The Impact of Moral Education Among Secondary School Students: A Case Study of Igueben Grammar School
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of moral education among secondary school students: a case study of Igueben Grammar School.
Specifically, the study sought to:
- examine the desired behaviour of Moral Education teachers.
- Assess how the commitments in teachers’ behaviour improve the teaching of Moral Education in South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of Moral Reasoning
The word moral comes from a Latin root, mos or moris and means standards, principles and habits of behaviour that are applicable to the distinction between what is right and wrong (Dimana, 2012). Morals are therefore regarded as desirable and held with high esteem by the society. They are codes or customs that define how individuals should live together. Morals are principles or standards of good behaviour. Morals such as industriousness, courage, self-control, honesty, responsibility and respect for others are moral virtues developed for one’s personal interest (Turgeon, 2011). Kalsoom, Behlol, Kanyani and Kaini (2012) defines moral reasoning as the conscious effort to make informed and responsible judgments about matters of moral importance. Mensch (2009) provides a more detailed definition as the specific aspects of moral development that focuses on the cognitive ability of the individual to understand morality in the context of the situation. According to You and Penny (2011) moral reasoning is a process of determining right and wrong in a given situation.
Zhang (2013), stressed that morality which emanates from moral reasoning is an important part of human interaction because it maintains a relatively central aspect of the sense of self control which is referred to as moral competence. Moral competence is defined as the ability to solve conflicts on the basis of shared moral principles or ideals though thinking and discussion rather than through violence, deceit and power (Wachira, 2014). Spielthenner (2007) claims that a moral reason is grounded in the valuations of others. That is, a practical reason becomes a moral reason if it can be shown that it is socially grounded. Schwit, Zgebel and Cushman (2012) argue that moral thinking is concerned with finding ways of acting that can be justified to others.
Moral Education and Types of Immoral Behaviours in Schools
Morality according to Jimba (2015) is the act of being credible standard, valued and respected in all aspect of behaviours in the society. The author noted that an individual that is not culturally, behavioural and emotionally respected in the society such an individual cannot command the respects of all and sundry members of the society. In the same vein, Ogundele (2015) stated that for every member of the society to be morally sound and command the respects of every citizen in such society, such person must respect the cultural value of the land, avoidance of any act or behaviours that contradict the traditional value of the society, giving adequate respects to the elders, language, religious tolerance and adequately involvement in the communal efforts of the society. Such person will be respected and high esteem will be given to such individuals. The author also went further to say that any member of the society that are morally sound, respected and stick to the good of the land and avoid the bad of the land such person will be adequately respected and whatever he does will also be recon with such society.
The need to identify good and moral behaviours, attitude knowledge and skills are therefore important and to be instilled in the mind of the young generation. Since every community has moral code which is an important and the major concern of the adult member in the society to instill in the minds of the young ones. The moral education programme is now becoming a shared responsibility of the school and the community within the society.
However, moral education is therefore refers to the systematic ways of helping the children to acquire those moral habits that will help them individually to have good living and become a respected, productive and contributing members of their communities. The need for the youths in the citizens to acquire those behaviours that will give them high respect is therefore integrated into Nigerian educational system. Tony (2004) described moral education is the training and inculcating those desirable characters, habits, culture, attitude and behaviours in the youths, so that they will be able to differentiate between the good and bad moral value and understand the rationale for their choice of their action that will command good respect for him in the society.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The study adopted descriptive survey design aimed at investigating the impact of moral education among secondary school students.
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population and sampling
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Prince, 2019).
The population comprised all teachers in Igueben Grammar School. 30 teachers were selected using purposive sampling technique.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
Table 4.1: Mean Score of Respondents on Desired Teachers’ Behaviour Required in Teaching Moral education in Secondary Schools.
N= 30
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
This study was carried out on the impact of moral education among secondary school students in Igueben Grammar School. The study identified commitment to teacher education as an effective strategy for improving the teaching and learning of M.E. Various items were listed as a check list of teacher behavior module and were accepted as component of adequate and good teaching behaviour. Also teaching behaviour of teachers has been considered as a sure way of improving the teaching and learning of moral education because the teacher constitute major factor in implementation of any given curriculum. Suggestions have also been made on how to use teacher behaviour approach to improve the teaching moral education in Igueben Grammar School.
Educational Implications
The findings have implication for teachers, government and school management. The findings showed that improving teaching of moral education could be achieved through commitment in teachers’ behaviours. It implies that if teachers are professionally trained, provided with needed materials to work and exposed to regular seminars on dynamic nature of the subject; the teaching status and values of the subject will be better achieved. In this case the school management and government should sponsor re-training and refresher courses of moral education teachers a regular practice, so that the subject will achieve the desired goals in the life of the learner. The educational implication therefore is that a commitment in teachers’ behaviours is paramount in improving teaching of moral education in Igueben Grammar School.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were made based on the finding:
- School management and government should always not only organize but encourage moral education teachers by sponsoring attendance to seminars, refresher courses/workshops to keep abreast with the challenges of moulding behaviours especially in this dynamic world where moral values are
- There is also need for school management to emphasize and implement effective teaching of moral education by ensuring that all students adhere strictly to attend moral education lesson and on time as a way of improving the teaching of the
- Government should make the subject compulsory and a pre-requisite to gaining admission into high institution as this will improve students’ interests and as well encourage teachers’
- Only teachers who are professionally trained should employed to teach moral education as this is the only way to ensure adequate teaching as a means of improving commitment in teaching of the
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