DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS

This study examined the factors influencing students’ use of the English Language Laboratory in the development of language proficiency in the Department of English and Literature, University of Benin, Benin City. It focused on identifying the types of resources available in the laboratory, assessing students’ perceptions of the quality of those resources, and evaluating the extent to which such resources influenced students’ engagement in language learning activities. The study also investigated the relationship between the quality of the laboratory resources and students’ proficiency development, as well as the challenges affecting effective utilization of the language laboratory. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 588 students from the Department of English and Literature, while a sample of 100 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique to ensure fair representation across English and Literature Education and English and Literature Arts students. Questionnaire served as the primary instrument for data collection. The data obtained were analyzed using mean scores and percentages, with 2.50 as the benchmark for decision making. The findings revealed that essential audio and audiovisual resources, such as recorders and headsets, were available and reliable, yet critical components like functional computers and comprehensive instructional materials were insufficient. Students perceived that while the available resources enhanced engagement, participation, and motivation in language learning, the inadequacy of digital tools limited the potential of the laboratory to fully support independent language practice beyond class hours. Moreover, the study found a significant relationship between the quality of laboratory resources and students’ language proficiency, particularly in the areas of grammar, fluency, pronunciation, and listening skills. Nonetheless, factors such as faulty equipment, inadequate resources, limited access, and occasional technical issues were found to impede the effective utilization of the laboratory, even though irregular power supply was not a major concern. Based on these outcomes, the study recommended that the University of Benin should prioritize the upgrading, maintenance, and regular replacement of faulty language laboratory equipment, including functional computers equipped with updated language learning software, to enhance both quality and accessibility. The Department of English and Literature was encouraged to provide a wider range of current instructional materials that would promote active, engaging, and independent language learning. Furthermore, the study recommended that administrators should extend laboratory operating hours and adopt flexible schedules to increase students’ opportunities for practice. It was also recommended that the university management should strengthen technical support by implementing proactive maintenance protocols and ensuring prompt repairs to prevent disruptions during use. Finally, continuous professional development workshops for laboratory facilitators and instructors were emphasized as vital to optimizing the pedagogical use of technological resources and ensuring that the laboratory effectively contributes to students’ overall language proficiency development.

The study examined the perceived impact of Pidgin English on the writing
skills of undergraduates in the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Three research questions were raised to guide this study.
The research design adopted for the study was the descriptive survey
research design. The population of the study comprised of seven thousand,
eight hundred and fifty six (7,856) students in the Faculty of Education,
University of Benin, Benin City. From the population, a sample size of one
hundred and sixty (160) undergraduates was drawn using the simple random
sampling technique. A research instrument tagged “Questionnaire on the
Impact of Pidgin English on the Writing Skills of Undergraduates” was used
to gather responses from students. The data retrieved were analyzed by the
use of a computer software statistical tool (SPSS). Results after analysis were
presented in tables using Mean and Standard Deviation.
The study revealed that students’ use of Pidgin English is on the rise. It was
also found from the study that Pidgin English has significantly affected the
formal writing skills of undergraduates in the University of Benin, Benin
City. The study therefore recommended that universities and secondary
schools alike should incorporate language awareness initiatives into their
curriculum to educate students on the difference between formal and
informal language use. Also, educational institutions should reinforce
English writing courses, with emphasis on grammar, vocabulary, and formal
writing skills with emphasis on the common errors influenced by Pidgin
English

