Contribution Of Social Studies In Inculcating Citizenship Values In Jss In Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Nigeria being a developing country is facing numerous problems, ranging from political, social and economic. Nigeria as a nation is passing through the stage of political stress and economics recession, the side effect of which can be in the prevalent bribery and corruption, dishonesty, unemployment, robbery, drug abuse and lack of patriotism among citizen. There is no doubt, therefore that the series of educational laws and ordinances that were enacted during the colonial period and soon after that period were not very effective in terms of solving Nigeria’s problems. The positions of great Nigerian educationists and Education Commissions in Nigeria especially Phelpskroke Commission of 1922 were critical of the old education system. According to them, the old education system is too bookish, theoretical, inadequate and unsuitable for providing an overall development of all Nigerians Hence, there was agitation for relevant education, which prompted the re-evaluation of the old system, and desire for a National Policy on Education (Osokoya,1987 and Chikwelu 2001).

In recent times, a great deal of attention has been directed to issues that are seen to be of contemporary global importance. These issues include citizenship, population, environmental and gender issues; good governance; poverty alleviation, peace and conflict resolution. Social studies has been one of the subject that is able to accommodate these growing cotemporary trend. It is a subject that encourages critical thinking, creativity, resourcefulness, democratic classroom atmosphere, problems solving skill with emphasis on the affective dimensions of empathy, co-operation, ethical behaviour which are essential for creativity and the right to relate to global issues. Social studies is not to generate new theories but the utilization of the existing knowledge to solve the problems arising from man’s interaction with his environment. That shows that social studies is the only problems-solving subject that could accommodate these issues (Ajiboye, 2003)

Citizenship education is one of the courses offered to students in social studies department at all levels of education. The implication of this is that the topic is taught at the primary, Junior Secondary and Tertiary level of our Educational Institutions. Students are taught their fundamental rights as citizens of the nation, and also their obligations and responsibilities towards the development of the nation. The level of development of any nation depends to a large extent on her citizens, hence Nigeria needs citizens who will performs its obligations unsolicited (Ossai, 2004). To achieve and retain good and strong effective citizens in Nigeria, social studies being a problems– solving or issue based discipline serve as a tool. This is because it is an avenue for providing young people with a feeling of hope in the future and confidence in their ability to solve social and environmental problems. One of the major failures of the Nigerian state according to Alao (2012) is its inability to rise initial imitations and challenges foisted upon it by British Colonialism to create supra institutions that are capable of deemphasizing sub national proclivities. In its fifty years of independent nationhood, Nigeria has not been able to appropriate its defining moments and translate them into instances of nation building for political stability and economic development.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

The general objective of this study is to contribution of social studies in inculcating citizenship values in JSS in Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which Social Studies has

1) created the awareness and understanding of social and physical environments in JSS students;

2) helped JSS students to acquire basic skills;

3) enabled JSS students to acquire relevant body of knowledge and information; 

4) encouraged JSS students to appreciate the diversity and inter-dependence of members of local and national communities; 

5) created the awareness of interdependency of national and international communities in JSS students; 

6) developed positive attitudes of togetherness, comradeship and cooperation towards a healthy nation in JSS students and

7) inculcated good citizenship behaviours in JSS students;

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guided this study:

1) To what extent has Social Studies created awareness and understanding of social and physical environments in JSS students?

2) To what extent has Social Studies helped JSS students to acquire basic skills?

3) What is the extent to which Social Studies has enabled JSS students to acquire relevant body of knowledge and information?

4) To what extent has Social Studies encouraged JSS students to appreciate the diversity and inter-dependence of members of local and national communities?

5) To what extent has Social Studies created the awareness of the interdependency of national and international communities in JSS students? 

6) What is the extent to which Social Studies developed positive attitudes of togetherness, comradeship and cooperation towards a healthy nation in JSS students?

7) To what extent has Social Studies inculcated good citizenship behaviours in JSS students?

1.5 HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses that were tested at 0.05 level of significance guided this study.

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has created the awareness and understanding of social and physical environments in JSS students.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers and

 non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has helped JSS students to

 acquire basic skills.  

 Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers

 and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has enabled JSS students

to acquire relevant body of knowledge and information. 

 Ho4: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers

 and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has enabled JSS students

to appreciate the diversity and interdependency of members of local and national 

communities.

Ho5: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has created the awareness of the interdependency of national and international communities in JSS students.

Ho6: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has developed positive attitudes of togetherness, comradeship and cooperation towards a healthy nation in Nigeria. 

Ho7: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of Social Studies teachers and non-Social Studies teachers on the extent Social Studies has inculcated good citizenship behaviours in JSS students.         

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study would be of particular importance to educators because it investigates the impact and contribution of Social Studies education on the citizenship values of Junior Secondary School students for the citizenship development. In particular the study investigated the impact of Social Studies curriculum programmes amongst these students in respect of their cognitive, affective and psychomotor orientations regarding an acquisition of citizenship development. This is because we need effective citizenship if Nigeria is to mature into nationhood for the purpose of positive and meaningful national development. As prospective and future leaders of Nigeria, it is worth while exposing students to features, issues and problems which have a bearing on the development of Citizenship values in order to prepare their minds for the significant role they could play, particularly in the political arena with regard to Nigeria’s national development. Thus investigations (such as this one) which bear on the determination of students’ orientations in respect of the values, attitudes, skills and the knowledge they hold on the sphere of Citizenship values (as a result of exposure to Social Studies education) are very vital in Nigeria’s present quest for meaningful and sustainable democracy. Thus, this study derives the basis of its strength from its concern for a determination of the extent to which JSS students’ exposure to Social Studies programmes in their various school settings have enabled them acquire the necessary citizenship values needed for their maturation into effective citizens that would contribute to nation-building and national development.

1.7 THE SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The target population of this study is J.S.S. III students in the country. An important aspect of the scope of this study involved subjecting the sampled population to JSS students in Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja a number of citizenship value tests in Social Studies education.

These tests were meant to determine the extent to which students’ exposure to instructions in Social Studies education sufficiently generated in them an acquisition of citizenship value for effective citizenship development