THE PERCEPTION OF THE RELEVANCE OF
SOCIAL STUDIES AS A CORE SUBJECT IN THE DAILY LIVES
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The 21st century
requires equipping children with basic education in literacy and numeracy, as
the more advanced completes skills needed for living that can serve as the
foundation of life enabling the children to adapt and change life abetting to
life every-changing circumstances. Basic education remains the most important
factor that enables the very process is about enhancing knowledge, skills and
attitudes needed for societal and national growth of any country of the world.
Slavin (1983) defines learning as an activity of acquiring and applying
knowledge to facilitate meeting individual needs. A child’s education starts
from the home that is the family (informal education) and proceeds to nursery
school, primary school, secondary school, and tertiary level call formal
education.
The objectives of
secondary schools as stated in the national policy on education is:
1. Preparation for
useful living in the society.
2. Preparation for high
education.
The secondary schools (JSS). This
refers to education that is pre-vocational and academic designed to enable
students acquire further knowledge other than acquisition of literacy and
numeracy and also develop basic life skills. This level is for children age
12-14 years and it is for three years. The curriculum has on education and they
are:
1. English
2. Mathematics
3. Art
4. Music
5. Integrated science
6. Agriculture
7. Business studies
8. Social studies
9. Home economics
10. Physical health
education
11. Religious and moral
instruction.
The knowledge acquired as this live
provides the children with ability to cope with issues, relating to the entire
spectrum of their survival, well-being knowledge on how to deal with people and
situations encountered. It home, school and street, helps them interact with
other and appreciates their own rights and respect opinions of others. Students
can stop at this level equipped with a little vocational knowledge for survival
go to the next level which is the senior secondary school.
SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (SSS)
This refers to
education that is academically and vocational designed for those waiting to
complete the six years circle. Its core subject in the curriculum are
comprehensive and broad designed to broaden students knowledge and outlook. The
core subject area;
1. English language
2. Mathematics
3. One Nigeria language
4. Physics or chemistry
or biology
5. Literature in
English, history or geography
6. Agriculture science
These core subject are basic subjects
which will enable students offers and study a particularly course inn the high
institution of need be. Take note there is no special studies in this
curriculum. Social studies is a field of study or subject in schools. It is an
inner disciplinary one. From its introduction till date, there remains
confusion and disagreement as to what social studies is should be. The rational
content and approach of social studies differs depending ion the needs and
conditions of the society it serves.
Ethiopia: in Ethiopia social studies is
seen as a means to transform the political culture of the people.
Gham: it is used as a weapon for
economic emancipation.
Japan: it is used for building the
foundation for a democratic society.
Nigeria: it is used to inculcate
nationalism and unity among its diverse people.
Sierra Leone: see it as a means of
improving their self-image after colonial rule.
United states: view it as the development of social problems solving
abilities at one time and also acknowledge for effective citizenship during a
different time and as integrated and adapted social sciences for the school as
yet another time.
West Germany: regard it as a means of
developing a new order each view is a reaction to different situation as the
case may be. The department of curriculum development and evaluation
(undated) defines social studies as the study of ma, the way he behaves and
organizes in group, his relationship with his physical and social environment
and interaction with them considering the past, present and emerging in future.
Kesock (1981) defines social studies as
a programme, which a society uses to instill in students the knowledge, skills
attitudes and action. It consider important relationship human have with each
other their world and themselves. Dubey (1986) see it as a program of
education, which utilizes the study of human life for the purpose of given
children the opportunity to practice solving the problems of crucial
importance, both for the individual and society. It is based on the common
learning of mans interaction with his social and physical environment. Salav
(1991) defines it as the study of man and his physical environment. As Ulehe
(1980) put it, social studies provide people understanding their physical and
human environment in order to act as responsible citizens. Newman (2003)
defines it as a unit of course or study based on the social sciences e.g.
history, geography, economics, psychology, government and anthropology. Social
studies came into existence in Nigeria in 1916 when the national education
organisation decided the less emphasis should be placed on memorizing factual
information and more preparing people for the future. Such preparation requires
that attitudes and skills be taught along side with knowledge,. At this time
social studies was considered integrated curriculum combing the already
established history and geography with newer social studies it should be noted
that Nigeria inherited the colonial form of education which upon independence
was seen as irrelevant to the need to change the school curriculum for a
relevant one become necessary in Nigeria. Also the agitation to formulate
policies and change the existing curriculum gained momentum among local elites,
farmer and concerned individual. to this end, effort made to fashion out the
type of education future African citizens should have.
HYPOTHESIS
Man as a social
being is always interacting with his fellow being till the day he dies. This
interaction has implication on both man and his environment. Based on this t he
study will attempt following questions.
1. Does social studies
have any relevance in the study daily life?
