CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
To start with, it is proper to disabuse your mind from the earlier opinion that social studies is the study of history, geography, religious studies, government civics, economic history, anthropology or sociology. It is not an amalgamation of the subjects listed above under the big umbrella of social studies. Hence, Adaralegbe (1990) defined it as the totality of experience students goes through having been exposed to such a course based on man’s interminable problem in chosen environment with a full knowledge of unable factors whether historical, geographical, traditional, political, social, religious, economic, psychological, cultural, scientific or technological that are normally responsible in man’s web of interaction with his environment.
As Uche (1980) puts it, social studies provides understand their physical and human environment in order to act as responsible citizens. It has become imperative to find out the trend of performances of students in social studies in the junior secondary school certificate examination (2007) in Ikpoba Okha local government area.
As the society becomes more complex and advanced in technology man restructured social studies. This a lot of innovations emanated in different perspectives some of such innovation includes, change in shelter, transportation, use of products, culture, social institutions socialization and change in education. In other to cope with the changes / innovation in social studies, the subject was introduced to junior secondary school curriculum. Hence, junior secondary schools are the level where rudiments of social studies are taught.
Ulebor (1984) observed that students performance in social studies in Ikpoba – Okha local government area has been affected by lack of qualify social studies teachers, lack of laboratory, teaching aids, poor teaching method, poor motivation, wrong choice of course, financial problem, family problem, inadequate equipment, psychological problem, lack of provision of guidance counsellor and poor health. Despite all the effects devoted to the problem of poor academic performance, their has been little success.
This study is therefore aimed at looking into these problems and others with a view to provide solution to tem. It is the hope of the research that recommendation that would be made based on the findings would help to ameliorate the situation. Similarly, it is believed that the recommendation would be of immense benefits to educational planner’s policy makers, teachers and students.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This process of teaching and learning brings the individual in contact with educational process.
In 2007, the performance of student in social studies have left much to be desired. Efforts so far made at improving this seemingly bad situation will not seen to be providing the desired result. It would appear from past efforts that the problems have not been either correctly diagnosed, or solution provided have been adequate enough to ameliorate the situation.
In the light of the above it is obvious that the teachers and students themselves, who in the past studied separately, would provide the needed solution. The problem that arises from this situation is a decline in the numbers of students enrolling in social studies at the secondary school level. This definitely has a negative overall effect on the economy. Now that the country needs to be self sufficient the youth must be encouraged to study social studies.