DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

The study investigated challenges of teaching English language in rural areas using Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State as a case study. The design adopted for this study is the descriptive survey method.

Four (4) research questions were raised for the study. The population of this study consisted of all the secondary school teachers in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. A total of sixty (60) teachers were purposively selected as the sample size from eight (8) secondary schools in the LGA. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. The research instrument used was validated/ by experts in the Department of Educational Foundations. Data collected from the survey were statistically analysed. After analysis, results were displayed on tables showing frequencies, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations of responses, including the decisions made.

Based on the findings, it was discovered mother tongue interference affects rural students' pronunciation of certain English words and comprehension of English language; there is not enough provision of school facilities for the/ adequate teaching and learning of English Language
in rural areas, etc.

Some recommendations were made afterwards. It was recommended that students should be
made aware of the differences in the phonological, orthographical, vocabulary and grammatical
patterns in English and their mother tongue; government should provide adequate, spacious
classes with adequate equipment and school facilities in order to meet the needs of the learners
and their aspiration, etc.

This article presents a study which is aimed at identifying the problems and constraints of teaching history in secondary schools in Nigeria using secondary schools in Ukwuani local government area of Delta state . The problem of teaching history is often traced to the low production capacity of the history teacher. This article argues that the dullness of history lessons in class and lack of interest among the students can also be traced to the teacher who is accused of lack of resourcefulness, laziness, intellectual bankruptcy and lack of interest in the subject. This study therefore examines the challenges facing the teaching and learning of History as a subject in senior secondary schools in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta state, Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select some History teachers and 100 History students as samples. Questionnaire was designed to collect data while a descriptive statistic was used to answer the three research questions generated in this study. The findings reveal that inconsistent government policies towards History as a subject, the quality of History teachers and the teaching method used in teaching History has adversely affected the teaching and learning of the subject in Ukwuani Government Area secondary schools of Delta State. Based on the findings, it is therefore recommended that the government should make History a compulsory subject for all secondary school students as other core subjects such as Mathematics and English Language, so that they can have adequate knowledge of Nigerian History, learn from the past mistakes of our leaders in order to correct the future. Finally, it is argued that the introduction of non - professional historians as history teachers also constitutes a major problem in teaching history. It is against this background that this study has become necessary in order to make useful suggestions aimed at arresting the constraints. The article summits that the solution to these problems lies in the cooperation of the teachers, students and the government.

This study examined the fading effect of religious consciousness among university students in Nigeria, with a specific focus on the University of Benin. This study sought to find out the role of the university education in promoting religious consciousness among students, the extent which western culture and values influence the religious consciousness among university and the extent which social media influences religious consciousness among university students. Three research questions were raised to guide the study. The population of the study comprised of the entire fulltime (400 level) final year undergraduate students in the Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The simple random sampling technique was used to select twenty (20) students from five course areas in the Department of Educational Foundation. A structured questionnaire was used as the instrument for the study. Data collected were analyzed using Simple Mean ( ) and Standard Deviation (SD) were to analyze the data meant to answer the research
questions. The findings from the research questions include that: Western culture and values influence the religious consciousness of university students, Social media influence religious consciousness among university to a large extent. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that religious instruction should be entrenched in the university curriculum. This is imperative as we assume that religion brings the fear of God and consequently that students who fear God would not engage in unruly behaviour, and this would make for a peaceful atmosphere

This study examines the role of history education in nation-building, focusing on public secondary schools in Egor local government of Edo state. Four research questions were posed to explore the influence of history education on national identity formation, political attitudes, civic engagement, and the challenges encountered in teaching history. A sample of 120 history/social studies students from four public senior secondary schools was surveyed using the "Role of History Education in Nation Building Questionnaire (RHENBQ)." The findings indicate that history education constructs narratives that shape collective memory and critical thinking, while also influencing political attitudes and democratic values by fostering empathy and enhancing critical thinking skills. Moreover, teaching history in schools contributes to nation-building efforts by promoting national identity, empathy, civic values, and critical reflection on the past. However, challenges such as limited curriculum, insufficient teaching manpower, and political interference hinder effective history instruction in schools. Recommendations include exploring innovative pedagogical approaches, leveraging digital technologies, and addressing curriculum gaps to enhance history education and its role in nation-building. Additionally, future research should delve into specific pedagogical strategies, the impact of digital
tools, and ways to mitigate challenges in teaching history effectively.

