Factors Affecting the inclusion of Civic Education in the school Curriculum
This research explores the value and state of civics education in Nigeria and identifies five challenges facing those sacking to improve, its quality and accessibility:
1. Ensuring that the quality of civics education is high is not a state or federal priority.
2. Social studies textbooks do not facilitate the development of needed civic skills
3. Upper-income students are better served by our schools than are lower- income individuals
4. Cutbacks in funds available to schools make implementing changes in civics education difficult
5. Reform efforts are complicated by the fact that civics education has become a pawn in a polarized debate among partisans
Because, as John Dewey contended, “democracy has to be born a new every generation, and education has been a concern of those interested in the health of our system of government and the well being of the citizenry. For much of the nation’s history, our leaders have viewed civics education as a means of realizing the country’s democratic ideals. In the past decade, low level of youth voting and non- proficient student performance on a widely respected civics assessment test have elicited efforts to increase the amount and quality of time spent teaching civic education and have ignited a movement to create common standards in the social studies. Complicating these efforts is ideological disagreement about the content that should be taught and the values that ought to be inculcated. Validating the belief in the worth of civics education and underscoring the importance of reform efforts, data reveal that schooling in civics and other, related curricular activities are associated with increase knowledge of the Nigeria system of government and heightened participation in democratic activities such as voting.
Reformers seeking to increase the quality and accessibility of civics education in schools confront five challenges. First, neither the federal government nor the states have made high quality civics education a priority, a conclusion justified by evidence showing that the systematic study of civics in high school is not universal, that fewer high school civic course are offered now than were offered in the past that the has been reduced, and that most states do not require meaningful civics assessment. Second, social studies textbooks may not adequately convey the knowledge or facilitate development of skills required of an informed engaged citizenry. Third, consequential differences in access and outcomes between upper and lower class students persist. Fourth, cutbacks in funding for school make implementation of changes in any area of the curriculum difficult. Fifth, the polarized political climate increases the likelihood that curricular changes will be cast as advancing a partisan agenda.
Appraisal of literature Review
It is an all-embracing process that teacher perception, feedback and decision making. It is also evident that teacher no matter their level of professional training, still need to fall back on the school curriculum as a guide. Both initiatives and bring resourcefulness in school curriculum in Ibadan Nigeria.
Teacher’s guidance in the classroom for effective teaching and learning processes. It is also gathered that Civic Education has total effects on schooling system which helps to bring about a change in the behaviour of students.
