UNILAG JOURNAL OF A Publication of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos Nigeria. UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY UNILAG Journal of Curriculum and Instruction Volume 1, No 1, September 2019 © Unilag Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 2019 Published by Department of Arts & Social Sciences Education Faculty of Education University of Lagos, Nigeria The UNILAG Journal of Curriculum and Instruction is a peer-reviewed journal that provides avenue for scholars to publish relevant, impactful and current research findings from all specializations within the field of education for the purposes of enlightenment and utilization. The journal publishes original articles on trends/practices in curriculum, teaching and learning as well as other aspects of education; book reviews, educational advertisements and announcements. Articles published in the Journal are subject to copyright, reserved by the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, University of Lagos: All correspondence to the Managing Editor, Department of Arts & Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, PMB 10010, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria. Email: asejournal@unilag. edu. ng. Printed by: Vita - Nasco & Company, Lagos. l UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY CONTENTS An Investigation into Students' Language Preference for Instruction at Basic Education Level in Lagos, Nigeria. Nonye R. Ikonta & Ebere D. Ezeudegbunam Teachers' Awareness Levels of the Incidence of Stress among School Children in South West Nigeria. MopeE.Adebiyi Creativity for Learning: Investigating the Creativity of Teachers and Students in the Literature Classroom. A. Oyenike Adeosun & Tolulope O. Adelabu A Case for Including the Traditional African Religions in the 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum in Nigeria. Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko Beyond the Formal Curriculum: Vocational/Technical and Economic Empowerment Programmes (VTEEPS) for Family Sustainability in Nigeria. IbiwumiA.Alade Challenges of Implementation of the Yoruba Senior School Curriculum in Nigeria JimohA.Ayilara A Study of Environmental Issues Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude Towards Environmental Education based on certain Variables among Secondary School Students in Ondo State. Toyin E. Owoyemi Home, School, and Student's Factors as Predictors of Performance in Physics at Senior Secondary School in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State. Veronica F. Babajide Predictors of Drug and Alcohol Abuse among Secondary School Adolescents in Lagos State: Implications for Learning. Patience N.Emerl Entrepreneurial Competencies Needed by Business Education Students in Establishing Small Scale Ventures in Lagos State Nigeria. Oluwole V. Falobi, Nojeem A. Ishola & Rebecca P. Jacob -Teachers' Classroom Practices and Content Knowledge as Predictors of Civic Competence of Senior Secondary School Students in Ibadan. T.V. Gbadamosi & M.O. Oyetunde UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY Survey of Preschool Teachers' Use of Early Childhood Education Curriculum in Lagos Mainland, Nigeria. AdefunkcT. Komolafe Awareness and Usability of YouTube Videos on Undergraduates’ Interest in Chemistry. Ngozi Okafor The Igbo Language Instruction and Best Practices in Adult Literacy in Southeast Nigeria. Afoma R. Okudo & Williams E. Obiozor Correlation between Bilinguals' L, and Choice of Language Learning Strategies in Composition Writing. Moradeyo O.OlaOlorun, Nonye R. Ikonta & A.Ovenike Adeosun Assessment of Two Strategies of Implementing Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Policy in Ondo State, Nigeria. Peter K. Olowe & Christy O. Omotuyole The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Academic Performance of Nigerian JSS 2 Language Students: Igbo Language as a Case Study. Caroline C. Opara & Blessing C. Emodi Influence of Text Familiarity on Junior Secondary School Students' Performance in Reading Comprehension. Joy C. Ukonu & Regina B. Danner Acceptability and Knowledge of Montessori Method of Education among Early Years' Practitioners in Lagos State. Christy. O. Omotuyole & Abdulrasak A. Akanji Benchmarking Secondary Education in Nigeria against British Education Carol C. Opara & Olukemi E. Adetuyi-Olu-Francis Effectiveness of Mock Examination in Predicting Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Education District II of Lagos State. Olubukoia O. Akanni Teacher Quality: A Tool for Sustainable Human and National Capital Development in Nigeria. Owoade P. Adeleke & Mojisola N. Manuel Application of Reflective Dialogue Strategy for Teaching and Learning of Christian Religious Studies in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Lagos State. Michael U. Nkemdirim, Rosita O. Igwe & Carol C. Opara UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY Teachers' Classroom Practices and Content Knowledge as Predictors of Civic Competence of Senior Secondary School Students in Ibadan T.V. Gbadamosi* & M.O. Oyetunde Department of Arts and Social Science Education University of Ibadan ’samtivl975@gmail.com Abstract Abundant literature affirms students' low level of civic competence, especially ai the primary and junior secondary school levels. This study was embarked upon to determine teachers' classroom practices and content knowledge as predictors of senior secondary school students' civic competence (knowledge, disposition, and engagement) in Ibadan. Expo facto research design was adopted for the study with four hundred and fifty (450) students and fifteen (15) Civic Education teachers