STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS’ LOW ENROLMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL HISTORY IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
History, Students’ Low Enrolment, Improvement StrategiesAbstract
History as a subject in Nigerian secondary schools is not only significant for its role as an instrument of nation building rather it instills creative, imaginative and critical thinking skills on the learners. However, as as History is, the enrolment rate is still low in Nigerian secondary schools. Therefore important, this study examined teachers’ perceived strategies for improving students’ low enrolment in Senior Secondary School History in Kwara State. The population consisted of all Senior Secondary School teachers in Kwara State. Descriptive survey research design was employed in the study while 450 teachers were randomly sampled using multistage sampling techniques. A researchers’ self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection while the data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean and rank order to answer research question and inferential statistics of t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from this study revealed that the perceived strategies for improving students’ low enrolment in Senior Secondary School History in Kwara State, Nigeria are by making History as a core subject for Arts students; making History as a general/optional for all SSS students to have knowledge of the past events of their immediate community and at large among others. There was a statistically significant difference in teachers’ perceived strategies for improving students’ low enrolment in Senior Secondary School History based on teaching qualifications in Kwara State, Nigeria. It was therefore recommended among others that History should be made a core subject for Arts students and a general/optional for other category of students; the use of modern teaching and learning techniques such as inquiry teaching technique, co-operative (e.g. think-pair-share) and competitive teaching technique (game theory), all which are learner-centeredness in History teaching and learning process should be integrated so as to increase the number of students enrolling for History
References
Amon M. (2003). School enrolment, performance and access to education in Tanzania. research on poverty alleviation. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzani
Anjaneyulu T. (2015). problems faced by teachers in teaching history in government schools in Telangana State. 3(3), 225-231
Banerjee, A., and E. Duflo. (2006). “Addressing absence.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 20(1):117-32.
Buodu, G. (2016). Teachers’ Perceptions of the Problems faced in the Teaching of History in Senior High Schools. Journal of Arts and Humanities. 5(7); 38 – 48.
Boadu, G., Awuah, M., Ababio, A. M. & Eduaquah, S. (2014). An examination of the use of technology in the teaching of history: A study of selected senior high schools in the Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 8(1), 187-214.
Cobbold, C. &Oppong, A. C. (2010a). Assessing instructional resources and methods of teaching history in senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana. International Journal of Educational Leadership 3(3), 77 – 88.
Cobbold, C. &Oppong, A. C. (2010b). Re-echoing the place of history in the curriculum. International Journal of Educational Leadership, 3(3), 89-96.
David, L. & Alan, B. (2015). Enriching history teaching and learning: challenges, posibilities and practice. Proceedings of the Linköping Conference on history teaching and learning in higher education. Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Derby, D. C., & Smith, T. (2004). An orientation course and community college retention. Community College Journal of Research and Practice , 28 , 763-773
Dwarko, D. A. (2007). History-our ailing subject: The need for revival in the 21st century. In D. E. K. Amenumey (Ed.), Challenges of education in Ghana in the 21st century (pp. 167-178). Accra: Woeli Publishing Services.
Fadairo, O. O. (2009). Strategies for improving the interest of automobile technology students in Technical Colleges in Ogun State. Department of Vocational Teacher Education (Industrial Technical Education) University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Federal Ministry of Education (2010) National Policy on Education (Revised). Lagos: Government Press.
Fisher, D. (2000). History teaching with ICT: The 21st century’s ‘gift of Prometheus’? ACE Research Papers, 7, 46-58.
Fraenkel, J. R. &Wallen, N. E. (2000). How to design and evaluate research in education (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Greene, J., Kisida, B. & Bowen, D. (2013) “The Educational Value of Field Trips”, Education Next, Volume 14, 1.Gregory K.J (2000). The Changing Nature of Physical Geography. London: Arnold.
Kola, A & Nelson, A. (2004). Gender analysis of student enrolment in Nigerian Universities. Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development (2018). Number of Students’ who registered for WAEC Government and History Examinations (2010 to 2017) in Kwara State, Nigeria
Lauer, C. (2002). Enrolments in higher education: Do economic incentives matter? Education + Training, 44 (4/5), 179-185.
Malik, S. (2015). School choice determinants, declining enrolment issues and strategies: A review of the literature. (Research Report No. 14/15-09). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Toronto District School Board
Ministry of Education (2010). Teaching syllabus for history. Accra: Curriculum Research and Development Division.
Olanrewaju, O. (2011). The determinants of child schooling in nigeria. University of Ibadan Ibadan, Nigeria.
Oluwayemisi F. F. (2015). Tackling the challenges of teaching history as second language (ESL) In Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Research and Method in Education. 5(2), 26 - 30
Oppong, A. C. (2009). An evaluation of the teaching and learning of history in senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana. (Unpublished masters thesis), University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Rono, D. (2015). Constraints on effective history and government instruction in secondary schools in Bomet district, Rift-Valley province in Kenya. (Unpublished masters thesis), Moi University, Kenya.
Ruto, Z. J. (2013). The role of teacher characteristics and managerial support in implementation of history and government curriculum in Wareng district, Kenya. International Journal of Management and Sustainability, 2(4), 86-96.
Ruto, Z. J. &Ndaloh, A. M. (2013). The impact of secondary school teachers’ attitudes and challenges on the teaching and learning of history and government in Wareng district, Kenya. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 4(2), 369-374.
Simpson, O. (2004). The impact on retention of interventions to support distance learning students. Open Learning, 19 (1), 79-95.
Taylor, T. & Young, C. (2003). Making history: A Guide for the teaching and learning of history in Australian schools. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Uchenna. S. M. & Patrick E. E. (2015). Causes of low enrollment of physics as a subject of study by secondary school students in Nigeria: A Descriptive Survey. International Journal of Scientific Research in Education: 8(4); 127 – 149.
Voss, R., & Gruber, T. (2006). The desired teaching qualities of lecturers in higher education: A means end analysis. Quality Assurance in Education 14 (3), 217-242.
Yilmaz, K. (2008). A vision of history teaching and learning: Thoughts on history education in secondary schools. The High School Journal, 37-46.
