University of Nigeria Virtual Library

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Author 1

NWAGU, Eric K. N.

Author 2 Author 3

Title

Socio-Environmental Decay and

the Survival of Social Studies Education in Nigeria

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Socio-Environmental Decay and

the Survival of Social Studies Education in Nigeria

Category Education Publisher

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SfX IO- ENVIRONMENTAL DECAY AND THE SURVIVAL OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

DR. ERIC K. N. NWAGU DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

ABSTRACT

Sc-;t.?ools i r i Nigeria, before the 70's , were criticized for, rather weste.rnizing,

ii-lsteacl of educatin~ Nigerians. l-lw products of those schools became

wcste:n ambassador- in their cornmunities, championing the cause of

westem cuitcre ar:d condemning all Nigerian culiural practices. 'The efforts

at rewt-sing the ugly tt-cncl saw social studies into Nigerian schools. The

new p;r)yr.an?n-~e has ti:e ~nandate to provide function;4 s ~ c i a l education for

g o ~ d aiici efk-1' ive citizenship o i Nigerians. Nlany authorities have repolled

.lhal: il!i;: picgramme has proved iiieffective in attaining the set goals, arid

tiv? sixieiy is plagi;ed ?r\lilh greater social vices. This paper analyses the

sihraticrn and I-ecanmends feasible steps that could be taken to re-position

sxiai str.~dies for effective discharge of its social responsibilities.

lntrsduction

Social studies was intr~cluced in Nigeria in 1976, when it became

clear to stake holders in education that the colonial education programmes

which was operating even after it- dependence in 1960 was elitist and not

inculcating the right social values and attitildes in Nigerians. The early

schools were criticized for presenting narrow and socio- culturally irrelevant

contents to Nigerian children who were drilled to memorize large array of

.iscis, ~rinciples and generalizations. They were not trained in reflective and

critical thinking lest they rise to challenge the authority of the colonialists.

Therefore in sheer adrniratior! of and reverence to the wizardry of the white,

most sciiocl feaders then aimed at becoming poor imitations of the white

(Adedeji ). Aliyu (2000: ) cited Lugard (1929) as observing that

"educalion has brought to such men only discontent, suspicion of others,

and bitterness, which masquerades as racial patriotism. As citizens, they

are unfitted to hold post of trust and responsibility where integrity and

toyalty are esseritial".

The public&ion of Nalional Policy on education in 1977 was a

milestone in the history of Devalopment of Education in Nigeria. The policy

spelt cut for the first tirne, the goals of education in Nigeria. According to the

policy (FRN, 1998) the nztional educational aims and objectives to which

the philosophy is linked are:

2

The inculcation of national consciousness and national unity;

Inculcation of the right types of values and attitudes for the survival of

the individual and the Nigerian society;

The training of the mind in the understanding of the world around;

and;

The acquisition of appropriate skills, alilities and competencies both

rnenta! and physical, as equipment for the individual to live in and

contribute to the development of his or- her society.

The primary focus of all the school subjects is the attainment of these

goals. t-lowever, ail the school subjects are not equally prone to address all

the fcur objectives. While social studies joins the other subjects in

addressing the 3rd and 44h objectives, the first two appear to be exclusively

reserved for social studies, Inculcation of national consciousness and

national unity as well as the right types of values and attitudes that would

engender the survival of individuals and their societies are the key

objectives of social studies ed~ucatior! in Nigeria. In other words, the

program is introdixed to redress through pedagogical means, the social

problems of eihnicity, religious violence, social intolerance, developmental

imbalance, corruptim, social injustices, poor value orientation and negative

attitude towaids national and local products, processes and programmes.

The prograrnines of social studies have been implemented in Nigeria

far the past 30 years and ,the impact on Nigerian social environment is

iilci-eased rot. Stake holders are disenchanted and their recommendations

range frcm curriculu17i review (Mezieobi,:993) to creation of a new

citizens!iip/civic eclucation programme. i

NEADC has developed a programme (i.e. curriculum guide) for

citizenship education for various levels of schooling. On October, 2006 at

the national education forum/summit involving all the stake holders ' in w

Nigerian education industry, president 0basanro called for the re-

inti-oduction of civics for teaching children the Nigerian constitution, and

their civic responsibilities in a democracy. ~ h e s e are social studies.