as participants. The instruments employed were Civic Education Teachers' Classroom Practices Observational Scale (CETCPOS), Measuring Guide for Teachers' Classroom Practices Observational Scale (MGTCPOS), Civic Education Teachers’ Content Knowledge Questions (CETCKQ), Students' Civic Knowledge Achievement Test (SKAT), Students' Civic Disposition Questionnaire (SCDQ), and Students' Civic Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ). One major research question was raised and answered at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analyzed using mean and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The findings of the study revealed no correlation between students' civic competence and teachers' classroom practices and their civic knowledge. Improved teachers' knowledge in Civic Education and classroom practices were observed, although without effects on the civic competence of students. It was recommended that government, school administrators and parents' factors be subsequently studied, and that evaluation of Civic Education should include behavioural assessment. Keywords: Civic Education, Teachers' classroom practices, Civic Knowledge, Dispositions, and Engagement. Background of the Study The rationale behind living in a society is to make useful contributions towards the course of developing such an area to the desired standard. However, development cannot meaningfully take place when students, who would have the responsibility of assuming the mantle of leadership in the nearest future, continue to lack the basic competencies requisite for making indelible marks on the soil of their communities. Among the required competencies is civic competence. There are a plethora of methods in Civic Education through which students can develop the capacity to add value to themselves and their dwelling places. These methods are termed civic competence and they include knowledge acquisition, behavioural comportment, and taking actions that affect the well-being of others in a positive dimension. Civic Education is a social science that aims at creating the right aura for societal development through the acquisition of the right competences. Scholars are ol the opinion that the subject has the ability for social engineering and refinery of humans 104 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY mailto:samtivl975@gmail.com who continue to transform society (Sunday & Opoh, 2014). According to (ibadamosi i 2013), Civic Education trains up the mind of man against social maladies such as corruption and bribery, intolerance, dishonesty, violence, absence of patriotism, negative attitude to work, leadership and followership problems, as well as guides it jealously towards making the society a haven for humanity. laudable as the reason for learning Civic Education is, the bulk of how to achieve its :bjectives lies majorly with the teacher. No wonder Nyerere (1966) asserts that a teacher is a person trained to nurture and groom the youths and children for future responsibilities and challenges with the right kind of knowledge, skills, and disposition. It suffices to say that eachers are the architects of whatever children become tomorrow. Learners will enjoy their ~.ghts, display acceptable behaviour, help the needy, be custodians of the history of their and, and be willing and able to accept responsibilities when the teacher guides them in the right direction (Ofoha, Uchegbu, Anyikwa, & Nkemdirim, 2009). Unfortunately, the Civic- Education teacher has not delivered the subject in a way to curtail the many social vices moral decadence, youth restiveness, disengagement, low academic performance, .^employment, lack of patriotism and political apathy with which the country is replete Guilfoile and Brady, 2014). Gone are the days when elders were accorded respect by the ■ oung ones owing to the efforts of their Civic Education teachers. The reverse is the case in ae society of today where, the young ones flagrantly disrespect elders with impunity, and are ntolerant of others (Mofoluwawo, Jarimi, and Oyedele, 2012). Quite often, Nigerian ■ ouths result to public property vandalism at the slightest provocation - a display of lack of ratriotism. It is worrisome that Nigerian students of nowadays parade themselves in society is prostitutes, hooligans, unproductive, uninterested in the political activities of their :ountry resulting from their poor exposure to Civic Education in the classroom. Hence, the -gly situation calls for urgent attention and a re-examination of teachers' knowledge and : edagogies in teaching the subject. although research works abound in the area of students' academic performance in Civic Education, especially at the lower, middle and upper basic levels of education, however, ..ere is little or no work using teachers' factors to predict the combination of the three salient :omponents of Civic Education (knowledge, disposition, and engagement) among students n the senior secondary school level. Specifically, the study was carried out to determine the :orrelation between teachers' knowledge in Civic Education, their classroom practices and me civic knowledge, disposition and engagement of students at the senior secondary school _evel. Literature Review The Concept o f Civic Education Civic Education, otherwise called political education, according to Saka and ( iyctadc 2011), is the internalization of values like honesty, helping the needy, humility and skills in die areas of communication, governance, and economy (Falade, 2007). David 12004) is of 105 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY the opinion that Civic Education deals directly with the interests and