ABSTRACT
The study examined an evaluation of the implementation of CRK curriculum for Junior Secondary Schools in Education District IV of Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. In this study, brief literature review was carried out under sub-headings. The descriptive research survey was applied in the assessment of selected respondents using the questionnaire and the sampling technique. A total of 226 (two hundred and twenty six) respondents were selected in this study to represent the entire population of the study. The samples involved 26 CRK teachers and 200 CRK students (13 male teachers and 13 female teachers) and (100 male and 100 female) students drawn from 10 (ten) secondary schools in the Local Government Area under review. A total of five (5) research questions, and five (5) null hypotheses were formulated and analysed statistically using the percentage frequency, while the null hypotheses were tested using the Chi-square statistical tool for hypotheses one, two and five respectively while hypotheses three and four were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlatinoal Statistical tool. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance and were all rejected. This means that the effective implementation of CRK curriculum affects students’ academic achievement and their moral orientation in the society. Therefore, it is recommended that CRK teachers should endeavour to effectively implement the CRK curriculum content especially at the Junior Secondary School level in Lagos State and that the objectives of curriculum in CRK needs to be implemented. This will go a long way in enabling students to embrace good moral values in the society and the school
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) as known at secondary school level is a subject that has always played an important role in human history. It is one of those subjects that provide opportunities for the full development of the child’s cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. It is a process by which children understand the religious traditions of life and thought. It also helps one to be sensitive to the ultimate question posed by life and to the dimensions of mysteries and wonders that underline human experiences. Christian religious knowledge serves as a foundation of moral and spiritual guidance for the pupils/students. It gives a sense of direction and ability to differentiate between what is right and wrong (NERDC, 2007).
Religion and moral education have been widely accepted as determinants of national development in modern society, hence, the inclusion of the subject in the school curriculum. Also, Christian religious knowledge has its foundation in the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004). It is advocated in some sections of the policy for all levels of learning. The policy emphasized that religious instruction and moral education shall be taught and learnt in schools. The national curriculum for religious education evolved over time as a reflection of the needs, perceptions and historical development for the societies concerned. The methods of teaching Christian religious knowledge in the junior secondary school comes under focus when its effect on the moral and spiritual dimensions.
1.2Statement of Problem
Religion generally, plays an important function in the lives of people in the society, especially in the lives of pupils/students at the lower-post-primary institutions in Nigeria, and Lagos State in particular. However, the problems inherent in the wrong application of teaching methods, improper exploration of subject-content, and unclear delineation of the objectives, non-application of correct teaching materials, teachers’ poor attitudes, teachers’ poor quality in terms of lack of qualification which leads to non-mastery of content and non-mastery of methodology, poor personality and so on, in teaching and learning of the subject, have been of immense concern to the stake-holders in the subject. No wonder, the Christian religious knowledge, education and instruction, have failed to play the major role of serving as fountain of moral and spiritual guidance for the pupils/students in the primary and the lower post-primary schools in Lagos State Education District IV in particular and Nigeria in general.
This can be seen in the general decadence of our youths, and even the adult members of the society who are in one religion or the other but have failed to be good role models to the youths, despite religion being taught and studied both in the school and outside of it. The above identified problems, gave rise to the evaluation of the implementation CRK curriculum content, objectives, methods of teaching, teachers’ qualification, teaching materials applied in presentation of the subject in the classroom and so on.
1.3Purpose of the Study
This study mainly examines the evaluation of curriculum implementation techniques in the area of content, objectives, teaching methods, teaching materials and teachers’ qualification in Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) at the Junior Secondary Schools in District IV of Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The specific objectives of the study included to:
(1) Examine the implementation of the content of CRK at the Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State District IV.
(2) Evaluate the implementation of the objectives of CRK at the Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State District IV.
(3) Investigate the implementation of the methods of teaching CRK at the Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State Education District IV.
(4) Evaluate the implementation of the materials applied in the teaching of CRK at the Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State Education District IV.
(5) Find out the qualification of teachers in CRK at the Junior Secondary Schools in Mainland Education District IV, Lagos State.