This essay deploys Queer Theory in the evaluation of Tendai Huchu’s The Hairdresser of Harare. Queer theory is a literary approach that examines homosexuals’ sexual orientation in a particular society. This involves the way society defines concept and policies heterosexuality, homosexuality alongside gender and sexual identity. Queer theory is not just confined to sexualities or sexual right; it also questions established social, economic and political power relations that define the place of personal opinion in society. As Drew Shaw explains in his article "Queer inclination and representation: Dambudzo Marechera and Zimbabwe literature (2005)”tT.1995 was a turning point regarding the presence of homosexuality in Zimbabwe public space. The ban of GALZ (Gays and lesbian of Zimbabwe association)at the Harare international book fair and Robert Mugabe's violent speeches prompted international indignation and opened up a national debate. The theory explains in part the attention Tendai Huchus novel received. Here ,not only is the gay protagonist a positive character but he does not seem to be doomed and is eventually accepted for who he is by the female narrator. The assessment by Anna Chitondo and Molly Manyonganise focuses on a social and moral stand point

This study examines the influence of poverty on the academic performance of secondary School students in some selected schools in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo State. The research aims to identify the relationship between poverty and students’ academic performance. The research was carried out as a survey using relevant literature from journals, textbooks, magazine and the internet. To achieve the purpose of the study, three research questions were raised. The sample size of fifty secondary school teachers from five secondary schools was used for the study. Data was collected with the aid of well- structured and valid questionnaire; the data collected were analyzed using simple percentages. The findings showed that there is a significant relationships between academic performance and poverty under feeding conditions, provision of school facilities and equipment and home related factors .The study inferred that poverty affects academic performance of students and the day to day management of the school. From the study it is evident that parents do not have stable sources of income as they don’t pay fees in time. This negatively influences students’ academic performance.

The study examined challenges encountered by student teachers during teaching practice in Nigeria Universities with reference to University of Benin. Five research questions guided the study that adopted a simple descriptive research design.Thepopulation of the study was 300Level and 400Level students of the Faculty of Education, University of Benin for 2017/2021 academic session. The method for data collection was Random Sampling Technique which was used to draw a sample size of 200. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire that was duly validated and its reliability determined. The findings show that inadequate funds, class management and supervision are some of the challenges student.The study also reveals that location of teaching practice school, transportation to the school of practice, extra work load given to the student teacher by the head teacher, lack of infrastructure in the practicing school and negligence on the part of the student teacher are challenges encountered by student teachers during teaching practice.x The study concluded that the challenges encountered by students are numerous. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made the provision of adequate instructionalmaterials by the practicing school, organization of ef ective and adequate orientation for the student teacher by the institutions and posting of student teachers to schools close to them to enhance teaching practice efectiveness to achieve education for sustainable development in Nigeria

This study examined the spoken English language of senior secondary school students in Oredo. It also examine the kind of difficulty student face in speaking English language, investigated the causes of poor communication of spoken English language among senior secondary school students, further sought to examine the strategies adopted by teachers in overcoming student’s problem in spoken English language and investigated if the frequent use of English affect spoken English among secondary school students in the study area. To guide the study, four (4) research questions were raised. The design of the study is descriptive survey design, The population of the study comprised of eighty four (84) S.S.S.3 students drawn from three selected public schools in Benin City . A well-structured questionnaire was the instrument used to elicit information for the study. The data collected were analysed into tables using simple percentage, frequency, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions as well as interpretation of the information gathered. The findings of the study revealed that most of the students face difficulty in expressing themselves fluently in English language, encounter difficulties in construction of English vocabularies etc. The study equally revealed that causes of poor communication among secondary school students ranges from lack of qualified English language teachers to unavailability of language laboratory, frequent usage of the mother tongue and pidgin English. Furthermore, findings from the study revealed that introduction of English language laboratory is an effective strategy to help students overcome problem in spoken English, and that there is no frequent usage of English language because English language is not a means of communication in the study area; that the mother tongue and pidgin English is the medium of communication in the study area because spoken English is only used as a medium of instruction within the school premises

This study was aimed at determining the influence of school facilities on the academic performance ofJunior Secondary Students in Nigeria, using government secondary schools in Obio Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State as a case studThis study adopted the case study research design. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of school facilities on the academic performance ofstudents. The major instrument used for data collection is the questionnaire. On the presentation of data, the researcher uses the sample and sampling techniques to depict the responses of the respondents to a particular research question. The data collected from their responses were used in analyzing the study.The findings ofthe study revealed that school facilities played a major significance in the academic performance of students in the junior secondary schools, Nigeria.

The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the social media on the student’s academic performance of senior secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. To achieve this, five research questions guided the study, the survey research method was used, subjects drawn from public senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, using the simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling. Research findings showed that a great number of students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State have access to the internet and at the end of the research it is recommended that sites should be created for educational purposes as well. This is to create a balance between social media and academic activities of students to avoid setbacks in the academic performance of the students.