Influence of Learner Characteristics on Senior School Students’ Preference for Learning Social Studies in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The Nigerian Senior Secondary School Curriculum approved for implementation since 1995 remain unimplemented even after the National Policy on Education recognized it as an elective senior school subject since 1998. This paper examined the influence of learner characteristics on Students’ preference for learning Senior School Social Studies (SSSS) in Osun State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of 360 senior secondary schools students selected by stratified random sampling technique from 18 secondary schools in the three Senatorial District of Osun State participated in the study. One researcher-designed opinionnaire titled ‘Senior School Students’ Preference for Social Studies’ (SPEFS) was used for data collection after validation and reliability rest (r = 0.65). The data generated was analyzed using percentage and chi-square (x²) statistics to answer two research questions and test two null hypotheses respectively. The findings showed that: majority of students have preference for learning SSSS as an elective subject; female students showed significantly higher preference for learning SSSS than their male counterparts; and students’ subject specialization or inclination does not influence their preference for learning social studies. Recommendations targeted at formalizing the implementation of Social Studies in the senior schools by the Federal and State Ministries of Education were made. Based on the findings it was concluded that the exposure of students to Social Studies of the Junior Secondary Schools as a compulsory subject has not generated continuous interest in learning it beyond elective status. This implies that students’ learning preferences for SSSS was different from their Junior Secondary School experience when they offered Social Studies compulsory as core curriculum component. It was therefore recommended that the Federal and State Ministries of Education in Nigeria should implement Social Studies as an active academic subject in Nigerian Senior Secondary schools curriculum and encourage other education stakeholders’ to play complementary role in that direction.

Keywords: Social Studies; Learning; Learner Characteristics and Students’ Preference