Furlhermore, the NERDC is at present aligning her Population and Family

.Life Education initiative and its HIV/AIDS concomitants with social studies.

The initiative is creating research, political and diplomatic waves across the

globe. But Nigerian social studies curriculum and experts are yet to start

making sufficient commitments and in road into these projects. Should we

continue with our internal bickering and the philosophy of divisive

separatism, the initiative would be high jacked again by biology experts to

whom we have lost the co~ t ro l of environmental education, which is anotl-ler

viable social studies outreach.

The question now is: must we allow the situaiion to continue to erode

the cr-edibilily and relevance of our discipline? What shall we call or do with

the remnant of social studies when the limbs and organs are excised and

projected as separate disciplines such as citizenship and/or civic education,

environmental education, population and family life education, and human

rights edxation? The problem of this study is that unless social studies is

re-positioned and suitably strategized to become affective in the provision

of funcrronzl social education tl-,rough the provision of professionally guided

learning experiences ihat ccnduce character training and affective

behaviour changes in classl-ooms, its survival cannot be guaranteed. This

paper therefore explores the social environmental demands on Nigeria

social studies, zmalyses the present state of social studies instruction, and

offers pla-~sible strategies for re-engineering of social studies education in

Nigeria.

'The Nigerian Social Environment

Environment has heeti conceived in different ways by different

experts. Environment could be seen as the term given to all that is external

tl= a person, and in other instances, it is restricted to something more

specific (Satterthwaite, Harl, k v y , Mittin, Ross, Smit and Stephens, 1996).

Thus we have natural, political, social, economic, cultural, and other

eiivirmrnerits. This paper sees environment as the complex of elements,

factors and p!-ocesses that constitilte the operational milieu of man, ankl

which acticjr~s and interactions influence his condition. Man is an element in

his environment, and while he exerts influence on it, he also receives its

impact.

Social environment is one of the three interacting poles of the social

stciciies tripod. The others are man and his physical environment. Social

e~~vironment 2s distinct from pliysicai etivironment is made up of those

intangible cultural formulations that facilitate the sustenance of social

str~.rctc~re and i-mintenance of desirable social conducts in members. In all

societies (traditional and tnodern) there are institutions and organizations

that cc:ordinate the evolution, modifications and sustenance of cultural

aciivkies, norms and beliefs. The institutions include the family, marriage,

peer g roqx , religicn, education, politics and economy. The activities,

beliefs, values, structure, functions and products of these institutions

ccnstitute the social environment of man within the society. The institutions

idealize their norms and set limits of acceptable social standards. The

standards of practice become criteria for value judgement and evaluation of

conrl'ilcts.

In Nigeria, tnost of the social institutions are ailing and consequently

ineffeciive in rrndering their coordination, control and socialisation

runckions. Families breed social deviants, marriages are unstable, peer

groups evolve into criminal gangs of cultists, religion de-emphasize virtue in

morality ancwreach prosperity, economic breakthrough or violence against

other religious persuasions, politics is synonymous with corruption,

violence, assassii~aticn and cultic rituals. Justice is for sale. Sambo

(2C001, Orakwue (2000) listed various forms of manifestations of decay in

edircaiion system and included sale of degrees and diplomas, examination

malpractices, cultism, etc. Osakwe and Itedjere, (1993) listed out many

more manifestations of social insecurity i i ~ Nigeria social environment.

