AN ASSESSMENT ON THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

AN ASSESSMENT ON THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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​​​​​​​Background of the Study

The Social Studies Curriculum was introduced to Nigeria's educational system as a policy document and academic curriculum with the goal of instilling good values and constructing a better Nigeria. This is only achievable if the social studies curriculum is implemented effectively at all levels of school. According to Okam (1998), there is evidence that social studies education has not been adequately implemented in schools to provide students with the required knowledge, facts, and concepts that might develop good values and attitudes for the survival of people and society. This chapter will examine the context upon which this investigation was launched, the explanation of difficulties that led to this study, and the Aim and Objectives of the study as a prologue to subsequent aspects of this study. Others include the significance of the study, the scope of the work, the limitations of the investigation, and the definition of technical words.

Social Studies Subject was added into the Nigerian school curriculum as part of the tool for attaining national development (National Policy on Education (NPE) 1981). This is what led to its inclusion in the Nigerian core curriculum at all levels of education. Social Studies curriculum development bodies such as the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and experts established and distributed the subject's curriculum goals or purposes in the school curriculum. Citizenship education, reflective inquiry, and social science education are examples. These generally stated goals must be clarified to, and regarded as significant as well as attainable by instructors and other Curriculum participants if the intentions or purposes are to be accomplished and the investment of work to be judged valuable (Feather, 1982; Meece, Blumenfeld, & Hoyle, 1988). These intents or aims are expressed clearly on the surface, but their perception or conceptualization by teachers and academics remains unclear, as Onyabe (1980) remarked that the philosophy, content, and methodology of social studies have remained ambiguous to both researchers and teachers. Conflicting perspectives of social studies curricula are cause for worry for three primary reasons. First, the anchor or strategic position of objectives or intentions in the curriculum building process (Pratt, 1994), as exemplified in Tyler (1949) (Linear) and Wheeler (1980) (cyclic) curriculum models, among others.

Second, curricular goals or purposes are essential aspects in instructions for the proper application of an already defined curriculum. Third, the accurate conceptualization, investment of effort, and eventual accomplishment of the curriculum's purposes would promote the realization of the overall goals of the Nigerian educational enterprise.

1.2  Statement of the Problem

Presently, junior secondary school students' interest and academic achievement in social studies is declining. Lemchi (2001) noted that some students are losing interest in the subject. Attitudes associated with Social Studies appear to affect students' performance in the subject. Also, many Social Studies teachers teach Social Studies without instructional materials and facilities (Mberengwa 2004). The quality of teachers, and class room facilities are grossly inadequate and obsolete. Owolabi et al. (1991) also indicated that a serious disconnection exists between Social Studies training in secondary schools and the needs of the labour market, as students that do not proceed to higher education have been found to be incompetent in the field of work. Where students consistently perform poorly, the implication is that adequate teaching and learning has not taken place in schools. Therefore, the problem of this study is to examine the problems  and prospect of teaching and learning of Social Studies in junior secondary schools in Kebbi State.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine the problems of teaching and learning of Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were set out as follows:

1. To find out  whether  students' attitudes constitute problems to the teaching and learning of Social Studies.

2. To assess whether teacher quality and quantity constitute problems to the teaching and learning of Social Studies.

3. To investigate whether  whether instructional materials constitute problems to the teaching and learning of Social Studies.

4. To determine the ways by which these problems can be ameliorated.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

1. Does the  attitudes of junior students constitute problems to the teaching of Social Studies?

2. Does  teachers quality and quantity of  cause problems to the teaching of Social Studies?

3. Does lack of instructional materials pose problems to the teaching and learning of Social Studies?

4. What are the ways to which the problem of teaching social studies can be ameliorated in secondary schools.

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