THE USE OF COI IN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

This study is conceived to confront the declining education standard in Nigeria. An investigation into the philosophy guiding the establishment of education was necessary with a view to finding the root of the problem.

COIP4C is an educative approach that helps to stimulate the thinking capacity of children and motivates them in reasoning. With P4C method, everybody is an inquirer or philosopher. The main goal of P4C is to seek for truth and clarity of ideas. No truth is the absolute and this method of educating children in the classroom is what will help to bridge the missing link in the chain of education and that is reasonableness.

CHAPTER 1

1. O INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Education is the life wire of any nation. It is the catalyst that propels both economic and social development. This explains why nations as well as individuals lay so much emphasis on the intellectual development of individuals. No individual or group of individual has ever disagreed on the efficacy of education in solving societal problem. Everybody all agrees that education is the panacea for the eradication of ignorance and poverty.

In the same vein (Babalola (2005:130) noted that education is one of the major elements that influence economic growth. It inculcates skills which are useful in the productive process of

(extractive, manufacturing, engineering, construction and commercial services). Second, education provides knowledge of law, since, medicine, arts, philosophy and mathematics.

Third, education provides job ethics and attitudes towards production of goods and services. Finally, education produces dynamic and creative human resources.

Having seen the importance of education in our society, the question is what kind of education will help Nigerians attain to a greater height? Shall we continue to adhere to an education that is too passive and rote oriented? Nigerians have reached a stage that they need an advanced education system which will help to empower, enlighten and rebrand them. COIP4C educative approach will address this issue.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigerian education system is in shambles because of lack of reasoning in the curriculum and this has destabilized the nation’s economic and social progress. The P4C method, if applied will help to remedy the drastic situation encountered in social studies education.

There are two main phases to the problems of Nigerian education system.

These are:

Problem of what to teach

How to teach

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to enlighten Nigerians on the need to change to an innovative and effective system of education and there reflective method meets the entire requirement for moving Nigerian educational system forward.

This research study aims among other things:

i. To do a survey on Nigeria’s education system with a view to finding out how the pedagogical conventional method of education has affected the teaching and learning of social studies in Nigeria.

ii. To show evidence of misplaced priorities in approach to educational issue in Nigeria.

iii. To evaluate the teaching profession with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problems confronting the teaching profession, e.g. the Issues of falling standard of education; poor academic performance/ achievement of pupils/ students; teachers incessant strikes and cultism in our schools.

iv. To see that the child as the center of education is given its rightful place in the education process.

v. To point out and place the right values to our education system.

vi. To show how the learner centred educational approach could be used to address the socio-economic, political and cultural issues that affect education in Nigeria.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is important in that it will enlighten Nigerians on how to think critically, creatively, caringly and collaboratively in all ramifications of life.

The importance of this study is that the outcome of the inquiry will be useful in:

1. Addressing the Issue of academic backwardness of pupils/ students in social studies class.

2. It will address the problems of lack of motivation for the teachers and the taught in social studies class.

3. It will address the problem of placing much emphasis on rote learning and memorization which does not elicit thinking in the learner.

4. The study is like a roadmap showing/directing our course objectives in social studies class.

5. The study will provide a format for redesigning the social studies curriculum.

6. The study will help the teacher’s educators in the colleges of education to see the importance of giving adequate training to the student teachers that is in line with modern methods of education.

7. It will help the student teachers to embrace this innovative method of performance/achievement through the teaching of thinking skills in a community of inquiry format.

8. It will help the education curriculum designers in formulating better curriculum for our schools.

9. it will help to solve the problems of cultism and examination malpractices in our schools and education system.