International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue IV, April 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Social Vices: Social Studies as a Remedy

Samuel Olanrewaju OLADAPO
Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, Nigeria

Abstract:-Nigeria is currently facing the problem of social vices and the wave of menace is on the increase. The secondary schools are affected by social issues such as prostitution, internet fraud, bullying, rape, smoking, stealing to mention but a few and the need to seek approaches to the solutions of these social vices and menace becomes necessary. In view of the failure of society, parents and religious organizations to attain the expected attitudinal behaviour, it is necessary to seek other reliable means of solving national issues among students, and the nation at large. It is against this backdrop that this study considers the effective teaching of Social Studies as a cure to the menace and social vices in Junior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. Four research questions were raised for the study. Respondents were drawn from teachers of Junior Secondary Schools. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample for this study. The data for the study was collected using a researcher designed questionnaire. The design adopted for this study was descriptive survey design. The total number of teachers used for this study was fifty (50) from 10 schools which were randomly selected. Respondents responded to a set of questions, in which they indicated the level of their awareness on social studies concepts, knowledge on social vices and the importance of social studies in solving social issues among students. The data gathered were analyzed using simple percentage. The findings in this study highlighted the critical importance of using social studies education to solve the present and future occurrences of social vices in Nigeria. The study concluded that the more education is given priority in the nation, especially social studies, the less social vices and menace in the society. It is recommended among others that, students should be taught to be patriotic members of the society, teaching and learning facilities should be adequately provided in schools so as to motivate and encourage teachers to effectively teach and students learn effectively; this will enable effective impartation of Social Studies contents to the students, equal treatment of students irrespective of gender should be ensured and maintained in Social Studies instructions at all level. This will curtail variation in learning among students of different sex. Likewise, social studies as a course should be made compulsory in all classes of our educational system as it is the best tool for fostering unity and patriotism in the society.

Keywords: Social Vices, Menace, Social Studies, Smoking, Prostitution, Effectiveness, Students, Junior Secondary S

I. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The Federal Ministry of Information submitted to the 1969 National Curriculum Conference, defined Social Studies as “the study of those school subjects which spotlight human beings and their interrelationships.” The Primary Schools Social Studies workshop held in Ibadan in 1971 defined Social Studies as “discipline in which we learn about our world and man’s interaction with his immediate and remote environment.