concerns of students. These definitions indicate that Civic Education is to be offered by the students to make them better citizens to themselves and society at large. However, research has shown that the subject often lacks the necessary support from stakeholders to achieve this lofty objective (Guilfoile and Brady 2014). This paucity of support corroborates the view that Civic Education is held in low esteem unlike subjects like Mathematics and English (Guilfoile & Brady, 2014). Despite the laudable aims of Civic Education, it is underrated in senior secondary schools by school administrators, teachers, and students. The Concept o f Civic Knowledge Knowledge is what we learn when exposed to something (Falade, 2011). It is the intellectual capacity of the teacher and students with characteristics such as comprehension ol information, organization of ideas, facts, understanding and the ability to apply the knowledge in real-life situations (Philip-Ogoh, 2011). Nwaubani & Azuh (2014) defines civic knowledge as the component of education that is concerned with what citizens ought to know. Exposure to the concepts of Civic Education brings learners to the knowledge of their rights and responsibilities which guide their interactions with others for societal development. The low level of senior secondary school students' civic knowledge is, however, an issue of concern as various studies have shown the poor civic knowledge acquisition of students (Saka & Oyetade, 2011). Thus, it is important that more studies be conducted with a view to increasing the learners' frontiers of civic knowledge. The Concept of Civic Dispositions Another vital component of Civic Education to which students are expected to be exposed is a disposition (Guilfoile & Brady, 2014). Civic dispositions are interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues and behaviours such as tolerance, respect, appreciation of difference, rejection of violence, concern with the rights and welfare of others, readiness to compromise personal interests to achieve common goals, listening to news and contributing to civic matters (Guilfoile and Brady, 2014). Students need to learn not only the organs of government and their functions but also how to respect and tolerate others (Tovmasyan and Thoma, 2008). Unfortunately, research indicates that senior secondary school students' attitudes do not portray these virtues. Fabiyi (2009), for instance, observed that none of the strata of the Nigerian society has regard for respect, honesty, loyalty, patriotism, and morality. Fabiyi's view has been supported by Mofoluwawo, Jarimi, and Oyedele (2012), who assert that our societal values had been discarded and incivility has taken over every segment of the country. The Concept of Civic Engagement Civic engagement is another chief component of Civic Education. It is a process that involves intellectual and participatory issues through which citizens contribute to the development of their communities, community members, community contemporaries, schools, and peers. This kind of contribution to the community is called community service. Community service is a non-paying activity that is performed by someone or a group of 106 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY people for the benefit of others or the public. Hart, Donnelly, Youniss & Atkins (2007) opine that community service is capable of instilling civic competence in students. Civic engagement involves rendering such community services to the benefit of others. Civic engagement can help secondary school students in the area of career choice, apart from providing economic benefits to participants by way of serving as a source of money {College, Career, and Civic Readiness through Civic Engagement, 2015). Pitifully, civic engagement is not given the needed financial and administrative support by the government and school administrators. The situation makes this integral aspect of the subject to be neglected by the teacher (College, Career, and Civic Readiness through Civic Engagement, 2015). Hence, students neither participate in community projects nor school projects (Stephen, 2012). Teachers' Factors - Civic Knowledge and Classroom Practices A number of efforts have been made to conceptualize the term, teacher. The Oxford dictionary defines a teacher as an individual employed for the purpose of making learning possible (Oxford Dictionary, 6lh edition). Nyerere (1966) asserts that a teacher is a person trained to nurture and groom the youths or children against future challenges and responsibilities with practical knowledge and the right kind of attitude. From the foregoing, it suffices to say that teachers are architects of whatever children become tomorrow. Teacher's mastery of Civic Education curriculum content is an important determinant of students' level of civic competence. Ajiboye (2002) attributes students' poor knowledge of political concepts to the low level of civic knowledge of teachers as well as non-conducivc teaching and learning atmosphere in the Nigerian school system. This view has been corroborated by Falade & Adeyemi (2015), who observed that teachers are ill-equipped to teach Civic Education properly, as a result of the fact that universities' programmes have been haphazardly designed towards producing graduates in the field. Apart from teacher's conceptual knowledge, the pedagogical style of the same also has a long way in determining students' civic competence. The pedagogical style has to do with his classroom practices which involve classroom management, questioning style, method of teaching and instructional materials. An effective teacher is one who uses the right