ABSTRACT
This study was carried
out to investigate the problems and prospects of teaching of Christian
Religious Studies in secondary schools with a particular reference to Enugu
South Local Government Are of Enugu State. To achieve this objective, three
research questions and two research hypotheses were formulated to guide the
study. The data was collected from primary sources. The primary data were
collected with the help of a well-structured questionnaire of two sections
administered to teachers of selected secondary schools in Enugu. The collected
data were analyzed with tables and simple percentages to analyze the research
questions while Chi-square statistical tool was used to test research
hypotheses. The study reveals that there are problems facing teachers in
teaching Christian religious studies in Nigeria secondary schools in Enugu South
Local Government Area and there are challenges to effective implementation of
Christian religious studies curriculum in secondary schools. The study
concluded with some recommendations that there is need for the school managers
to not only organize, but encourage CRS teachers to attend workshops and
seminars because the job of moulding human behavior is dynamic; hence regular
attendance to seminars will equip them, with new approaches and methods for
effective implementation of CRS curriculum among students.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to
the Study
Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is one of the major subjects missionaries
bequeathed to Nigerian education system on the establishment of schools by the
19th century missionaries. The aim was to train people who will be of immense
help to the colonial trinity goals (God/Christianity, government/colonization
and Gold/commerce). In other to achieve the above, the major curriculum
contents of their educational system were Bible knowledge, Arithmetic and
English language for communication. To implement fully the contents, adequate
attention was given to the understanding of the place of God in man’s life
(Nsongo, 2001). During the missionary era, bible knowledge otherwise known as
CRS was the core subject. Subsequently, after independence, government took
over schools; there was a clarion call for review of curriculum in 1983. The
call was as a result of criticisms leveled against colonial education, which
some scholars viewed as being too arts oriented and as such lacked relevance to
Nigeria upliftment, political emancipation and infrastructural development
(Ocho, 2005). Ocho further explained that the situation led to the modification
of the curriculum with greater emphasis on sciences and technological subjects.
For effective teaching to take place adequate considerations must be given to
the teacher’s skill, the learners’ preparedness to learn, the teaching/learning
environment, and the curriculum in addition to such external variables as
government education policies, supervision/ monitoring exercise. These factors
combine to give rise to effective teaching of any subject at whatever level of
education.
Effectiveness of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) teaching becomes very
important when one considers the indispensable position of the discipline in
human socio-cultural, economic, spiritual and moral development. This feat is
acknowledged by Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) which placed Religious
Studies as one of the core subjects in Group A at the Senior Secondary level.
This is probably because Religion goes a long way to determining individual
behaviour and aspiration, which in turn determines not only developmental
strides of the society but also its internal harmony.
Christian perspective to Religious Studies does not deviate from the general
functional roles of religion in the society, such as its efficacy in
transcending personal and divisive forces in human society. Through shared
symbols, values, norms and doctrines, religion, including Christian religion,
provides a forum for people to unite to form integrated groups based on
seemingly unfathomable mysteries of human existence.
Specifically, CRK teaching is believed to be capable of instilling in the
Nigerian youth the required and desired knowledge, values, behaviours,
attitudes and skills that would ensure their effective adaptation in an
ever-changing multi-faith and multiethnic society, Nigeria, (Eluu, 2011).
Obilom in Eluu (2011) equally holds that CRK curriculum is designed to teach
not only the content of the holy book but also the moral lessons desirable
therefrom.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Nigerian society today like other nations of the world is undergoing through
some aspect of moral decadence or moral degradation associated with world-wide
development. The moral status of the society has reached to the level one could
ask what role multiple religious groups play in building up moral society. The
moral ills identified among the secondary school pupils have raised questions
on the efficacy of religious studies on shaping moral behavior. CRS curriculum
review of 1983 included inculcation of moral values in the content in order to
address challenges of moral behaviour among students, but the aim seems to be
under siege.
Scholars like Njoku (2012) attributed the breakdown in moral behaviour of the
school students to teachers’ attitude and government lack of commitment to the
teaching of CRS as some that are committed do not handle the subject well,
which has made it almost impossible for learners to attain the set goals. It is
against this background that the researcher sought to find out if appropriate
selection and effective use of teaching methods could enhance attainment of
desired learning outcomes in the students’ lives.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to investigate the problems and prospect of
teaching Christian Religious Studies secondary schools using Enugu North Local
Government Area of Enugu State. The specific objectives included;
1.
To determine the problems facing teachers in teaching Christian
religious studies in secondary schools in Enugu North Local
Government Area.
