ABSTRACT

Islamic Studies (ISS) is one of the religious studies undertakings in Nigerian primary and post-primary schools up to the higher institutions for decades. However, there are myriads of problems facing its development in both teaching and learning for decades. In response to these and with adoption of descriptive and analytical methods, this study investigates the content of Islamic Studies as Prepared by Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), briefly chronicles the introduction of Islamic Studies into Nigerian schools, enumerates the factors (Problems) affecting the subject such as interest, parental and teachers factors, pedagogy and so on . Recommendations were made to ameliorate these problems and charter a new prospect for Islamic Studies in Nigerian primary and post-primary schools in order to nurture and produce vibrant, religious and productive Muslim children.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

        Education is an essential ingredient for human development, social justice, equity and religious harmony; and in all facets, Islam as a religion enjoins its adherents to seek useful knowledge from cradle to grave. Islamic studies on the other hand trains the sensibility of students in such a manner that their attitude to life, approach to all kinds of knowledge and decisions are all regulated by the value of Islam.

        On these premises, Muslims of all ages have strived and contributed meaningfully to human development, educational advancement, world civilization and culture (Adeyemi, 2016). In Nigeria, Muslims in both northern and southern parts of the country have being the victims of colonial inequity in term of western educational adventures amidst the British policy of non-interventionism towards the Muslims especially in the North (Rosalind,2001), while their southern counterparts were forced to change their faiths and names in exchange for biblical-inclined education. This, according to Rosalind has resulted in a lasting and destabilizing dichotomy that is firmly imprinted in the historical memory of Nigerian Muslim (Rosalind, 2001).

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

        The establishment of schools modeled in western ways by Muslim Missionary Organizations (such as Ansar-u-deen Society of Nigeria, Ahmadiyyah Movement and others) in addition to schools established by colonial government as the result of series of appeals and protests by the discontent Muslims ushered in a new lease of life of educating Muslim children. In furtherance of this new development, the teaching and learning of religious studies (which included Islamic Studies-ISS and Christian Religious Studies-CRS) were inculcated into the Nigerian Educational Curriculum by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council in both primary and post-primary schools. But, unmistakably, the teaching and learning of ISS have being confronted with plethora of problems that have been identified and discussed by numerous researchers, writers, speakers and academia in different publications and conferences. The Subject today is a mere and elective subject in schools not as a compulsory discipline needed to enrich the faith, demeanour and intellectual capability of Muslim pupils and students; and even recently to exacerbate these problems, the Federal Ministry of Education in actualizing it aims of reducing the number of subjects taught in primary and post-primary schools merged ISS with other so-called related disciplines. This and other factors without mincing words have compounded the problems of ISS in Nigerian elementary schools and aided eroding of its values and efficacy in the lives of Muslim children. This Study analyses these trends and suggests some solutions that can obliterate ISS conundrum in Nigerian primary and post-primary schools.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.     To trace the emergence and content of ISS as a subject in        Nigerian primary and post-primary schools.

2.     To highlight the problems of teaching and learning of ISS.

3.     To proffer possible solutions to the problems of teaching and    learning of ISS.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.     Does the emergence and content of ISS as a subject in    Nigerian primary and post-primary schools?

2.     Are there any problems of teaching and learning of ISS?

3.     Are there possible solutions to the problems of teaching and     learning of         ISS?

1.5   RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

        The following research hypotheses were formulated to guide this study.

Hypothesis 1

H0:    There are no emergence and content of ISS as a subject in       Nigerian primary and post-primary schools.

H1:    There are emergence and content of ISS as a subject in   Nigerian primary and post-primary schools.

Hypothesis 2

H0:    There are no problems of teaching and learning of ISS.

H1:    There are problems of teaching and learning of ISS.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

        The following are the significance of this study:

        The outcome of this study will educate the teachers and learners of Islamic Studies in primary and post primary schools in Nigeria.

        This research will be a contribution to the body of literature in the area of the problems and prospect of teachers and students of Islamic Studies in primary and post primary schools in Nigeria, thereby constituting the empirical literature for future research in the subject area.

1.7   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is concerns on the problems and prospect of teachers and students of Islamic Studies in primary and post primary schools in Nigeria using selected primary and post primary schools in Kaduna State.

1.8   LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will affect on the time devoted for the research work.

1.9   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Islamic Studies: This is an inter-disciplinary programme that is designed on the diverse range of textual traditions of Islam which is the bedrock of Islamic education; and this include Language Studies(ad-Dirāsat al-Luqah) and Lexicology (‘ilm al-Luqah), Literature(al-Adab), Religious and Natural Sciences( ‘ulúm ad-din wa tabí’iyah), History (tarikh/sírat) , Jurisprudence (ahkām al-Din/ al-Fiqh), Theology and Monotheism ( ilm al-Fiqh wa at-Tawhíd) , Apostolic or Prophetic Tradition ( hadíth) Morality ( ‘ilm al –akhlāq) and so on. However, according to Oloyede and Alli Mazrui as cited by Opeloye and Salisu (2015), Islamic Studies as a discipline possesses an all-encompassing nature, versatility, wideness and opulence, hence, the nomenclature “Islamic Studies” needs to be changed to “Islamics” to convey the proper and huge credence of the subject in the comity of disciplines.

Problem and Prospect: Problem means a thing that is difficult to deal with or understand. (Oxford Dictionary, 1999) .It’s usually created by human beings and in most cases the process of tackling is always sought for. While a prospect means the chance or hope that something will happen.

Primary and Post-Primary Schools: In Nigerian context, primary schools are the basic and elementary stage of formal academic cadre in which pupils of young ages are enrolled usually from class one to six within six academic Sessions; while post-primary schools are colleges and secondary schools which has two stages; Junior Secondary Schools(JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools(SSS). Students are expected to pass through each stage for a complete three sessions each.

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