CONTROLLING THE FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST TEACHING AND LEARNING OF SOCIAL STUDIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN UDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STAFF, USING INQUIRY BASED SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

The need for Inquiry Based System of Education have be seen to be very vital to primary schools. This study has attempted to analyze the controlling of factors militating against teaching and learning  of social studies in primary schools in Udi Local government area of Enugu state. Using Inquiry Based System of Education with a holistic view of ascertaining its adequacy and important. Ten primary schools in Udi local government area were used in order to ensure an intensive sturdy the major findings of the study were that, learners are the markers of meaning and knowledge. There Inquiry Based System of Education fosters critical thinking and creates that helps in controlling of factors that militates against teaching and learning in social studies in primary school.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The new paradigin shift of moving from teacher centre education to Inquiry Based System of Education  is a dramatic change in methodology which involves engaging participants in learning experience, that are designed not only to enable them to learn the process of learning how to learn, developing and empowering life long learning skills.

Therefore using Inquiry Based system of education in primary schools to control the factors militating against teaching and learning of social studies is a way of consistent internal motivation to employ one’s critical thinking abilities in judging what to believe or to do in any situation. This is because according to Prof Anih, Inquiry Based system of Education is  systematic and curriculum which fosters the improvement of reasoning skills through inter-subjectivity of simple philosophic topics by both the teachers and the pupils in the classroom. Therefore, controlling the factors militating against teaching and learning of social studies in primary schools in Udi L.G.A, Using Inquiry Based system of Education is the surest and shortest cut to the  digital age of globalization needed for holistic and authentic academic life.

1.2. POINT OF INQUIRY

Lack of Inquiry Based system of Education brings about low standard education which gives rises to low performances in our academic pursuit that causes the major havoc in our academic success.

Also lack of Inquiry Based system of Education in our primary schools causes expo/examination Mal practice, destruction, violence and misunderstanding in the society.

1.3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Infact the importance of Inquiry Based system of Education cannot be over emphasized because  Inquiry Based system of Education is a dramatic change in methodology which often refers to a major  change in thinking and planning which ultimately changes the way projects are implemented.

In the Inquiry Based system of Education paradigin, effective teaching is defined as facilitating students’ learning and ultimately, promoting positive learning outcomes. Also in the system, instruction changes from being teacher centered and content-driven to move Inquiry Based system and learning process driven. In the Inquiry Based system of Education paradigin, pupils spend less than being “instructed” and more time engaged in doing something other than the role recording of lecture notes: Therefore learning becomes deeper and more durable when pupils becomes actively engaged in the learning process. According to Prof Anih, learning depended  when participants “stepback” and reflects on how they are learning and transforming it into a form that makes sense or has personal meaning to them which enables them to build relevant conceptual connections between  what they are trying to learn and what they have already known. Also Inquiry Based system of Education is focused on the learners needs, abilities interest and learning styles with the teachers as a facilitator of learning. The system has a partnership where ordered dialogue is used to enables both the timid and the strong individuals to discover and recreate from personal word through patterns, so that they could see the word globally and holistically in order to make better choice of the unity in diversity existing in the gain clearer self understanding, through the journey of discovery, resulting not only from philosophically Inquiry as such but as a journey in a global community where unity in diversity occupies the irrevocable environment. The system helps the pupils to start self-awareness, become aware of self and realization of one’s situation. It assists the process of change and if an individual’s is open to the voice of others and their experiences, there mind and well spring of healthy thought. The system gives pupils a stability in a day to day practice of internalizing the wonderful and marvelous of inquiry process individuality of the human person and allows a healthy flow of human inter-subjectivity to grow in the society. The system is the greatest weapon against frustration, intellectual suicide and problems of teaching and learning of social studies in our schools.

Moreso, in Inquiry Based system of Education  pupils learn to work co-operatively with other pupils of different opinions, of varied races, of all religious and of all creeds, accept different sexes, learn to be patient enough to see the other side of the coin in a discussion and construe meaning in a communal context. If prevents pupils from looking foolish and supports them to employ relevant criteria thinking that is self correcting and a good thinking that is sensitive to context. In the system, pupils gradually with dialogue, cultivate refined definiteness of purpose by clarifying and knowing what they demand of life and where their academic moral goals propel them towards. The system helps the pupils create with themselves meaningful personal desires from better and richer life. Inquiry Based system of Education encourages pupils to think of new possibilities and alternatives and to use their imaginations.

The system is about problems seeking as well us about problem solving. Also Inquiry Based System of Education demonstrates to pupils the value of reflective and self corrective discussion for improving understanding and resolving. Also it lays the foundations for good thinking and reasoning in all contexts, both in and out of school.

Finally the new paradigin shift, the authentic Inquiry Based System of Education would bring in the analysis end of the following.

Þ   Problems facing the teaching and learning of social studies

Þ   Examination Malpractic/Expo

Þ   Truancy and lateness of teacher and pupils in schools

Þ   Low pupils performances on social studies

Þ   Problems of unqualified social studies teachers in schools

1.4. SCOPE OR DELIMITATION

The researcher is not claiming to have collected all the information concerning this project work.

Infact my hindrance is on my target audience, in some of the primary school visited; their teachers have little or no idea about Inquiry Based system of Education. Thereformation , collected in some of the schools.

Lack of finance: The researcher had no money to cover all the necessary places for the data collections. Therefore, this research work is limited to ten primary schools in Udi L.G.A. such schools randomly selected are as follows:-

1.  Central school Nachi

2.  Community primary schools Amokwe

3.  Central schools Amokwe

4.  Premier primary schools Udi

5.  Central school Umuaga

6.  Community primary school Abia

7.  Hillside primary schools Udi

8.  Central school Umuabi

9.  Central school Abia

Also twenty teachers and few pupils involved in the research work which deal on the controlling of the factors militating against teaching and learning of social studies in primary schools in Udi L.G.A  of Enugu state, Using  Inquiry Based system of Education.

1.5. ASSUMPTION (HYPOTHESIS)

The researcher of this project work assumed that due to lack Inquiry Based system of Education. There will be unqualified social studies teachers in our schools, so government should introduce and support Inquiry Based system of Education in our primary schools because the system allows the pupils to be active participating in the classroom.

Also the researcher assumed that due to lack of Inquiry Based system of Education there are examination mal-practice/expo in all subject including social studies in our schools so, government should wipe out teachers centered system of education and introduce Inquiry Based system of Education the only system that will move us from immaterial to materials. Therefore in order to carry out the research work, the researcher formulated the following researcher question

ØGovernment should introduce Inquiry Based system of Education

ØThere are problems in teaching and learning of social studies in our schools

ØThere are unqualified social studies teacher in primary schools

ØPupils are not allowed to be activities participation in the classroom.

ØThere are examination Mal practice/expo in all subjects including social studies

ØThere are low pupils performances in our schools

ØPupils attend school regularly

ØTeachers allow pupils to ask question

ØGovernment pay teachers salaries regularly

ØTeachers and pupils are involved in lateness to schools.