2. Are the objectives of
social studies achieved by the time a child completes the junior secondary
school?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The researcher
has embarked on this study in order to:
i. To determine the
learning experience in the class.
ii. To outline the
benefit of social studies problems and make necessary contribution.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The study is
limited to Oredo local government area of Edo State and remote part of Egor
area covered are Oliha quarters, Uselu quarters, Ugbowo quarters and Benin city
environs.
BASIC ASSUMPTION
The researcher
assumed that
1. Social study is
taught in all junior secondary school whether public or private.
2. That the students do
not have an awareness of the relevance of social studies.
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
Some terms used
in this research are defined below:
1. Environment: this is
the totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or organisms in the
complex of social and cultural condition affecting the nature of an individual
or the society.
2. Knowledge: is the
assured belief referring to that which is known?
3. Objectives; there are
desirable out achievement with resources and time.
4. Perception: this is
achieving knowledge through the sensory organs.
5. Relevance: this is
pertinent to the matter at hand.
6. School: this refers
to institution of pre-college formal education. It also includes colleges,
universities and many other types of special establishment.
7. Skills: refers to expert
knowledge concerning matter, or accomplishment or craft.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This introduction
attempts to examine related work to this study. In this regards literature
would be reviewed under the promoting headings.
1. The meaning of social studies
2. The nature of social studies
3. The relevance of social studies
4. The objective of social studies
5. Social studies curriculum.
THE MEANING OF SOCIAL STUDIES
Adaralegbe
(1975), 1981) expressed and define social studies in more academic form, noted
that social studies is an inter-disciplinary field in which man learn about
problems of survival in his environment. He also included that it is a study of
man influences his environment. He also included that it is a study of man
influenced by his physical, social, political, religious, economic,
psychological, cultural, scientific and technological environment. The national
council for social studies (NCSS) official definition for social studies (200) states
that social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and
humanities to promote civic competence.
This means that
within the school program social studies provide coordinated systematic study
drawing upon discipline such as anthropology, economics, geography, law,
psychology, political science as well as appropriate content from humanities
mathematics and natural science. Similarly Adedoyin in Aina et al (1982)
man in his totality.. (The study covers) where he (man) lives his activities in
the past and presents his culture, his frame of mind and how he related other.
This means that social studies seeks to examine and under communities from the
local to global their various heritages, physical system and the nature of
citizenship. Students acquire knowledge of key the environment and also educate
students on effective democratic citizens not merely classic “good citizenship
sense of who is patriotic, loyal and obedient to the state. Rather than the
good citizens who is also a critic of the state. One who is able and will
participate in societal improvement.
NATURE OF SOCIAL
STUDIES
As a field of study, social studies is
distinguished by the following characteristics;
1. Social studies is
designed to promote civic competence.
2. It is integrated and
incorporating many field of endeavour.
3. Changing the nature
of knowledge.
4. It is a discipline
that provides perspective.
CIVIC COMPETENCE
Social studies
provide civic competence through the knowledge, skills and attitude required of
the studies to be able to assume the office of citizen I our democratic
society. Although civic competence is not the responsibility of social studies nor
it exclusive to the field.
INCORPORATING DIFFERENT FIELDS OF
ENDEAVOUR
Social studies is
not a single discipline but rather a multi and inter disciplinary one which
comprises of economics, sociology, history, geography religion, political science,
law, mathematics and a little from humanities such as:
a. Social issues:
poverty, crime and public health are increasing understand to train the
boundaries of discipline, culture and nation.
b. Technology this
provides easy access to data bases that are cross and multi disciplinary as
well as scholarly works.
SOCIAL STUDIES AS A DISCIPLINE
Social studies
help students construct a knowledge base and attitude drawn from academic
discipline as specialized ways of viewing reality. Each discipline begin from a
specific perspective and supply unique perspective of time to explore causes
and effect of events in the past while political science uses the perspective
of political institutions to explore structure and the processes of government.
RELEVANCE OF SOCIAL STUDIES
According to NCSS
(2004) social studies:
1. Enable students to
gain knowledge and perfect skills of individual and group inquiry and examine
board range of people and culture.
2. Addresses the
contemporary conditions of real life and academic scholarship the more likely a
programme is to help students develop a deeper understanding of how to know,
how to apply what know how to participate in building the future.
3. The development of
human relationship skills and attitude that enable one to act in the interest
of self and other.
4. The development of
positive self-concern interrelationship and effect of belief, value and
behaviour pattern and the application of the knowledge to new situation.
5. The development of
positive self concern.
Karine (2002) maintained that social
studies:
1. Encourage children to
practice making informed reflective decision by expressing them to situation
that call for their personal contribution in solving an issue or problems.
OBJECTIVE OF SOCIAL STUDIES
Based on Nigeria
system of education 6-3-3-4 as adopted which spell out the first three years to
be spent in the primary education which is basic and laid a proper social
studies foundation are head of the first t here years secondary school. Hence
social studies in work of R. U. Ijegbai (2009) states as follows:
1. Social studies at
junior secondary school provide basic social skills, value for the pupils.
