AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE METHODS AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ECONOMICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0   Background to the Study

Economics is one of the electives or group of subject   studied at senior secondary school (SSS) level under the National policy on education. Economics curriculum has been designed by the comparative education study and adaptation centre (CESAC) to meet the requirements of economics in the new system. The guiding principle of the curriculum is the need to equip graduates of the SSS with the basic knowledge and skill that will enable them to better appreciate the nature of economics problems in any society.

The scope of economics therefore involves the determination of what aspects of the various constituent contents would be most valuable for the realization of the objectives of teaching economics.

It is obvious that economics is by its very nature has relevance to everyday life. Thus, an attempt has been made to integrate the theoretical foundations of the subject with their practical applications. The scope covers both immediate and distant environment in content and methodology. The transfer of knowledge requires some instructional strategies and the curriculum have been designed as a teaching syllabus with built-in teaching scheme and some suggested strategies to facilitate the teaching and learning process. This approach is expected to ensure the effective handling of the subject in the classroom by inexperienced or untrained teachers while reinforcing the knowledge of teaching methods and resources of the trained teachers.

However, the economics teacher needs to acquire competences in the methods and resources used in teaching economics in senior secondary schools. These competences include content competence, competence in transmitting the content to the learner and competence in the use of variety of instructional material, and competence in evaluating instruction. The teaching and learning process involves some methods and resources of enhancing meaningful learning through the use of instructional resources.