).
Art has also been used to study human development. Various theories of human growth and acquisition of cognitive and conceptual skills have been based on the study of ordinary drawings. Art therapy is an area of medical treatment that uses art process and products to help diagnose and treat mental illness. This is because Art is another language, whereby patients can provide information visually, when and where perhaps words cannot be uttered.Art has a potentially vital role in the education of children. The process of drawing, painting, or construction is a complex one in which the child brings together diverse elements of his experience to make a new and meaningful whole.
The Arts as an expression of the people reflect the society, the environment, and aspects of their culture, including the folklore andthe pragmatic nature of the people. The Arts in traditional culture – music, dance, drama and craft, are usually integrated and are often performed and presented together at appropriate occasions, including festivals thus promoting the cultural heritage. These facts constitute the underlying principles for formulating the philosophy for Cultural and Creative Arts Education for primary and secondary schools. The curriculum aims at developing students‟ acquisition of cultural repertoire, aesthetic perception, artistic talents creativity and expression. It is designed to stimulate interest and enquiries into the theoretical and practical areas, particularly as they affect the teaching of the arts in schools. Finally, the arts are significant tools for developing and inculcating right attitudes, cultural understanding, national unity and the advancement of the society. (NPE, 2004).
The National Policy on Education, (2004) programme objectives state as follow to;
- make students fully aware of the significance and roles of the Arts in culture and theimportance of their artistic heritage.
- inculcate artistic and academic excellence in the
- provide opportunities for learning the skills of creative expression in some artistic (local/cultural) media as the skills of responding to the Arts, thereby promoting cultural
- prepare well qualified personnel with adequate knowledge that they will be able to teach,appreciate and inculcate the right attitudes and values necessary for developing individuals and enhance national unity and national development.
- also, to help students acquire adequate skills and competence for higher education in theArts at the relevant
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter presents the methodology of the study. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that is applied to a given topic. The descriptive function of research is heavily dependent on instrumentation for measurement and observation (Borg and Gall, 2009). Researchers may work for many years to perfect such instrumentation so that the resulting measurement will be accurate, reliable, and generalizable.
Research Design
This is an evaluation of the effect of the Cultural and Creative Arts programme on the performance of students in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in Nasarawa State through descriptive survey technique.Mbahi (2001) was of the opinion that descriptive research design is concerned with the collection of data for the purpose of describing and interpreting the existing conditions, prevailing practices, beliefs, attitudes and on-going process among others.Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study.Descriptive research design is a scientific method which involves observing and describing the behaviour of a subject without influencing it in any way. Descriptive statistic was used to analyze the data which compares two or more populations based on ordering of sample measurement according to their relative magnitude.
Population and Sample
The populations for this study were teachers and students, drawn from selected (private and public) secondary schools within Nasarawa,Keffi, AkwangaLafia, and Awe local Government areas respectively.This study is mainly focused onJ.S.S students of the various secondary schools.Below is the population for the study as shown in table 3.1
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS.
Introduction
This chapter presents the results of the data collected with the questionnaires.Analysis of the data is discussed in line with the research questions and objectives of the study. Two groups of respondents were involved in the investigation. These were the students involved in arts subject at the junior secondary schools and the teachers responsible for the teaching of the subject. The main thrust of the investigation is the students but the teachers‟ opinions also would be used where necessary. The responses are presented in tables of frequencies and percentages and illustrated with graphical presentations where necessary.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Introduction
This chapter reveals the salient features and factual information about the study, and creates a link between what the study was aimed at and what it actually achieved.
Summary
The study set out to investigate factors affecting students‟ behaviour in Cultural and Creative Arts among some JSS students in some selected (private and public) secondary schools in Nasarawa state.Relevant literatures to the study were reviewed to give a conceptual framework and sound theoretical base to the problem. Some of the literatures reviewed included topics such as; Promoting creativity and artistic education in Nigerian schools; the impact of Fine Arts on secondary school and teacher colleges, Creativity and Mental growth; and the state of Art Education in Nigeria, among others.
Conclusion.
From the analysis of data and findings of the study, the following conclusions were derived:
The quality of students‟ Art Education experiences at all levels will affect their attitude towards art when they become adults (or as adults) and as such, there is need for learners to be properly guided and this can be achieved through the teaching of Nigerian cultures. For example, the values and conditions of the Nigerian Society (Olorukooba 1990).It is evident from the study that there was a misunderstanding about the value and nature of art, for example,live situations for instance should not be brought to the classroom in order to avoid socio cultural and religious barriers and differences in teaching – learning of Cultural and Creative Arts.
Many people are not familiar with Art Education and often have a non chalant attitude towards its place in general education. So, art still occupies a more or less peripheral position in most schools preventing learners from seeing the usefulness of Art as in other subjects, acquisition of skills and developing interest in art as a vocation.The government of Nasarawa state, through the Ministry of Education and the Nasarawa state council for arts and culture, should carry out a literary campaign through the news media in the state, and stage exhibitions of secondary and primary school art works.The federal government should give adequate support as a matter of urgency, to the implementation of its educational policy that makes art education one of the core subjects.
Recommendations.
The following blue print for action were made based on the researcher‟s findings on what can be done to improve the factors affecting students‟behaviour in Cultural and Creative Arts among JSS students in Nasarawa state.
There is the need to provide opportunities for learners to develop language, express feelings, ideas, and moods through Creative Art activities, because lack of art experiences have negative impact on attitude towards Art Education.
The government should take it upon herself to sponsor the winners of art exhibition competitions to read in post primary or post-secondary schools. This gesture will encourage parents to embrace art, students (boys and girls alike) will develop interest to learn the subject. There is need for the government of Nasarawa state through the Ministry of Education to set aside allowances for in – service training and workshop for art teachers to update their knowledge of the subject just like their counter – parts in the sciences. This is because the quality of art teachers on ground has adversely affected or influenced the students‟ behaviour towards Creative Arts.It is relevant that further studies on similar or related areas be embarked upon.Training of children should start very early and in that case, there would be increase in the number of art consumers. Furthermore, the Nigerian government considers Cultural and Creative Arts to be in the interest of national unity and as such,will ensure that one of the mediums of instruction will be principally the mother tongue or the language of the immediate community; and to this end will:
- develop the orthography for many more Nigerian languages, and
- produce textbooks in Nigerian languages via illustrations.The National Policy on Education(Federal Ministry of Education, 2004, 2007).
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