2.
To determine the challenges to effective implementation of
Christian religious studies curriculum in secondary schools.
3.
To determine how the challenges be curbed to ensure effective
implementation of the curriculum
among secondary school students.
4.
To make useful recommendations based on the findings of this
study.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
Are there any problems facing teachers in teaching Christian religious
studies in secondary schools in Enugu North Local
Government Area?
2.
Are there any challenges to effective implementation of Christian religious
studies curriculum in secondary schools?
3.
How could the challenges be curbed to ensure effective implementation of the
curriculum among secondary school students?
1.5 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
Hypothesis 1
H0:
There are no problems facing teachers in teaching Christian
religious studies in Nigeria secondary schools in Enugu North
Local Government Area.
H1:
There are problems facing teachers in teaching Christian
religious studies in Nigeria secondary
schools in Enugu North Local
Government Area.
Hypothesis 2
H0:
There are no challenges to effective implementation of Christian
religious studies curriculum in secondary schools.
H1:
There are challenges to effective implementation of
Christian religious studies
curriculum in secondary schools.
1.6
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study would be beneficial to students, teachers, religious instructors,
curriculum planners, educational administrators, researchers and textbook
authors. To students, the study would help to improve their understanding of
CRS and thus adjust properly in the society through active participation in the
classroom leaning which stimulate their interest and change the negative
perceptions they already have in learning CRS and this invariably help them to
develop the affective domain of knowledge in secondary schools. They would
equally perform better in internal and external examinations without depending
on examination malpractice which have been the problem in the educational
sectors. This is because the student stands a chance of becoming masters on
their own through involvement in different roles in the classroom. The findings
of the study would help teachers to have an insight into the meaning,
application and problems of using role play method of teaching and thus change
their method when the need arises for proper students’ achievement and interest
in CRS in secondary schools. The relevance of effective method in the
implementation of Christian religious studies in secondary school would be made
known to teachers as they are the chief implementer of planned curriculum of
schools. This could be done by teachers observing the students performing their
roles and equally identifies the individual’s problem in using the method in
the teaching and learning of CRS in secondary schools.
Religious instructors and bodies are not left out as they would understand the
best way to educate children in the principles and practice of Christianity
which invariably will promote peace and harmony as well as co-existence in the
Nigerian society. Curriculum planners or designers would be made to understand
curriculum problems that affect the application of effective teaching method
like role-play in the implementation of CRS curriculum in secondary schools
especially in Enugu north Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The findings of the study would expose the educational administrators to the
importance of conducive environment in teaching and learning and thereby put
these environmental conditions such as classroom building, learning materials,
quality library etc, in order for proper implementation of Christian Religious
Studies curriculum. They would equally be meant to understand the interactional
effects of gender and role-play method and thus help teachers to initiate
change where appropriate. The findings of the study as well as the concepts,
theories and methods would be reference materials for researchers especially
those that specialize in Christian Religious Studies. Finally, the textbook
authors on education would benefit from the study by updating their knowledge
on the techniques and besides disseminate the findings through textbooks they
publish.
The larger society would equally benefit from this study. This is because, the
effective teaching and learning of CRS will bring desirable change in behaviour
of students and this invariably would help to reduce high level of religious
intolerance, hatred, killing, conflict, terrorism, militancy, and other
insurgences that is ravaging Nigerian society.
1.7 SCOPE OF
THE STUDY
This study is on the problems and prospects teaching and learning of Christian
Religious Studies in secondary schools with a particular reference to Enugu
North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
1.8
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
There is no study undertaken by a researcher that is perfect. The imperfection
of any research is always due to some factors negatively affecting a researcher
in the course of carrying out research. Therefore, time constraint has
shown no mercy to the research. The limited time has to be shared among many
alternative uses, which includes reading, attending lectures and writing of
this research, also distance and its attendant costs of travelling to obtain
information which may enhance the writing of this study was a major limitation
1.9
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Christian Religious
Studies: Christian Religious education is the study of God’s
revelation to human beings through scriptures, the person of Jesus Christ and
the Holy Spirit (The study of the Trinity).
Christian Religious
Studies Laboratory: This is a special room equipped with
materials and equipment like ledger cards, long span chalk board rules in
ledger form, sample source documents used for financial transactions, sample
currency notes in various denominations for buying and selling, adding and
listing machines, electronic calculators, duplicating machines, overhead
projector, tape recorder with play back, flip chart board, magnetic board, TV
and Video. These are used for practical lessons in
Christian Religious Studies.
