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CHALLENGES FACING THE TEACHING OF CIVICS SUBJECT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY        

Peterson (2011) argues that “there is a strong sense in which Civic Education curricular programmes and initiatives in a number of Western democratic nations are influenced by a civic republican agenda”. In other words, Peterson (2011) seems to remind us that in looking at Civic Education one needs to examine it in the context of civic republican political thought which is not an easily definable entity as its principles and ideas which comprise civic republican commitments usually find expression in a range of political writings. This aspect is important in the context of this study as it provides an indication to the readers that there could be some conceptual difficulties in the way Civic Education is defined and understood by different players in the field.

Gonzalez and Garazo (2006) identified that civics teacher links the school to its students and parents make evaluative judgments of the quality of education delivered by these teachers. Consequently, the behaviors and outlook of civics teachers provide teaching activities that are crucial for the positive evaluation of teaching activities by students.

According to Soderlund and Rosengren (2008), the behavior of the civics teacher in the teaching encounter is a main determinant of students’ civics learning and performance. Civics teacher’s outlook has a strong impact on the student learning at a classroom. According to Coyle Research Team (2010) from their research, which looked at what prompt parents to recommend a school, teachers outlook is one of the factions. Outlook is where the students’ understanding of the subject begins, stated Karp (2012). Teaching activities outlook sets the stage for how the students perceive civics teachers and the teaching activities.

The problem of civics teachers’ outlook in most Tanzania secondary schools is serious and it does not get any better as days goes on. In her research, Lwakabamba (2009) found out that the most commonly cited problems with civics teachers teaching are slowness, inattentiveness and rudeness. Kara (2006) on her research results provides that students in public secondary schools in Dar es Salaam were treated somewhat unfairly due to insignificance given at the time taken by the civics teachers to solve students’ civics learning problems. Guiry (1992) declared that, the wrong manners of teaching approaches that civics teachers portrays during interaction with students and the whole teaching process by which the subject is delivered to students create a bad experience for students in civics learning process.

Lowenstein (2011) explained that, Northwestern University conducted a school chain study, which showed that, for the extent to which civics teachers try to satisfy students in the teaching process, a 10% increase in this factor resulted in a 22% increase in students choosing per school visit. Teaching studies have also shown that, the students who register a complaint; between 54% and 70% will choose a school with the organization again if their students’ complaints are resolved. This figure rises to 95% if the students feel the complaints are resolved professionally, quickly and proactively, depending upon positive civics teachers’ outlook.

Civics teachers are the only teachers’ members who have not learnt civics pedagogy in teacher colleges and they don’t know how to make students interact with subjects during classroom. Civics teachers are supposed to make students feel welcomed and turn unhappy students into happy ones in learning civics subject. Magrogan (2009) stated that, teaching activities cannot afford to have rude.

Bad–tempered or inefficient teachers are interacting with new students and cause lower learning and performance. Every single new student interaction matters in learning civics subject lead to high performance. One bad civics teaching in your school could mean the final civics performance. A civics teacher with a genuine positive outlook can make important connections with students, connection that inspires the students to become interested in civics learning and hence perform well in national examinations.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Various literature such as Lopper (2009), Hodge (2009), Lowenstein (2011) and Kara (2006) hold that there is a direct relationship between teaching methods used by teachers, teachers’ teaching performance and their students’ academic performance. It appears that there is a great problem in the preparation of civics teachers. Several studies have been carried, such as Lwakabamba (2009), Coyle Research Team (2010), Soderlund and Rosengren (2008), Pritchett (2004) and Liao (2007) found out that without teaching methods teachers are most, likely to perform poorly in their classrooms.

However, some studies counter this position by suggesting that there is no relationship between students’ academic performance and their teachers’ teaching methods revealed by Magrogan (2009) and Karp (2012). The former perspective is that students without teachers’ teaching methods can also perform well in school. Yet studies on the type of teaching methods used by public secondary school teachers and students’ civics subject academic performance are very few. It is becoming apparent that the available evidence from Nigeria has not been definitely and conclusive in identifying specific teachers’ teaching methods that have great impacts on students’ civics learning and classroom performance. In spite of the importance that civics teachers’ teaching methods used in school. Little is known about the challenges facing civics teachers to have favorable teaching methods that caters to students’ civics subject performance. These problems necessitate the need to carry out a study on the Challenges facing the teaching of civics subject in Ado-odo Ota LGA, Ogun state.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY  

The general objective of this study is to examine the Challenges facing the teaching of civics subject in Ado-odo Ota LGA, Ogun state. The specific objectives include the following:

1.     To find out if there are challenges facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state.

2.     To ascertain if lack of instructional materials is a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state.

3.     To examine if lack of teachers’ motivation is a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state.

4.     To assess if poor school environment is a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state.

5.     To determine the influence of the challenge facing the teaching of civics subject on students’ performance in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The relevant research questions related to this study include the following:

1.     Are there challenges facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state?

2.     is lack of instructional materials a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state?

3.     is lack of teachers’ motivation a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state?

4.     is poor school environment a challenge facing the teaching of civics subject in schools in Ado-odo Ota LGA of Ogun state?

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