Many factors have been indicated as responsible for the rot in Nigeria

social environment. I\J\jvagu (2004), Nwabuisi (2000) and Akaweh (1992)

blarne Nigerian education system for it, while Onyia (2002), Nwabachili and

Egbus (1995) from their sociological tradition indict the family as

responsible. Okolo (1 993) cited by Nwabuisi (2000) hold political leadership

accountable for the ugly situation. Sanlbo (2000) and other social

coi.r~rneiitators identify ICT (information, cor-nn?unication and technology) as

the destroyer ~i Nigeria social systems. According to Sambo (2000:12)

The enemy on the other side of the front line is the information media; the television, video, radio, telephone, the satellite transmission, computers and .the internet, Newspaper, magazines and other print media. In many areas, parents, guardians and school authorities have already lost the right to determine the value system of their wards to these media channels.

The immoral slum life of western criminals and prostitutes which most

Nigerian cultures abhor and keep children away from are now being

celebrated on computer and television screens, as well as on pages of fun

. c magazines.

Social Expectations of Nigeria Social Studies Education

it has earlier been stated that while social studies share with the

other scl-loo1 subjects the responsibility of educating the head, mind or

i rMlect of Nigerian child!-en, it has an additional obligation of education the

heart or character of tlhe children. It is expected that social studies should

inculcate the social ideals in children in terms of .the norms, values,

aspirations zncl their role expectations. These ideals then become their

pzt-ameter for evaluating all social stimuli coming from both within and

outside their immediate social environment. They become pre-dispose to

make good value judgement and accept or reject what they should.

j4ffective domsin cbjectives of social studies are replete in literature.

What I feel is not adequately stressed is that social studies instruction

shocilci enable every child see himlherself as a key element in the society

whose actions and inactions cietermine the status of the society.

Nigeria Social Studies Education Programme

The social studies education programme is here viewed from the

perspective of its objectives, content, methodology and evaluation. The

curriculum materials for JSS social studies and teaching modules for

primary school sacid studies are presented in simple and understandable

terms. However it is doubt.fiil if the programmes as presented are capable

of adequately redressing all the social ills in the society.

The Objectives

The efforts were made to present objectives in measurable terms.

The measui-enient in focus is the use of tests. In the junior secondary

schcrol curriculum material for social studies, an analysis of the frequency of

use of actior; terms is presented in table 1 below:

Table I : Action Terms and Frequency of use in Curriculum Objective of JSS, Social Studies

Action Terms Frequency JS I I - JS I l l Total Percentage 7 9 21 28.8 --

8 2 0 27.4 --- 6 8.2 3 4.1 3

. 4.1 G To specify 3 - - -- . - 3 4.1 7 To recognise 1 -- 3 4.1 8 To differentiate ~ 2 2.7 -- 9 - To outline 2 2.7 --- -. 10 To list - -

. . - ---. 2 2 2.7 - To classify 1 1 1.4

1.4 - 1.4 --

68 93.15 2 2.7

-- I -- I .4 - -

- - I - 1.4 ---

- - 1 1.4 - -

5 6.85 - .

23 27 73 100

Further analysis which classified the objectives in Bloom's tradition

yield ttie results presented in table 2 below.

Table 2: Classification of J.S.S. Social Studies Curriculum Objectives

1 - . Knowledge -- - - -- -

2 Comprehension -- -

3 . Application - - - - . -

4 Analysis ~+~vnthesis

I Domain

Frequency

m / J.S.2 Total Parentage of Total

The analysis shows that what the curriculur~~ prescribes is the pursuit

or low level cognitive objectives of kiiowledge and cotnprehension (73.9%).

Insignificant attention is given to the development of affective behaviours of

the students. Most of the social studies teachers lack initiative and therefore

do not go beyond the ccirriculurn provisions to source other appropriate

instructional objectives.

The Contents

Socia! studies is not lacking in contents of instruction. The spiral

nature OF content organization permits the teacher to regulate the quantum

and complexity r ~ f ihe subject matter the st~dents are exposed to.

The major cor?sideration is not the concept per se but the learning

experiences offered by the interactive for~irn in which the concept would be

attained. It is the learning experiences that deterrnine the attitudes, values

interests and preferences, which learners develop towards the concept.

