Introduction
A major “functionality principle” which is expected to influence greatly classroom pedagogy in social studies education capitalizes on the view that this subject area represents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human beings in groups of interrelationships within both their social and physical environments. This ‘functionality principle’ emphasizes and underscores the vital role of social studies education as an instrument for preparing and mobilizing young learners in schools for the purpose of enabling them cultivate an awareness and understanding that would transform them into citizens with skills, competences, moral values and reasoned judgments to effectively live, interact, interrelate and contribute positively to economic, social, political and cultural development of their societies (Okobiah, 1985). In this circumstance, the main goal of social studies education is designed to generate and develop intelligent, responsible and self-directing citizens who are expected to positively explore opportunities to develop their own potentialities and to contribute their maximum efforts to the improvement of group living within the societal frame-work of a nation (Okam, 1998, Umar and Okam 2007).
Okobiah (1985) endorses that, it was perhaps, a recognition of the ‘functionality principle’ of social studies education for inculcating the right type of skills and virtues, through a unified and integrated interdisciplinary studies of man, that the planners of the Nigerian National Policy on Education gave it a preeminent place within the core subjects of the school curriculum in the 6-3-3-4 system of education established in 1982, as against the study of the separate systematic disciplines of the social sciences. An important fundamental asset associated with the ‘functionality principle’ of social studies education emanates from the curriculum development practices and processes built within the framework of this subject discipline.
A major “functionality principle” which is expected to influence greatly classroom pedagogy in social studies education capitalizes on the view that this subject area represents an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human beings in groups of interrelationships within both their social and physical environments. This ‘functionality principle’ emphasizes and underscores the vital role of social studies education as an instrument for preparing and mobilizing young learners in schools for the purpose of enabling them cultivate an awareness and understanding that would transform them into citizens with skills, competences, moral values and reasoned judgments to effectively live, interact, interrelate and contribute positively to economic, social, political and cultural development of their societies (Okobiah, 1985). In this circumstance, the main goal of social studies education is designed to generate and develop intelligent, responsible and self-directing citizens who are expected to positively explore opportunities to develop their own potentialities and to contribute their maximum efforts to the improvement of group living within the societal frame-work of a nation (Okam, 1998, Umar and Okam 2007).
Okobiah (1985) endorses that, it was perhaps, a recognition of the ‘functionality principle’ of social studies education for inculcating the right type of skills and virtues, through a unified and integrated interdisciplinary studies of man, that the planners of the Nigerian National Policy on Education gave it a preeminent place within the core subjects of the school curriculum in the 6-3-3-4 system of education established in 1982, as against the study of the separate systematic disciplines of the social sciences. An important fundamental asset associated with the ‘functionality principle’ of social studies education emanates from the curriculum development practices and processes built within the framework of this subject discipline.
Thus, modern approach to curriculum
development in social studies education derives from an understanding that the
epistemology of the subject area is meant to incorporate inspirations from a
variety of realms of learning, particularly the social sciences. A major
‘functionality principle’ embedded into this epistemology advocates a
philosophy which will contribute significantly in bringing about innovations
and developments associated with curriculum integration. An implication
of this philosophy of integration centers on the view that a single subject is
not enough for an individual to adequately understand the interactions and
interrelationship prevailing between man and his environment. This
orientation endorses the idea that the social science disciplines and other
related subjects from where the social studies largely derives its raison
d’être should be utilized integratively and interactively since they are all
concerned with issues and problems dealing with the existence of man in his
environmental settings (Okam, 1998).
Factors
Militating Against the Achievement of the Objectives of Social Studies
Education in Nigeria
The Philosophy which introduced social studies education as a functional and
qualitative curriculum design in all primary, secondary schools and Teacher
Training Colleges in Nigeria stressed that an acquisition of its ideals,
virtues and values by the young school learner must not be a chance
affair. These virtues of human development, according to the FRN (2004),
have to be learnt and cultivated by way of classroom instructions and
interactions which derive from the social studies curriculum. The policy
on education endorses the need for social studies education to be geared
towards equipping the individual with the necessary wherewithal not only for
cultivating civil responsibility but also for creating avenues and
opportunities germane and compatible with human and social development. Thus,
according to Okobiah (1985), the success of the philosophy behind the teaching
and learning of the social studies curriculum in schools and colleges must be
measured in terms of its positive contributions at mobilizing and enabling
learners cultivate an awareness and understanding of norms and values which are
relevant to the fundamental principles of democracy. It was considered that
this development would usher in the curriculum paradigm necessary for
engendering meaningful human co-existence within the framework of Nigeria as a
young democracy.
