The Challenges of Social Studies Educators for Effective Teacher Preparation and Implementation of the Universal Basic Education Programme in Nigerian Junior Secondary Schools

THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATORS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHER PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN NIGERIAN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

The UBE (universal basic education) is one of the laudable reforms in education in Nigeria, which is implemented through social studies instruction. This study investigated social studies teachers’ capability for effective implementation of the UBE in junior secondary schools in Orlu education zone of Imo State of Nigeria. The study is a survey which made use of 20 social studies teachers in public schools as the sample. Results from the study indicate that social studies teachers are not adequately aware of the objectives of UBE. In addition, teacher training institutions have not prepared social studies teachers sufficiently for the implementation of the UBE programme, their teaching does not inject appreciable creativity in the learner, and teachers do not use ITCs (information and communication technologies) in the discharge of instruction as they are not ICT-skilled. Teachers are not sufficiently exposed in their training to reforms in education, specifically the UBE and that the teaching of social studies is not functional in injecting practical skills and vocational training in the learner, which is the basic objective of UBE. Implications of the study and recommendations are delineated.

Introduction
The UBE (universal basic education) is one of the boldest attempts in the national history of educational development to equalize the access to literary education in Nigeria. National development in all its entirety is visibly realized and achieved with productive labour force who are adequately informed and skilled to initiate their intellectual ideas, creativity, and enterprise into the political, social, economic, and technological transformation of the polity. National economic development is anchored on collective qualitative transformation initiative contribution of citizens through qualitative education pioneered by teachers who are sufficiently prepared to be knowledgeable on evolving curriculum innovations in terms of its requisite contents, pedagogies, values, and skills components geared at making the learner functionally productive in a dramatic transforming society.

The National Policy on Education (2004) made social studies a core subject in the junior secondary schools in Nigeria, with the objectives of inculcating in the learner in integrated forms, basic skills, values, and attitudes for useful living. This is in line with the objectives and goals of the UBE programme at the juniorsecondary school level. In simple terms, the effective implementation of the UBE in junior secondary school through social studies instruction is inextricably dependent on quality social studies teachers who are adequately informed about what to teach, how to teach, attitudes, values, and skills expected to be injected in the learner for the realization of functional educational goals. Nworgu (2007) and Ibiam (2007) in their respective studies established that most social studies teachers are not sufficiently informed about the demands, implications, and objectives of education reforms in Nigeria, specifically the UBE. This anomaly is likely to affect the potency, worth, and relevance of instruction delivered to the learner.

Adamechi and Romaine (2000) and Ukeje (2000) agreed that the focus of the UBE in junior secondary schools is to equip the learner with practical, creative skills, values, and ingenuity to become a functional member of the society. Nwazuoke (2007) thought that this is realizable when the social studies teacher integrates creativity process in the classroom instruction, as a means of energizing the thought processes of the learners in thinking reflectively about their personal and national problems. It is therefore instructive that social studies teachers should be adequately trained by teacher preparing institutes of education, the universities and colleges of education by enriching their social studies teacher education programmes with current educational reforms and policies, as well as emerging contemporary issues. This will make the social studies teacher functional in the implementation of the UBE programme as well as being sufficiently acquainted with educational reforms and evolving contemporary issues. Afe (2003) said that teacher quality and effectiveness is imperative for realistic implementation of UBE in Nigeria.

Mezieobi and Osakwe (2003), Esu and Inyang-Abia (2004), and Mezieobi (2007) have indicated that the essence of social studies instruction in junior secondary school is to equip the learner with attitudes, values, knowledge, and skills for functional living in the Nigerian society. It is therefore imperative that effective implementation of social studies instruction in line with vocational ideals of UBE be focused on equipping the learner with entrepreneurial and creative skills for productive living. Social studies education classroom instruction ought to be innovative in exposing the learner to discover knowledge, create ideas, and think scientifically. This is a veritable process of exposing and preparing the learners to become job creators rather than job seekers in future. In their perception of existent social studies classroom interaction process, Ukadike and Iyamu (2007) reported that social studies teachers are yet to involve learners adequately in active learning engagement and condemned the expository method which is responsible for the poor implementation of the social studies curriculum and consequent poor appreciation by learners of knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills in social studies curriculum.

The quality of the social studies teachers and the effectiveness of their instructional strategies in the classroom are crucial in the effective implementation of the UBE programme. Against this background, Ibiam (2007) noted that rapid technological changes in the society render most often learned materials and information in the social studies classroom obsolete if the teacher is not resourceful to embrace dynamic changes in the society. Furthermore, Maduewesi (2001) and Ibiam (2007) observed that educational innovations are not instantly integrated into school curricula at all levels in Nigeria. Obuh (2007) discovered that social studies teachers have not demonstrated high competence in the use of ITCs (information and communication technologies) in the teaching of social studies.

THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATORS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHER PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN NIGERIAN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Sharing is caring!