2. It enable the
development of greater capacity to acquire certain basic skills such as
listening, reading, and writing and of calculation and those skills which
involves act of observation, analysis and inferences which are essential to the
forming of good social economic and political sense of judgment.
3. To promote
understanding of the social problem in their locality and finding possible
solution on them.
4. To develop the
ability to think reflectively and obtain an independent conclusion.
5. To demonstrate
flexibility and willingness to accept necessary changes within a system.
SOCIAL STUDIES
CURRICULUM
Social studies
scheme of work as approved by the ministry of education for all junior
secondary school in Edo State for both public and private, organizes students
into three term comprises of twelve week with four week as holiday or break at
the end of each term. The Ontario curriculum (2004) and NCSS (2004) organizes
social studies around fundamental concepts which is also applicable to the
Nigeria social studies curriculum these fundament concepts are:
1. System and structure
2. Interaction and
interdependence
3. Culture
4. Power, authority and
government
5. Production,
distribution and consumption
6. Science, technology
and society.
7. Places, people and
environment.
8. Individual, groups
and institution.
CHANGES AND CONTINUITY
This refers to
fundamental criteria for assessing the development of human and natural system
and structures. Change is manifested by differences over time and is recognized
by comparing phenomena and contexts as the context as they exist at different
times. Continuity represents. Consistent and connectedness, over and is
recognized by exploring the forces within nature and human societies that
create stability and link the past with the present.
CULTURE
This refers to
the expression of humanity learned and shared within a specific population
influenced by physical environment, perception of time, place, identity,
significance, change and interpreting the world.
ENVIRONMENT
This refers to
natural and built in elements of which the earth is composed and t he complex
they form.
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
This refers to
understanding the increasing important and diverse global connection among
societies and the frequent tension between national interest, global and
communication.
INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND
INSTITUTION
This refers to
institution such as school, churches, families, courts mass media and
government agencies play an integral role in people lives.
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY
This refers to
ones personal identity shaped by the culture, group and institutional
influence.
INTERACTIONS AND INDEPENDENCE
This refers to
the influences shaping relationship with and among human and natural system and
structure.
POWER AND GOVERNANCE
This refers to
the means and supporting structure where by laws and rules are enforced in a
society and global community. Power also refers to the ability to control the
behaviour of others while governance is the societal administration.
PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND
CONSUMPTION
This refers to
how resources are processed, produced, distributed and consumed. It also refers
to the way people have exceed resources made available to them.
FIRST TERM
|
Fundamental
concept |
Topic |
Weeks |
|
Environment |
Origin
of man |
One and
two |
|
Interaction
and interdependent people, places and environment |
Race |
Three |
|
Interaction
and interdependent |
Social
environment: community |
Four |
|
System
and structures interaction and interdependent |
Social
stratification |
Five |
|
Individual
development and identity |
Inter
communicably relation |
Six |
|
Global
connections interaction and interdependent science, technology and society
system and structure |
Communication
system, telecommunication system countries |
Seven,
eight and nine |
|
Revision |
Ten |
|
|
Examination |
Eleven
and twelve |
SECOND TERM
|
Fundamental
concept |
Topic |
Weeks |
|
Interaction
and interdependent, individual group and institutions |
Socialization:
its agencies and process |
One |
|
Power,
authority and governance |
The
role of the individual in the social institution |
Two |
|
Change
and continuity |
Lack of
cooperation and its effects |
Three |
|
Culture |
Pattern
of group behaviour |
Four |
|
Production,
distribution and consumption |
Export
and import |
Five |
|
People,
place and environment interactions and interdependence |
National
economic life |
Six |
|
Change
and continuity culture |
Human
resources |
Seven |
|
Global
connections |
Sources
of population data e.g. census |
Eight |
|
Science,
technology and society people, places and environment |
Nine |
|
|
Revision |
Ten |
|
|
Eleven
and twelve |
THIRD TERM
|
Fundamental
concept |
Topic |
Weeks |
|
People,
places and environment, production, distribution and consumption |
The
people and resources of Africa |
One |
|
Culture |
Race
and culture |
Two |
|
Changes
and continuity interaction and interdependent |
Physical
character Culture
heritage |
Three |
|
Power
and governance interaction and independent system and structures |
Cultural
cooperation International
trade economic cooperation |
Four |
|
World
transport system |
World
transportation system |
Five
and six |
|
Science,
technology and society |
Railway
and road system Water
and air |
Continuation
of wk five and six |
|
Individuals,
group and institutions |
Institutions |
Seven |
|
Changes
and continuity individual, group and institutions |
Religious
institutions traditional institution |
Eight
and nine |
|
Revision |
Ten |
|
|
Examination |
Eleven
and twelve |
Social studies curriculum in junior secondary school in Edo State (both
public and private schools)
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