method to teach at the right time. A teacher has the responsibility of planning, organizing and imparting knowledge through the right channel of methodology (Adu & Tade, 2000). Therefore, teachers are an important instrument for the realization of the objectives of an educational program like Civic Education (Boudersa, 2016). Sadly, the teaching and learning of civic education have been short of practical methods and thus, ineffective to produce responsible citizens (Falade & Adeyemi, 2015). Students' civic disposition, engagement, and knowledge have been low as a result of the fact that students are not practically engaged in the class by the teacher (Gbadamosi, 2013). Guilfoile & Brady (2014) have also discovered that Civic Education teachers are too fond of using the talk and chalk method with its inherent inadequacies. Research Question 1. Is there any significant relationship between the independent variables (teachers' classroom practices and civic knowledge) and the dependent variables: 107 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY a. Senior Secondary School students' civic knowledge? b. Senior Secondary School students' civic disposition? c. Senior Secondary School students' civic engagement? Methodology The study adopted a survey design using ex-post facto research type to determine teachers' classroom practices and Civic Education content knowledge as predictors of senior secondary school students' civic competence. All senior secondary school students and their Civic Education teachers in Ibadan were the target population of this study. The ancient city comprises eleven local government areas out of which six are semi-urban, while the remaining five reside in the urban area. Considering the size of the city, the researchers randomly picked two local government areas from the semi-urban area and one from the other area as the sample population. The researchers selected five schools from each of the three local government areas to arrive at fifteen (15) schools. The researchers obtained data from schools geographically away from one another. The choice of schools from both rural and semi-urban areas was to ensure that both the semi-urban and urban dwellers participated in the study. The result of this was considered sufficient enough to generalize for the whole city. Instruments used for data collection were: Civic Education Teachers' Classroom Practice Observational Scale (CETCPOS), Civic Education Teachers' Content Knowledge Questions (CETCKQ), Students' Civic Knowledge Achievement Test (SKAT), Students' Civic Disposition Questionnaire (SCDQ), Students' Civic Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ) and Measuring Guide for Teachers' Classroom Practices Observational Scale (MGTCPOS). • Civic Education Teachers' Classroom Practices Observational Scale (CETCPOS) CETCPOS instrument consisted of two sections of which Section A centered on the participating teachers' demographic information. The instrument was adapted by the researchers from Shalaway (2005) and the University of Ibadan Teaching Practice Rating Scale previously used to measure the parameters of excellent classroom interaction. These included the teacher's method of teaching, communication styles, questioning style, time and classroom management. Many of these parameters reflected in the items under section B of the instrument which guided the researchers in observing the teachers in the classroom We administered the items on five (5) senior secondary school two (SS2) Civic Education teachers from schools that were not part of the main study. The inter-rater reliability was estimated using Scott's n. The inter-rater reliability index obtained was 0.75. • Civic Education Teachers' Content Knowledge Questions (CETCKQ) The researchers adapted CETCKQ from the West African Examinations Council/West African Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 2015 Civic Education questions, Maverick College Ibadan third term 2016 senior secondary school two Civic Education questions, and the SMART School second term 2015 senior secondary school two questions. We used the topics that the Civic Education teachers had already taught their SS2 students to set questions for them (the teachers). Research experts reviewed and corrected the initial 108 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY fifty (50) questions the researchers adapted. The feedback was used to modify the test questions for validation. The validated forty (40) test questions were then trial-tested on five (5) SS2 Civic Education teachers from schools that were not part of the main study, for the purpose of reliability. We used the twenty-eight items that survived the reliability stage for the main work after the reliability coefficient was established using the split-half method which yielded 0.79. • Students' Civic Knowledge Achievement Test (SKA T) The instrument consisted of twenty multiple-choice objective items. Initially, thirty (30) questions were set for thirty SS2 students to determine the reliability of the instrument. The instrument consisted of two sections: Section A had to do with the demographic data of the participants such as gender, class, school location, and school name. The researchers used section B to gather data on students' knowledge of Civic Education concepts. It consisted of twenty questions. We adapted the instrument from the West African Examinations Council/West African Senior School Certificate Examination May/June 2015 Civic Education Questions, Maverick College Ibadan third term 2016 senior secondary school two Civic Education questions, and the SMART school second term 2015 senior secondary school two