The stucy investigated challenges of teaching English language in rural areas using Ikpoba-OkhaLocal 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 inlkpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. A total of sixty (60) teachers were prposively 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 analyzed. Afier analysis, results were display edontables showing frequencies, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations of responses, including the decisions made. Based on the fndings, 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 reconmended 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 study was design to examine the Influence of Christian Religious Studies on immoral practices in senior secondary schools: a case study of secondary schools in Onitsha South Local Government of Anambra State. To achieve this purpose the following research questions were put forward: Is the teaching of Christian Religious studies prevalent in secondary schools in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State? Does the absence of Christian Religious studies lead to moral decadence? What are the immoral practices/behaviors seen among secondary school students? What are the reasons behind the exhibition of immoral practices among secondary school students? Has Christian Religious studies been effective in improving the morals and behaviors of students in secondary schools in the area of study? This study adopted the descriptive research design and the major instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated and reliability was determined through test retest method. The data collected was presented in frequency count and percentage for all the one hundred and fifty three (153) respondents draw from the twelve(12) secondary schools in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State through simple random sampling techniques. This project is in five chapters, these includes Chapter one which is the introduction, Chapter two deals with the review of related literature, Chapter three is the methodology while Chapter four is the presentation of results and discussion of findings and Chapter five is the summary, conclusion and recommendations.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the career choices among senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo state. Five research questions were raised to guide the research. A descriptive survey research design which involves collection of data through the use of questionnaire was adopted to solicit
information from respondents. The population this study consists of the five thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight (5788) in the twelve (12) public senior secondary schools. The sample size of the study is one hundred and twenty (120) students which makes up 2.1% of the population size. A simple random sampling technique was used to used to select sample for study. Simple percentage and frequency count was used to analyse the responses of the respondents. The findings of the research revealed that parental influence has a significant impact on the career choices of students. A student's choice of career can be affected by the peer group of such a student. Gender has no significant relationship with the choice of career of students. The age of the students have no impact on the career choice of senior secondary school students. There is a significant relationship between the students career choice and academic performance. It was recommended that parents should enlighten their children on different
career choice at a tender age. Guidance and counseling services should be made available in secondary schools to guide the students. Finally, students should ensure they have proper information about their intended career choice and such choice should be born out of passion and ambition

The study examined the knowledge of and attitude towards human trafficking among public secondary school students in Benin City. To guide the study, six (6) research questions were raised, two (2) was answered directly and four (4) were turned into hypotheses and tested at 0.05 alpha level. The study was a survey research design. The population of the study consists of all the thirty three thousand, four hundred and twelve (33, 412) students in the forty five (45) public secondary schools in Benin City of Edo State. A sample of three hundred and sixty (360) secondary school students from nine (9) public junior and senior secondary schools in Benin City using the Multistage Sampling procedure was employed. The instrument used was a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two (2) test experts, one each in Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology of the Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was determined through the Cronbach’s Alpha statistical procedure. Thus, Cronbach’s Alpha value of .85 and .72 were obtained for students’ knowledge scale and students’ attitude scale respectively. The analysis was done using percentage, mean, standard
deviation and the t – test of independent sample statistics. The findings of the study based on the research questions raised and hypotheses tested revealed that the students in Benin City have a moderate knowledge of human trafficking as well as negative attitude towards human trafficking. Sex and age of students have no significant influence on students’ knowledge and attitude towards human trafficking. It was therefore recommended among others that the moderate level of knowledge by students towards human trafficking should be improved and that the positive attitude of students towards human trafficking in Benin City should be condemned and that relevant authorities or agencies such as National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Counseling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) should consciously make effort to set programmes of awareness on the dangers of human trafficking in secondary schools

This study was carried out to know the extent of influence of ICT in the teaching and learning of Oral English in secondary schools in Oredo Local, Government Edo State. The research was carried out as a survey using relevant literature from journals, magazines, books and the internet, three research questions were raised and analyzed for the purpose of the study. A random sampling technique was used in the selection of 50 secondary school students in secondary schools. The data were collected with questionnaire instrument and analyzed using simple percentage. The results revealed that:. Influence of ICT in the teaching and learning of Oral English in secondary schools are: The inadequate use of instructional materials, lack of funds, lack of good ICT devices,, teachers lack the technical knowhow on how to use some ICT device in the teaching and learning of Oral English, lack of Electricity ,over population of the classrooms. Based on the results, it was recommended that there should be proper and
regular provision of instructional Materials, funds by the government, teachers that can use ICT devices effectively and efficiently should be employed, constant electricity and equal ratio of teachers to students and well equipped oral laboratory.

