The Impact of CRS in the moral development of the Nigerian Child. A case study of Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos state
CHAPTER ONE
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The following objectives were determined:
- To examine the relationship between Christian religious studies (CRS) and the level of morality among pupils in Apapa local government of Lagos state.
- To determine the effect of Christian religious studies on the behavioural pattern of pupils in Apapa local government of Lagos State.
- To investigate on factors affecting the effective implementation and teaching of CRS in most schools in most of the Nigerian societies
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The Teaching of Moral Values
Morals are principles or standards of good behaviour. According to the Wikipedia free Encyclopedia (2008) morality (from the Latin moralitas “manner, character, proper behaviour) has three principal meanings. In its first descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct held to be authoritative in matters of right and wrong. Morals are created and define by society, philosophy, religion, or individual. In its second, normative and universal sense, morality refers to an ideal code of conduct, one which would be espoused in preference to alternatives by all rational people, under specified conditions. To deny ‘morality’ in this sense is a position known as moral skepticism. In its third usage, ‘morality’ is synonymous with ethics, the systematic philosophical study of the moral domain. Morals define the pattern of behaviour that the society wants from the people. Certain behaviours are considered to be undesirable. For most societies, however, morals are not written in stone, or proclaimed by God above, but instead reflect local sensibilities. Different societies have different ideas about what is acceptable and not acceptable. There are only a relative few behaviors (usually including murder, and various forms of abuse, including incest and adult-child sexual contact of any sort) that are university despised by stable societies (Dombeck and Wells-moran, 2008). People are not born understanding their society’s morals. Instead, these understandings develop and mature over time. According to Kohlberg, cited in Dombeck and Wells-Moran (2008), infants have little or no moral sense, because they are not born with an understanding of the nature of human relationships. As children reach elementary school age, they enter into the first major stage of moral understanding, known as the preconventional stage. Pre-conventional children are essentially selfish in orientation. They do not think about what behaviours will serve the greater good, but rather think in terms of what will most benefit them. They respond primarily and think of morality as a matter of following rules so as to avoid punishment As children grow into adulthood, they typically enter into the stage of conventional moral understanding. Some children will be developmentally delayed in this regard and becomes adults who have the moral understanding of children; we call them sociopaths, narcissists, and anti-social personalities.
Chapter Three
Research methodology
Research Design
The research design adopted in this research work is the survey research design which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaire in the collection of data. Under the survey research design, primary data of this study will be collected from selected primary schools in Apapa local government of Lagos state in order to determine the impact of CRS in the moral development of the Nigerian child. The design was chosen because it enables the researcher to collect data without manipulation of any variables of interest in the study. The design also provides opportunity for equal chance of participation in the study for respondents.
Population of Study
The population of study is the census of all items or a subject that possess the characteristics or that have the knowledge of the phenomenon that is being studied (Asiaka, 1991). It also means the aggregate people from which the sample is to be drawn.
Population is sometimes referred to as the universe. The population of this research study will be Seventy-five (75) selected staffs of selected primary schools in Apapa Local government of Lagos state
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter is about the analysis and presentation of data collected from the field through questionnaire. The analysis of the data with particular question immediately followed by the presentation of findings.
As mentioned in chapter three, 75 questionnaires were administered and 50 were retrieved and necessary analysis was carried out on them and presented as follows:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the Impact of CRS in the moral development of the Nigerian Child. A case study of Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos state. 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 CRS in the moral development of the Nigerian Child.
Summary
This study was on the impact of CRS in the moral development of the Nigerian Child. A case study of Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos state. Three objectives were raised which included: To examine the relationship between Christian religious studies (CRS) and the level of morality among pupils in Apapa local government of Lagos state, to determine the effect of Christian religious studies on the behavioural pattern of pupils in Apapa local government of Lagos State and to investigate on factors affecting the effective implementation and teaching of CRS in most schools in most of the Nigerian societies. The total population for the study is 75 staffs of selected primary schools in Apapa local government area of Lagos state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
This study revealed that Christian Religious Knowledge is one of the oldest school subjects in Nigeria. The subject aims at inculcating in the learners some cherished values in the society. Among other things, the conventional teaching method adopted by primary school teachers has hindered the acquisition and demonstration of expected values by the learners. Values clarification, collaborative and involvement in informal school clubs can help learners to develop and manifest values like honesty, respect, trust, obedience and forgiveness.
Recommendation
There is need for the school managers to not only organize, but encourage CRS teachers to attend workshops and seminars because the job of moulding human behavior is dynamic; hence regular attendance to seminars will equip them, with new approaches and methods for effective implementation of CRS curriculum among pupils.
- There is need for administrators to support the teaching of CRS in terms of provision of instructional materials and allocation of adequate time to the teaching of the subject.
- Both governments, society and school management should emphasize the teaching of the CRS. In other words, greater emphasis on the importance of the subject is required. The subject could be made compulsory at all levels of our education like the use of English bearing in mind the role the subject is designed to achieve in the learner.
- Teachers of CRS as a matter of importance should be equipped through training and retraining so that they will be properly grounded in the pedagogical and theological aims of the subject. Effective teaching is dependent upon teachers’ skills and knowledge; and these variable must be sorted out to enable the teaching of the subject achieve its set goals in the learners’ lives.
References
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