questions. The researchers adapted the questions in line with the topics which the teachers had taught their students. Research experts at the Department of Arts and Social Science Education , University of Ibadan, reviewed and corrected the initial questions. The feedback was used to modify the test questions. After validation, the remaining test questions were trial-tested on thirty (30) senior secondary school two (SS2) students from schools that were not part of the main study to ensure its reliability. The reliability coefficient was established using the split-half method which yielded 0.79. The twenty (20) reliable questions were then used for the main study. • Students ’ Civic Disposition Questionnaire (CDQ) This instrument was self-constructed and it consisted of twenty (20) statements designed to measure the effect of Civic Education classes on students' character with respect to their relationships with others and conduct during examinations. Students were asked to pick one out of the four options provided. The researchers subjected the twenty-five (25) items to the reliability test before the final selection of twenty (20). Likert-type items with four categories (e.g., “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” and “strongly disagree”) were used to obtain information on civic disposition. Experts at the University of Ibadan reviewed and corrected the instrument. Observations made were incorporated into the items. The researchers administered the restructured test items on thirty (30) senior secondary school two (SS2) students from schools not part of the main study. Also, the reliability and internal consistency of SCDQ were calculated through Cronbach alpha which yielded 0.81. This left twenty-item statements suitable for the study. • Students' Civic Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ) This instrument was also self-designed by the researchers. It consisted of eighteen (18) 109 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY statements to measure the impact of Civic Education classes on students in terms of engagement or services to the community and their involvement in the national discourse. Twenty-five (25) items were subjected to a reliability test before the final seventeen (17) were selected. The instrument was perused and corrected by experts in the field. Comments made were incorporated into the final draft. The researchers administered the restructured items on thirty (30) senior secondary school two (SS2) students from schools not part of the main study. We determined the reliability and internal consistency of SCEQ through Cronbach alpha which gave 0.76. Two trained research assistants helped the researchers in data collection. Five (5) schools each from Ona-Ara, Oluyole, and Akinyele Local Government Areas were used for the study, making a total number of 450 SS2 students and their Civic Education teachers (one from each school). The researchers and research assistants administered the instruments (SCKA.T, SCDQ, and SCEQ) on thirty (30) students in each of the fifteen (15) schools, with ten chosen from each of the three Humanities, Science and Commercial departments operated in the schools. We observed their teachers during lessons, after which, they answered the test questions. The period of data collection spanned four (4) weeks. The prior notice given to the schools encouraged them to create time for the exercise. The study used the descriptive statistics of Mean and Standard Deviation/Inferential statistics of Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to analyze the data obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to present the characteristics and responses of the respondents. PPMC was used to determine the relationship between the independent variables (teachers' classroom practices and civic content knowledge) and dependent variables (senior secondary school students' civic competence - knowledge, disposition, and engagement). Results Research Question la: Is there any significant relationship between the independent variables (Teachers' Classroom Practices and Content Knowledge) and the dependent variable (Students' Civic Knowledge)? Table 1.1: Correlation Matrix of Independent Variables on Students' Civic Knowledge Construct Students’ knowledge Classroom practices Content knowledge S tu d e n ts ’ kno w led g e C lassro o m p rac tices 1 -0.061 1 0 .566 C o n ten t kno w led g e 0 .222 -0 .504 1 0 .426 0 .056 M ean 7.45 80 .47 19.47 Std. D ev ia tio n 2 .324 7.990 4 .0 8 6 110 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY Table 1.1 shows that there was a negative, insignificant relationship between classroom practices (r = -0.061; P>0.05) and students' civic knowledge. Teachers' content knowledge had a positive, insignificant relationship with students' knowledge in Civic Education (r = 0.222; P>0.05). Neither the teachers' classroom practices nor their content knowledge was related to students' knowledge in Civic Education. Thus, none of the independent variables were significantly related to students' knowledge in Civic Education. Research Question lb: Is there any significant relationship between the independent variables (teachers' classroom practices and content knowledge) and the dependent variable (students' civic disposition)? Table 1.2: Correlation Matrix of Independent Variables on Students' Civic Disposition Construct Students’ disposition Classroom practices Content knowledge S tu d e n ts ’ d isp o s itio n 1 C la ss ro o m p ra c tic e s 0 .0 8 5 1 0 .7 6 5 C o n te n t k n o w le d g e -0 .4 1 4 -0 .5 0 4 1 0 .1 2 5 0 .0 5 6 M ean 5 0 .3 5 8 80 .47 19.47 S td . D e v ia tio n 7 .1 4 6 7 .9 9 0 4 .0 