Although the National Policy on
Education accepted social studies education as a curriculum design for
inculcating norms and values of active citizenship amongst young learners in
our schools, most of the empirical studies (Lat, 1999; Akims, 2003; Shingumi,
2003 and Kazi 2004) and data available in this direction have demonstrated that
we are yet to achieve the virtues and assets intrinsic in the subject
area. The results and data established in these empirical studies are
considered in three dimensions in terms of the extent classroom dispensation of
the social studies curriculum has been successfully used in grooming young
learners in the acquisition of desirable norms and values of citizenship
education. These results and data are classified in respect of social
studies education as follows, (a) the content areas; (b) teaching methods and
(c) evaluation procedures.
The
curricular issues and problems associated with these classifications are
respectively discussed below:
On the question of the content areas of social studies, Salia Bao (1981) and
Okam (1992) criticized the faulty classroom emphases in the subject which are
not related to the societal needs of Nigeria as a young democracy. These
critics revealed that the prevailing traditional approach to pedagogy in social
studies in many school settings in Nigeria largely educated the young learner
out of context in relationship to the environment in which he is to function as
a citizen. Mezieobi (1993) demonstrated that instructions in the social
studies in schools and colleges have suffered not only because of the
insufficiency and inadequate supply of teaching aids including textbooks but
also because of the general unsatisfactory training of teachers as demanded in
the epistemology and ontology of the curriculum package intrinsic in the
subject. Funtua (1980) criticized and frowned at the present practice of
assigning the teaching of social studies in our schools and colleges to
history, economics and geography teachers. These critics maintained that
this development creates the erroneous impression that these teachers are necessarily
effective teachers of social studies. They lamented that these
unqualified teachers usually demonstrated a single subject approach in teaching
the content areas of social studies.
Obemeata (1983), and Okam (1998)
criticized a classroom trend in social studies which emphasizes achievements
and acquisition of objectives established in the cognitive domain while
attainment that impinge on the affective and psychomotor domains are either
seriously neglected or relegated to the background. Adeyoyin (1993)
contended that classroom dispensation of social studies amongst students has
not sufficiently “Nigerianized” them into becoming effective and productive
individuals or citizens for sustainable development within the context of
Nigeria as a democracy. These critics maintained that this development
has not only failed to ameliorate ethnocentrism amongst learners but also not
stimulated in them, the awareness about the importance of developing a sense of
loyalty to the nation. These critics generally endorsed, among others,
that it is only when pedagogy in social studies is seriously geared towards
enabling learners become committed to democratic ideals and virtues can it be
deemed to be contributing effectively its own quota in the sphere of human
growth and development.
With regard to faulty employment of teaching methods in the classroom pedagogy of social studies, Yaroson (1999) and Amrewodia (1999) demonstrated that in spite of the popularity of social studies in Nigerian schools, the following curriculum processes and practices which are in-built into instructions in the subject area have been relegated to the background in many classrooms, namely: methodology of inquiry, employment of decision-making devices and principles including the use of critical thinking and problem-solving procedures. Thus, Ogundare (1984) and Madubuike (1985) confirmed that few teachers (generally less than 20%) employed investigative oriented procedures and approaches in their instructional strategies in their lessons in social studies. These studies revealed that most teachers conceptualized the teaching of social studies as a mere reading subject, a mere sedentary venture or a chalk-talk affair.
With regard to faulty employment of teaching methods in the classroom pedagogy of social studies, Yaroson (1999) and Amrewodia (1999) demonstrated that in spite of the popularity of social studies in Nigerian schools, the following curriculum processes and practices which are in-built into instructions in the subject area have been relegated to the background in many classrooms, namely: methodology of inquiry, employment of decision-making devices and principles including the use of critical thinking and problem-solving procedures. Thus, Ogundare (1984) and Madubuike (1985) confirmed that few teachers (generally less than 20%) employed investigative oriented procedures and approaches in their instructional strategies in their lessons in social studies. These studies revealed that most teachers conceptualized the teaching of social studies as a mere reading subject, a mere sedentary venture or a chalk-talk affair.
In the area of evaluation, Uche
(1980), Okobiah (1985) and Okam (1998) revealed that although the National
Policy on Education has given a pride of place in our schools and colleges to
the curriculum potentialities of social studies in its concern for inculcating
the right type of virtues in the leaner through unified and interdisciplinary
studies of man, these researches lamented that evaluation in the subject area
largely focused on a determination or measurement of the extent to which
students retained factual materials or memorized some-one else’s ideas.
These studies revealed a general lack of any systematic efforts on the part of
social studies teachers to collect evidence of a student’s progress in both the
affective and psychomotor objectives rather than the traditional efforts at
evaluating achievements in the cognitive area.