The study examined English Language teachers’ instructional and feedback practices in the teaching of essay writing in secondary schools in Delta State. To guide the study, seven research questions were raised out of which four were hypothesized and tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, integrating quantitative survey responses with qualitative observation protocols. All the 121 English Language teachers in Ughelli North and Ughelli South Local Government Areas of Delta State made up the population of the study. A total of 106 (51 males and 55 females) secondary school English Language teachers participated in the study. Two research instruments, a questionnaire tagged “Teachers’ Instructional and Feedback Practices in the Teaching of Secondary School English Language Writing in Delta State” (r-0.89) and an observation schedule titled "Teachers’ Instructional and Feedback Practices in the Teaching of Secondary School English Language Writing in Delta State" (r -0.91) were used for data collection in the study. The instruments were duly validated and their reliability ascertained. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests such as independent samples t-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to assess differences based on sex and years of teaching experience. Findings revealed that teachers generally reported moderate to high use of instructional strategies, including modeling, scaffolding, and guided writing processes. However, classroom observation data showed a lower frequency and quality of those practices in actual teaching. Similarly, while teachers claimed to provide timely and constructive feedback—primarily through written comments and verbal conferencing—observations indicated that such feedback was less frequent and less detailed during instruction. Support strategies for struggling writers, such as differentiation and one-on-one support, were also reported more often than observed in practice. Notably, a significant sex difference was found in instructional practices, with female teachers reporting higher levels of use of the identified instructional practices than male teachers. No significant differences were found in feedback or support practices based on sex or years of experience. The study concludes that sex was a significant factor influencing instructional practices but not feedback practices, while teaching experience did not significantly impact either. These findings suggest that good writing instruction depends not merely on teacher characteristics but also on pedagogical training, exposure to best practices, and institutional support. It was therefore recommended that the gap between what teachers say and what they actually do should be fixed by concerned authorities through the provisions of the necessary resources and training needed to support teachers' implementation of effective instructional and feedback practices.

This study was conducted to examine the factors affecting student performance in the study of history in higher institution a case study of the University of Benin. This study made use of the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted One hundred (1,182) students which is also the sample respondents for the study. The instrument for data collection for this study was a self-constructed close-ended questionnaire the researcher's supervisors were part of the validation team. Data obtained from the study were analyzed using mean score analysis. It was found in this study that Students level of performance varies as a result of factors like strong analytical skills, teaching methods, complexity of historical analysis and ease of access to educational resources. Family, time management skills, student’s prior knowledge of history, quality of teaching, and personal motivation/interest in history are the factors responsible for the student performance in History in the university of Benin Students’ field trips, level of participation, use of modern technology, incorporation of global perspectives to history courses and the use of multimedia resources are innovative approaches that can be used to teach History in the university of Benin The student have access to the lecturers for academic and personal advice which fosters an open and supportive learning environment On the basis of the findings, it was concluded Students' performance in History at the University of Benin is influenced by various factors, including analytical skills, teaching methods, access to resources, and prior knowledge. Family background, time management, and personal motivation also play crucial roles. Innovative teaching methods such as field trips, modern technology, and multimedia resources enhance learning, while an open and supportive academic environment fosters better student engagement.

here are different subjects taught at secondary school level in
Nigeria that are deemed essential in contributing to personal, societal and national development, international cooperation, integration and academic achievement. These subjects’ ranges from pre-vocational, sciences, technical, humanities and art subjects which are recognized as genuine fields of academic scholarship. History as a subject fall within the general art and has for a long time enjoyed a place in Nigeria’s school curriculum especially in senior secondary level It can be likened to a nation living without memories or brain hence the need for teaching and learning of History to be taken seriously as it has the capacity to destroy the country’s younger generation and future workforce (Animba, 2021). The study of history is very important to any society. It helps a people to know more about itself by promoting the people’s understanding of their past, in terms of both internal and external relationship. Commenting on the importance of history, Omolewa (2015) 4 asserts that “history is a vast umbrella subject. It encompasses all disciplines, not just political and cultural history. It therefore includes literature, religion, the social and natural sciences, the arts, technology, and mathematics. To be ignorant of the political and cultural history of a people is also to be ignorant of the contributions of that people to all areas of intellectual activity”. The goal of History teaching in schools is to help young people develop an integrated spiritual world, via assimilation of the ethno-cultural, national and universal values that have been developed in the course of historical development, and by giving them experience in defining themselves in relation to these values