8 6 Table 1.2 shows that there was a positive relationship between classroom practices (r = 0.085; P>0.05) and students' civic disposition, but this positive relationship was not significant. The teacher's content knowledge had a negative, insignificant relationship with students' civic disposition (r = -0.414; P>0.05). Both the teachers' classroom practices and teachers' content knowledge were unrelated to students' civic disposition. Thus, none of the independent variables is significantly related to students' civic disposition. Research Question lc: Is there any significant relationship between the independent variables (teachers' classroom practices and content knowledge) and the dependent variable (students' civic engagement)? Table 1.3: Correlation Matrix of Independent Variables on Students' Civic Engagement Construct Students engagement Classroom practices Content knowledge C iv ic e n g a g e m e n t 1 C la s s ro o m p ra c tic e s -0 .2 0 2 1 0 .471 C o n te n t k n o w le d g e -0 .1 1 3 -0 .5 0 4 1 0 .6 8 9 0 .0 5 6 M ean 3 2 .6 5 8 0 .4 7 19.47 Std . D e v ia tio n 4 .2 7 2 7 .9 9 0 4 .0 8 6 111 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY Table 1.3 shows that there was a negative and insignificant relationship between classroom practices (r= -0.202; P>0.05) and students' civic engagement. Also, the teacher's content knowledge had a negative, insignificant relationship with students' civic engagement (r = - 0.113; P>0.05). None of the teachers' classroom practices and teachers' content knowledge was related to students' civic engagement. Therefore, none of the independent variables is significantly related to students' civic engagement. Discussion of Findings Teachers' Classroom Practices and Students' Civic Knowledge Sequel to the moderate* teachers' classroom practices against poor students’ civic knowledge observed from this study, there was a non-significant relationship between the independent variable (teachers' classroom practices) and students' civic knowledge. Othe: factors outside the scope of this study could have led to the poor performance of the students Such factors might include home factors, peer group factors, and level of students preparation for the achievement test. The lack of formal education of the individual student's parents together with non-provision of adequate materials, non-supervision of the child's work at home, are possible causal home factors. The students who recorded failure in the test might not have been taking their studies seriously, perhaps, as a result of the unserious company they keep. Low level of intelligent quotient is another student's factor that could have brought about the students' poor learning outcomes. This finding negates the result of Takwate (2012) who found in Adamawa State that teachers' characteristics determine the academic performance of secondary school students. Also, Fabunmi and Okore (2000) work on the relationship between average class size and secondary school academic performance and observed a significant relationship between teachers' characteristics and students' cognitive learning in the school. Bukar and Ibi (2000) also point out that students' knowledge is low when taken by an untrained teacher. Adu, Olatundun, and Oshati (2014) equally discovered that when the teachers made the teaching participatory, it had a positive impact on the environmental knowledge of the students. Teachers' Classroom Practices and Students' Civic Disposition Following the moderate teachers' classroom practices against the poor students' civic disposition observed from this work, there was an insignificant relationship between the independent variable (teachers' classroom practices) and students' civic disposition. The fact that the teachers comported themselves during the classroom activities as they were aware that observation was going on could have led to this finding. Also, the lack of significance between the two variables might have been a result of other factors rather than the teachers’. These factors are also likely to include home factors, peer group factors, and government factors. Many children today imitate the bad behaviour of their parents consciously or subconsciously, and this could have affected them in the test. Then, government responsiveness to the needs of members of the society might not have encouraged the students to really put into practice all the societal values their teachers had -shown them. Besides, these children might have learned bad behaviour from their area friends. 112 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY However, Ajitoni & Salako (2013) found that when teachers use the right methodology at the right time, students tend to develop acceptable attitudes. The scholars, therefore, posit that there is a significant relationship between teachers' classroom practices and students' disposition. Brody (1994); Neimi & Jane (1998); and Soule & Naime (2009) likewise observe that when teachers used simulation, resource persons and adequate assessment to pass across their message, students tend to be politically tolerant. They were able to condone with their mates who did not share the same political view with them. Adu, Olatundun & Oshati (2014) also observe that the students in the experimental group of the research study whom the teacher taught with discussion method had a higher mean score on environmental attitude than their mates in the control group who were not; which means the teachers' practices determined the performance of the students. Teachers' Classroom Practices and Students ’ Civic Engagement The findings of the study show that the relationship between teachers' classroom