Repositioning Social Studies
Education: Some Challenges of the Teacher
If a successful classroom dispensation of social studies education in the minds of pupils, students and individuals alike, is to be achieved as Engle (1977) entertained, then the teacher must be changed with the responsibility of manipulating the environment of these learners in such way that their likelihood of acquiring certain specific behaviours is increased. This development could create the basis germane for enabling these learners acquire and display a variety of human resources and capacity-building skills and assets intrinsic in the social studies curriculum in a bid at achieving the objectives of Nigeria’s Vision 20-20-20. The afore-mentioned social studies scholars suggested and underscored the relevance and vitality of five aspects of an educational environment to which the social studies educator’s attention should be focused in the effort at providing an optimum educational setting if learners are to attain goals established in norms of citizenship. These components of the educational environment, considered in the context of social studies education, include the following: (i) Content areas; (ii) Curriculum goals or target behaviours, (iii) Methodology or procedures to be employed in instructional settings; (iv) Use of instructional materials and associated methods for enhancement of progress; (v) Nature of instructional setting.
Content Areas
If a successful classroom dispensation of social studies education in the minds of pupils, students and individuals alike, is to be achieved as Engle (1977) entertained, then the teacher must be changed with the responsibility of manipulating the environment of these learners in such way that their likelihood of acquiring certain specific behaviours is increased. This development could create the basis germane for enabling these learners acquire and display a variety of human resources and capacity-building skills and assets intrinsic in the social studies curriculum in a bid at achieving the objectives of Nigeria’s Vision 20-20-20. The afore-mentioned social studies scholars suggested and underscored the relevance and vitality of five aspects of an educational environment to which the social studies educator’s attention should be focused in the effort at providing an optimum educational setting if learners are to attain goals established in norms of citizenship. These components of the educational environment, considered in the context of social studies education, include the following: (i) Content areas; (ii) Curriculum goals or target behaviours, (iii) Methodology or procedures to be employed in instructional settings; (iv) Use of instructional materials and associated methods for enhancement of progress; (v) Nature of instructional setting.
Content Areas
The social studies educator has to accept and propagate the view that modern
curriculum trends in the context of his subject areas has become developed to
solve the problem created by the traditional subject approach of the social
science disciplines. In this new dispensation, social studies aims at
incorporating integratively knowledge from the social sciences and inspirations
from many other realms of learning. The strength of this pedagogy is that
the social science discipline is too limited to enable an individual or citizen
to fully understand the immense complexity of human behaviours and to make
reflective decisions on personal and social issues (Banks and Clegg,
1977). Thus it has become a willy-nilly affair that all the social
sciences (Geography, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Political science etc)
and other areas of disciplined thought including history, philosophy, law,
ethics and the arts need to feature in social studies programmes because
concepts from these disciplines and their subject areas constitute the
curricular bedrock of the subject area. These disciplines largely provide
the subject matter for dealing with the central issues in citizenship education
and which social studies, as a discipline, cannot afford to relegate to the
background if it is committed to the dispensation and propagation of the tenets
of this curriculum area (citizenship). The central issues of citizenship
education largely hinge on a cultivation of excellent human relations by the
individual or citizen.
Thus, because of its interdisciplinary emphases, classroom work in the social studies must move to a new synthesis by bringing component parts of the curriculum into some coherent shape so that various kinds of disciplined thought and enquiry which bear upon the practical activity of education could be brought to a new focus in order that new kinds of understandings be generated (Okam, 1998). The innovation arising from this move and arrangement has to de-emphasize the structure of the individual social science disciplines, to a very large extent in favour of attention to more urgent issues, problems and life itself.
The major objective behind the teaching of social studies in schools is for the purpose of establishing strong foundations for an acquisition of citizenship goals amongst young pupils and students (Banks and Clegg, 1977). The aim is to improve the process by which these learners use knowledge from the social sciences and other areas of disciplined thought in making decisions concerning their individual behaviour and concerning questions of societal and public issues and policies. The learning sets and structures established in this thought in social studies are meant to assist the learners gain awareness and understanding regarding the curriculum content of the subject area in relationship to a given educational environment as follows: (i) assisting them learn about the problem of survival in their community, environment or country; (ii) involving their minds in the social problems of the day to a sufficient degree; (iii) helping them focus continually on social and personal problems which they themselves anticipate or can be helped to anticipate.
Thus, because of its interdisciplinary emphases, classroom work in the social studies must move to a new synthesis by bringing component parts of the curriculum into some coherent shape so that various kinds of disciplined thought and enquiry which bear upon the practical activity of education could be brought to a new focus in order that new kinds of understandings be generated (Okam, 1998). The innovation arising from this move and arrangement has to de-emphasize the structure of the individual social science disciplines, to a very large extent in favour of attention to more urgent issues, problems and life itself.