Methods

The methods, which teachers prefer, for social studies instruction are

other impediments to the realisation of the goals of the discipline. Akubue

(1994) had es.tablished ernpirically that teachers merely talk through the

topics (not as concepts) and give out notes for copy. This is not social

studies. This dominant practice is inconsistent with the principle in the

social studies which NERC explained as "not only a study, but a way of

life, . . . . " (Amadi, l99?:lZ9). Effective teaching of social studies should dive

students opportunity to interact among themselves and with their

eiivironrwnt for the purpose of trying out, validating and internalizing the

concept leased social principles. The irlteraction which would involves

observation, interviews, cliscussion, visitation, data collection and analysis,

library search, games and simulation affords them the opportunity to

integrate the tenets of good character into their like scheme. By this, social

studies becomes a way of life and not only a programme of study. It is the

method of teaching and the goals purscred that differentiaties social studies

f ra i l the socia! sciences.

io Some effective rnethoci of teaching social studies are listed in the

curriculum and equally suitable related activities are suggested. However;

research findings (Akubue 199) indicate that teachers rarely apply those

recommendation. C o ~ ~ l d it be they lack the competency? Is it that they are

not are of the mission of social students education. which experts sing like

pedagogical roots?

Some' criteria for- selecting instructional methods for enhancement of

character training and development of good rnoral and social values have

been presented by Nwabuisi (2000: 1 17) Choice methods should be those

that:

'I. Encourage children to make choices, and to make them freely.

2. Help t!iem discover and examine available alternatives when forced

with choices.

3 a . He!p chiitlren weigh alternatives thoughtfully, repenting on the

consequences of each.

4. Encourage chiidren to consider what it is that they prize and cherish

5. Give thein opportunities to make public affirmative of their choices.

6 . Enco~~rage them to act, betlave, live in accordance with their choices

7. Help then to examine repeated behavioi~rs or patterns in their life.

Evaluation

It seems teat all our teachers know about instructional evaluation is

testing. Continuous assessment has over time degenerated into continuous

testing. Promotion and certification are based on only test results. High

I 1

scores are arranded to even students known to the teacher as mischievous

and socially irresporisible because they answered correctly their test

questions. Why then should a sti~dent aspire to develop good character?

Instructiot;a! evaluation procedure therefore is one of the problem areas in

social studies cieviatior!.

Recommended Strategies for Repositioning Social Studies

Rejuvenation of teachers in seminars and workshops. This is prior

ting because all other suggestion are to be effected by them Teacher

seen not to be aware of the philosophy and importance of social

stenches and nor clniil they are sufficiently exposed to them the

pr-oyramme implementation will continue to wobble.

1-he instructional objectives should be revisited to actually replant the

goods of social studies and not those of the social sciences. More of

the objective sliould be of the oppressive whether. They are

measci-able in the short run or not.

Continuous assessment should adopt exclusively the ono-testing

procedures. Teachers should assess the personality of the students

and around by fltting grades. The grades should redact the appective

behaviours of the students and not their knowledge and

comprehension of social science subject matter. R lot of problems

ar;d issues will arise at the introduction of this strategy. Problems of

sui3jec;ivc assessment; lack of standardized instruments;

vic'ri~nizai~on of students; convincing parents, etc. However, the

problems are !lot insurniouniable rather they would become

cl~allenges to social studies experts.

(4) Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN) should be

restructured to prompt divers, fiction and increased entreach. Workgroups

or panels siiould be created for Enviro~imeiital Education, citizenship

ecirrcation, population and family life Education, value education Human

Rights education political education, culture and Aestheties education, etc

the variocrs groups should embark on projects in the name of the assenition,

seek for grants and present their progress reports annually to SOSAN. This

' ' structure will fully engage all the old members and allure new ones. It is \

also capable of curbing the divisive penchank of some members.

Conclusion

Social sk~dies has come a long way in Nigeria education systein but

has made limited impact or the lives and social environment of Nigerians.

There is u r g e ~ t need to reposition it otherwise the citizenship education

programme being sought out by education state holders is capable of

behavouring other disciplinary at the expense of social studies.