practices and students' civic engagement was insignificant. The poor performance of the students might be because the students were discouraged from participating in civic matters as a result of the responsiveness of government to their needs. Also, school authority might not have created a conducive environment for the students to express themselves or play the leadership role required for students' civic engagement. The political apathy of the students' parents might have also rubbed off on the students. Besides, the performance of the teachers' classroom practices might have been a result of the fact that the researchers only observed them within the classroom. However, the result of this study is negated by Stephen (2012) who discovered that students' civic engagement performance is woeful as a result of teachers' poor classroom activities, as they fail to expose learners to democratic principles such as freedom of expression and learning through debate and discussion. According to Owen, Doom & Riddle (2016), research has shown that an open classroom climate is by far the essential condition for developing engaged citizens. Students who feel comfortable discussing politics in a respectful and encouraging classroom environment are substantially more confident in their ability to engage in politics and more inclined to participate. Composite Contributions of the Independent Variables (Teachers' Classroom Practices, Content Knowledge) to Students' Civic Knowledge, Disposition, and Engagement) The findings of the study revealed no significant relationship between (teachers' classroom practices, content knowledge) and students' civic knowledge. Other factors outside the scope of this study might have also led to this result. Such factors may include the home, peer group, and the students' factors. The level of education of an individual student's parents together with other home factors might have negatively affected students' acquisition of civic knowledge since the home too has a role to play on students' performance. Non­ provision of adequate educational materials for and non-supervision of the students' studies at home might have constituted the home factors. Low level of students' intelligent quotient as well as inadequate preparation for, or a lack of interest in the subject might have also been responsible for their low performance. 113 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY The findings of the study also show that there was no significant relationship between independent variables (teachers' classroom practices, content knowledge) and the students' civic disposition. Other factors rather than the teachers' might have been responsible for this outcome. These factors are also likely to include home factors, peer group factors, discouragement from government responsiveness. However, Wing Yee Lo (2009) discovers that most teachers do not set good examples for students to emulate, which he claims is main factor why some students are morally bankrupt. Also, the findings of the study showed that there was no significant relationship between independent variables (teachers' classroom practices, content knowledge) and students' civic engagement. Students' low civic engagement might have been due to their discouragement to participate in civic matters as a result of the responsiveness of government and school authority which might have been too stem to allow the children to express themselves or perhaps their parents' political apathy affected their opinions. Conclusion and Implications The findings of the study have shown that teachers' knowledge in Civic Education has increased and their classroom practices have improved, although without effects on the civic competence of senior secondary school students. The implication is that teachers are familiar with the content knowledge of Civic Education as well as the teaching of the subject perhaps through seminars, workshops or interactions with social media. However, they neec to make efforts towards improving more on their content knowledge and classroom practice; to be at par with their international contemporaries. Besides, other factors, rather than those of civic education teachers' factors, such as home factor, peer group factor, and students factor might have influenced the performance of students in this study. Therefore, there is a need for the teacher to prioritize identifying individual student's background before teaching for better performance in the subject. Recommendations • Parents and guardians must ensure that they encourage their children/wards to leam through supervision of their school work, and being role models to these children in terms of character, public participation and engagement. • School authorities should organize school activities such as literary and debate, drama, through which students can express themselves. They should also encourage students to contribute to the development and cleanliness of their schools. • Evaluation of civic education should be behavior-oriented rather than being solely subjected to conventional paper and pencil evaluation. • Students should realize that Civic Education is as important as every other subject and should, therefore, take it with all the seriousness it demands, for them to acquire holistic and balanced education. • The ministry of education should ensure that it organizes regular workshops and seminars for Civic Education teachers to enhance their competencies in a way that will impact the performance of students. 