The major objective behind the teaching of social studies in schools is for the purpose of establishing strong foundations for an acquisition of citizenship goals amongst young pupils and students (Banks and Clegg, 1977). The aim is to improve the process by which these learners use knowledge from the social sciences and other areas of disciplined thought in making decisions concerning their individual behaviour and concerning questions of societal and public issues and policies. The learning sets and structures established in this thought in social studies are meant to assist the learners gain awareness and understanding regarding the curriculum content of the subject area in relationship to a given educational environment as follows: (i) assisting them learn about the problem of survival in their community, environment or country; (ii) involving their minds in the social problems of the day to a sufficient degree; (iii) helping them focus continually on social and personal problems which they themselves anticipate or can be helped to anticipate.
The target behaviour expected of
individuals as a result of exposures to social studies education must centre on
an acquisition and display of certain social skills including those of human
relations reflected as follows: ability to cooperate with other learners and
individuals on small or large group projects; ability to contribute
productively to group task and discussions; ability to supply leadership when, and
if, necessary and appropriately; ability to respond courteously to the
questions of others; ability to act responsibly; ability to exhibit concern and
feeling for people generally; and ability to interact with others (Fraenkel,
1973). Fraenkel (1973) observes that these skills are rarely learnt completely
but forever continue to be developed throughout an individual’s
lifetime. The behavioural norms and traits established in
these areas constitute the centre-piece of citizenship and social studies education
as a curriculum design. Thus, Uche (1981) argues that it is through
instituting effective instructional perspectives that the teacher could be sure
whether such social studies objectives as: “loyalty to the nation”, “respect
for persons”, “exhibition of sympathy for others”’ “demonstration of empathy
for the less fortunate” have been achieved behaviourally amongst
learners. He endorses that until this cadre of behavioural objectives are
adequately manifested by the learner, the teacher has not manifested the
foremost goals of social studies education.
References
Adeyoyin, F. A. (1993), The Concept, nature and scope of social studies. The Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Review (2) 8-13
Akims, U. M. (2003). Attitudes of social studies teachers towards evaluating students’ Effective achievements in the subject area: A case study of Bokkos LGA. Plateau State. An unpublished M. A. Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Amrewodia, E. J. (1999).Investigation into teachers’ perception of social studies as a Problem approach discipline: A case study M. Ed. Thesis, University of Jos.
Banks, J. A. and Clegg, A. A. (1977). Teaching strategies for social studies: Inquiry Valueing and decision-making. Reading: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
Bellack, A. A. (1965). What knowledge is of most worth? In W.M. Alexander (ed.) The Changing Secondary School Curriculum. New York: Longmans
Engle, S. H. (1977). Exploring the meaning of the social studies. InL. Rubin (Ed.) Curriculum handbook: Boston: allyn and Bacon Inc.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education, Lagos: Government Press
Funtua, L. I. (1980). Lack of trained personnel to teach social studies especially at The teachers’ colleges. In NERDC. Social studies: Teaching issues and problems. Benin City: Ethiope Publishing Corporation.
Kazi, N. P. (2004). The impact of social studies education on student-teachers’ Value disposition for effective citizenship in the colleges of education in the North central Zone of Nigeria. An unpublished Ph. D Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Lat M.D. (1998). The place of instructional materials and resources for effective classroom work in social studies: A study of selected schools in Pankshin LGA, Plateau State. Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Madubuike, P. H. (1997). An investigation into teachers’ disposition in the social
Adeyoyin, F. A. (1993), The Concept, nature and scope of social studies. The Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Review (2) 8-13
Akims, U. M. (2003). Attitudes of social studies teachers towards evaluating students’ Effective achievements in the subject area: A case study of Bokkos LGA. Plateau State. An unpublished M. A. Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Amrewodia, E. J. (1999).Investigation into teachers’ perception of social studies as a Problem approach discipline: A case study M. Ed. Thesis, University of Jos.
Banks, J. A. and Clegg, A. A. (1977). Teaching strategies for social studies: Inquiry Valueing and decision-making. Reading: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
Bellack, A. A. (1965). What knowledge is of most worth? In W.M. Alexander (ed.) The Changing Secondary School Curriculum. New York: Longmans
Engle, S. H. (1977). Exploring the meaning of the social studies. InL. Rubin (Ed.) Curriculum handbook: Boston: allyn and Bacon Inc.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education, Lagos: Government Press
Funtua, L. I. (1980). Lack of trained personnel to teach social studies especially at The teachers’ colleges. In NERDC. Social studies: Teaching issues and problems. Benin City: Ethiope Publishing Corporation.
Kazi, N. P. (2004). The impact of social studies education on student-teachers’ Value disposition for effective citizenship in the colleges of education in the North central Zone of Nigeria. An unpublished Ph. D Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Lat M.D. (1998). The place of instructional materials and resources for effective classroom work in social studies: A study of selected schools in Pankshin LGA, Plateau State. Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Jos.
Madubuike, P. H. (1997). An investigation into teachers’ disposition in the social
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