A STUDY OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL STUDIES AND TEACHING METHODS IN SOCIAL STUDIES IN SELECTED JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHERN STATES IN NIGERIA

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Date
2014-02-19
Authors
ADOKE, IBRAHIM
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Abstract
Social studies is a discipline facing identity crisis as it has been considered as a new name for social science subjects like history, geography, economics, sociology and Anthropology by social scientists. Only a few scholars have made efforts to analyze the uniqueness of its approach to problem solving (the inquiry). This study was undertaken to investigate Teachers and Students Perceptions of Social Studies and Teaching Methods in Social Studies in Selected Junior Secondary Schools in the Northern States in Nigeria". It equally made useful suggestions and recommendations where necessary. Five research questions and three hypotheses advanced for this study were related to the various perceptions of social studies, methods employed in teaching the subject and attitude of teachers and students toward social studies. A total of 1985 students and 160 social studies teachers involved in the study were randomly selected from forty Junior Secondary Schools in the Northern States in Nigeria. The major statistics used in analyzing the data were t-test vii and percentage. The results showed that teachers mainly employed the discussion and telling methodsin their classroom teaching rather than problem approach. The teachers and students perceived Nigerian social studies as merely an informative subject that draws facts from social science subjects and whose method of teaching has nothing to do with inquiry approach. Social studies as one of the effective educational instruments for nation building and geared to produce effective citizenship in graduates of our post-primary institutions, as categorically stated in the National Policy on Education, has to apply a teaching strategy that is based on reflective thinking, problem solving or the inquiry. That is, it has to break even with the traditional approach of mere regurgitation of facts for examination purpose. Revelations in this study, hopefully would be an eye opener for those concerned with the wholesome education of the Junior Secondary School students.
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A thesis sumitted in Department of social studies,Faculty of Education Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Keywords
STUDY,, TEACHERS,, STUDENTS,, PERCEPTIONS,, SOCIAL STUDIES,, JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, NORTHERN STATES,, NIGERIA.
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