114 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY References Adu, E.O., & Tade, R. (2000). Teachers' effectiveness as correlates of students' academic achievement in secondary school economics in Oyo State, Nigeria. Adu, E.O., Olatundun, S.A., & Oshati, T. (2014). Impact of outdoor educational activities on pupils' environmental knowledge and attitude in selected primary schools in Ibadan. Mediterranean Journal o f Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy. Ajiboye, S.A. (2002). Providing training in good governance for secondary school pupils: Implications for nation building. Nigerian Journal o f Social Studies, 1 (2), 219-337. Ajitoni, S. O., & Salako, E. K. (2013). Effects of cooperative learning and field trip strategies on secondary school students' knowledge of and attitudes to multicultural concepts in Social Studies. Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigerian Journal o f Education and Practice, ISSN 2222- 1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.4, No.22,2013. Boudersa, N. (2016). The importance of teachers' training and professional development programs in the Algerian educational context: toward informed and effective teaching practices: Ecole Normale Superieure de Constantine- Constantine- Algerie. Brody, R. A. (1994). “Secondary education and political attitudes: Examining the effects on political tolerance of we the people curriculum.” Research report. Calabasas, CA: Center for Civic Education. Bukar, K.W., & Ibi, M.A. (2000). Resource management and students' academic achievement in Taraba State senior secondary school. African Journal o f Educational Research, 2(1), 122-125 College, Career and Civic Readiness Through Civic Engagement (2015): A White Paper by the MDCCC CONNECTS Task Force. David, K. (2004). How to develop citizenship education in schools: England's results from the IE A Citizenship Education Study. Fabiyi, O. (2009). Apathy of Nigerian voters worrisome-I wu. Thursday Punch, 17.20:3. Fabunmi, M., & Okore, A. (2000). Analysis of the relationship between average class size and secondary school academic performance. African Journal o f Educational Planning Policy Studies, 1(2), 107-115. Falade, D. A. (2007). Development of a participatory Civic Education package for secondary school students in Ondo State, Nigeria. An unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan. Falade, D.A. (2011). Civic knowledge and attitude of primary school teachers in Osun and Ondo States, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Social Studies, 14(2), 171-172. Gbadamosi, T.V. (2013). Effects of teaching citizenship component of Social Studies on primary school pupils' civic knowledge and skills. Nigerian Journal o f Social Studies, 16(2) Guilfoile, L., & Brady, D. (2014). Guidebook: Six proven practices for effective civic learning. National Centre for Learning and Civic Engagement. Guthrie. http://www. drspeg. com/courses/00-learning/04-guthrie.html. Hart, D., Donnelly, T. M., Youniss, J., & Atkins, R. (2007). High school community service as a predictor of adult voting and volunteering. American Educational Research Journal, 44(1), 197-219 Mofoluwawo, E.O., Jarimi, M. & Oyedele, T. (2012). The instruction mentality of Civic Education in moulding the youth: A case study of college of education in Oyo town, Nigeria. International Journal o f Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(3). 115 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY http://www Niemi, R. G., & Jane, J. (1998). Civic Education: What makes students learn. New Haven: Yale University Press.O Nwaubani, 0 .0 & Azuh, D. (2014). The adequacy of civic contents in the basic education Social Studies curricula for effective citizenship training of Nigerian youths: International Journal o f Educational Science and Research, 4( 1), 35-46. Nyerere, J. (1968). Freedom and socialism : A selection from writings and speeches, 1965- 1967, Dares Salam: Oxford University Press. Ofoha, D, Uchegbu, C.N., Anyikwa, B & Nkemdirim, M. (2009). A critical appraisal of the mode of implementation of Nigerian secondary school curriculum: Towards socio­ economic empowerment of youth: Educational research network for West and Central Africa. Owen, D., Doom, J.K & Riddle, G.I.W. (2016). Educating digital citizens: The influence of high school civics instruction. Paper prepared for presentation at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 7-9,2016. Philip-Ogoh. A. (2011). Evaluation in Civic Education: Issues and challenges: Nigerian Journal o f Social Studies, 14(2), 170-180. Saka, L.A. & Oyetade, E.M. (2011). Entry performance of upper basic 7 students in Civic Education lessons in Epe, Lagos State. Nigerian Journal o f Social Studies, 14(1), 62-67 Shalaway, L. (2005). Learning to teach...not just for beginners: The essential guide for all teachers. New York: Scholastic Soule, S. & Naimi, J. (2009). “Civic Education and youth turnout in the 2008 presidential election: Data from engaged citizens, we the people alumni.” Paper prepared for presentation at the Western Political Science Association Meeting, Vancouver, Sunday, D.E& Opoh, F.A. (2014). A comparative analysis of the indigenous and the present elementary education Social Studies curriculum in Nigeria: Research Journal of Education, 2 (5) Takwate, K.T. (2012). Relationship between teachers' characteristics and students' academic achievement in Adamawa state secondary schools: International Journal o f Research Education, 9(2). Tovmasyan, T. & Thoma, M.T. (2008). The impact of Civic Education on schools, students and communities: Caucasus Research Resource Centres (CRRC), 5(23). Wing Y. L. (2009). Understanding and attitudes towards moral and Civic Education among primary school teachers in Hong Kong: Asian Social Science, 5(7). 116 UNIV ERSIT Y O F IB ADAN L IB RARY