IMPACT OF CONVENTIONAL AND CONTEXTUAL ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF NOMADIC PUPILS IN READING COMPREHENSION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         Background to the Study

A lot of researchers like Lar, (1982), Ezeomah, (1985), Ribadu, (1986), Abba (1986) and Tahir, (1996) called for the contextualization of nomadic textbooks as those that reflect the nomadic Fulbe‟s culture and norms. This is based on the decision of the government of Nigeria that learning is the primary means of upgrading the socio-economic condition of the rural population. This population particularly, the Fulani, are difficult to educate. The reason for nomadic contextualization of textbooks is to integrate the Fulbe nomads into national life, by providing them with relevant and functional basic education which will improve their lives and that of the nation in general. Fulbe Nomads are people who move from one place to another in search of livelihood. Also, Ezeomah (1987), refers to them as “Ethnic or socio-cultural groups who travel and migrate in large or small group in search of livelihood within a community”. Other forms of nomads include the pastoralists, migrant fishermen and migrant farmers who are widely spread all over Africa.

In an attempt to accomplish the task of the contextual approach of teaching and learning in nomadic fulbe schools, six zonal offices which include; North West, North Central, North East, South West, South South and South East and three University centers that include: University of Sokoto, University of Jos and University of Maiduguri. These zones help to complement the efforts of the headquarters. It came out with curricula for Nomadic Education curriculum that is expected to cater for the unique lifestyle of the nomads. This curriculum calls for the development of textbooks based on the needs and aspirations of the nomad‟s lifestyle.

The developed textbooks came in form of pupils‟ textbooks and teachers‟ guide. However, one is prompted to ask the one that is better, the so called adapted nomadic textbooks or the conventional English textbooks? These questions are what prompted the researcher to carry out this study to ascertain the impact of the conventional and contextual reading comprehension textbooks on the pupils. Given also the impression that the world is now a global village, do the nomads need the contextual textbooks for reading comprehension to perform within the expected level of competence? Will it not be a disservice to the nomadic Fulani pupils to expose them only to English textbooks that relate to their immediate contextual environment only? These are the inspirations behind this study.

IMPACT OF CONVENTIONAL AND CONTEXTUAL ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF NOMADIC PUPILS IN READING COMPREHENSION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

IMPACT OF CONVENTIONAL AND CONTEXTUAL ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF NOMADIC PUPILS IN READING COMPREHENSION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA