AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR INCULCATING MORALS IN STUDENTS IN PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR INCULCATING MORALS IN STUDENTS IN PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – i
Approval page – – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – iv
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – – vii

CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction – – – – – – – 1
1.2 Background of the study – – – – – 1
1.3 Statement of the problem – – – – – 4
1.4 Purpose of the Study – – – – – 5
1.5 Research Questions – – – – – 5
1.6 Significance of the Study – – – – – 6
1.7 Scope of the Study – – – – – – 7
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms – – – – 8

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design – – – – – – – 38
3.2 Population and Sample of the Study – – – – 38
3.3 Sampling Technique – – – – – – 39
3.4 Instrument for Data collection – – – – – 39
3.4.1 Validity and Reliability of Instrument – – – – 40
3.5 Method for Data Collection – – – – – 41
3.6 Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – 42

CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 43
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis of Teachers’ Questionnaire 43
4.2 Discussion of Findings – – – – – – 54

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of Findings – – – – – – 57
5.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – 58
5.3 Recommendations – – – – – – – 59
References – – – – – – – 60
Appendices – – – – – – – – 64

ABSTRACT
This project was carried out to investigate African Traditional Religion Education as a Tool for Inculcating Morals in Student in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State. The research design was a survey research design and the population of the study consisted of all the secondary schools in Pankshin. The sample of the study was 200 respondents from the 10 selected secondary schools. The researchers made some findings that African traditional freligion is as virile and viable as to stand on its own and well mutually co-exist with other religions in Nigeria, civilization has eradicated African traditional religion, African traditional religion is not taught in schools today and it is termed as fetish, barbaric and archaic; moral decadence and corruption in Nigeria today, is as a result of lack of African traditional religion, African traditional education has skill acquisition attached to it. In the light of the findings, the following recommendations are presented: African Traditional Religion should embrace the use of media to proclaim their values and virtues to adherents and would be adherents. They should organize cultural programs on the radio, television and CD like some other great and organized world religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism; all aspect of life in the religion like custom, conventional acts, storytelling, tales, songs and lyrics should be released on air for our children and adult alike; there is the need especially among the teenagers to create an ever-conscious and consistent enthusiasm with regards this religion; Africans should put all hands on deck, government and individuals alike to help preserve our heritage, again there is the need for conferences, seminars and lectures to be organized for the promotion of African Traditional Religion by schools and societies as it is obtained in other religions, subjects and courses related to African Traditional Religion and culture should be made compulsory as a core subject like English language, Mathematics and Biology, it is even more urgent for us to focus on our religious culture in our present circumstance, because apart from sports and entertainments cultural expression is what makes life lively in Nigeria today in the face of economic and political gloom.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the study
The major problem confronting our nation Nigeria and our society today, is the general level of indiscipline and immorality. Gone are the days when morality and discipline used to be virtues. Today it is the exact opposite. We now live in a decadent society where morality and discipline are overboard. It is so unfortunate, that our society that was once upright with moral values can today, be this morally ill and bankrupt (Choji, 2017).
Education is the bedrock of development. It is identified as one of the fundamental factors determining sustainable economic development. It increases the human capital and production of labour as it leads to high output in the economy. Education equips people with necessary skills and competences and enhances them with innovative capacity of labour. It facilitates the adoption and implementation of foreign technology and helps to reduce knowledge gap between the technological advanced nations and developing nations. It helps the nations to compete in global markets.
Education is the greatest force that can be used to bring about change. It also is the greatest investment that a nation can make for quick development of its economic, political, sociological and human resources. Education is the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. Education is an indispensible part of life both personally and socially and a society which is uneducated cannot think on rational lines.
The knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes to achieve these benefits of education are got from education institutions. This made the educational institutions to be an industry where future leaders, workers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, teachers, thinkers, etc are produced. These all important roles of educational institutions make it imperative that the institutions should be sacrosanct. Any taint on these institutions endangers the future and development of individuals and the nation at large.
The importance of Religion in any human community cannot be over emphasized. Man’s need to reach out to the Divine Being higher and mightier than himself appears to be both basic and universal. Anthropologists and historians tell us that “from the beginning, man felt this need when mystified by the forces of nature, threatened by ferocious wild beasts and perplexed by death and the hereafter” (Banton, 1964:52). This, they say, coupled with the fear of the unknown, brought about the birth of religion. The affirmation of transcendental beings is the core of religion. In line with this observation, Kalu (1998) asserts that hardly did any human civilization row in early times without giving due recognition to religion.
Awolalu (1979) contends that before the advent of foreign religions there had been the indigenous religion upheld by our fore-fathers and passed on from them to succeeding generations. This was the religion whose founder cannot be traced no matter how far back we go into history. We may not be wrong to assert that the religion is as old as the first man who ever lived. This was the religion which emerged from the sustaining faith held by the fore bears of the present generation of Nigerians and which is being practiced today in various forms and intensities by a good number of Nigerians, openly or surreptitiously.
Morality constitutes a system of moral principle followed by a particular group of people. It concerns the issues of right and wrong, or good or bad behavior, as it affects the people and the society at large children and youths in general are more vulnerable to these nuisances in every society. For instance, children and youths and even adults have not been immune to upsurge of crime and violence seen in Nigeria over the past two decades. Hence, morality can be seen as the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as poor and those that are improper.
The keynote of the life of Africans is their religion and that the sanctity of the society is maintained through the correct observance of traditional cultural norms and values which African religion stand for. Also elders and older members of the society teach the younger ones various traditions, belief and custom through which peace is maintained in the society.
In most instances, Europeans’ observations about the Traditional Religion and culture were used to justify especially their strong judgment about the African belief in the Supreme Deity, cultural heritage and moral characters. In this regard, Temples rightly observed that, Africans have traditionally been very conscious of the Supreme Being. Morality also is always seen in the social context. Hence any serious violation of the moral order has a social aspect which involves serious social consequences.
Pankshin is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Pankshin. It has an area of 1,524 km² and a population of 191,685 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 933.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The society we live in is morally dead, that the issue of moral decadence has become less important, as the society has lost sense of morals. The issue of moral bankruptcy as it affects the secondary school students which includes exhibition of vices such as prostitution, cultism, disobedience, robbery, cheating in the examination halls, lack of respect for elders and other social vices is a threat to the society. African Traditional Religion Education can be used as an instrument in correcting this decadence especially in the secondary schools but African traditional religion has long been a fascination for some few students, and a dull, boring requirement for many more. It is a known fact that African traditional religion is not taught in many secondary schools. It is not an overstatement to say that African traditional religion is almost dying.
In regards to this, this research work intends to look at African traditional religion as a tool for instilling morals in students in secondary schools in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State.
1.3 Purpose of the study:
The purpose of this research is to:
i. To look at causes of moral decadence in our society.
ii. To find out the effects of moral decadence on our society.
iii. To discover what the tenets of African religion are all about.
iv. To find out whether African traditional religion can be used to instill morals in secondary schools.
1.4 Research Questions
In order to have a sense of guide, the researcher has formulated the following research questions which answers will be provided for at the end of the research:
i. What are the causes of moral decadence in our society?
ii. What are the effects of moral decadence on our society.
iii. What are the tenets of African religion?
iv. Can African traditional religion be used to instill morals in secondary schools?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The significance of this study cannot be overemphasized. It will be of importance to all educational stakeholders which include parents, teachers, government, curriculum planners and students as well.
To the parents, they will change their perspectives on African traditional religion. They will come to understand that African traditional religion is not a scary or fetish religion, but a religion that upholds morals and discipline.
Curriculum planners will see the importance of African traditional religion, in the light of this they will incorporate it into the curriculum so that it could be thought in the secondary schools.
The teachers on their part will come to terms with the fact that African traditional religion education is an important tool for instilling or inculcating morals in the learners.
The students who are at the centre of all these, will benefit from this study, as they will get to be thought the moral values of Africans and therefore, grow up to be good citizens of the society where everyone will appreciate and commend them.
1.6 Scope/Delimitation of the study:
This study is limited to African traditional religion education as a tool for inculcating morals in secondary schools. It shall cover Pankshin Local Government Area. The secondary schools that shall be used include G.M.S.S Pankshin, Trinity Missionary College Pankshin, Community Secondary School Pankshin, Bwarak Community Secondary School and Government College Pankshin. However, despite the fact that the study shall cover Pankshin Local Government Area, its findings can be generic – it can be generalized to other parts of the country as well.
1.7 Operational definition of terms:
The following key terms are defined in order to enhance better comprehension of the study.
1. African traditional Religion: This is a religion that was practiced before the coming of the colonial masters who brought Christianity. It is still practiced by other Africans.
2. Teaching: This is the idea of a particular person or group, especially about policies, religion and society that are taught to other people. It is the work of a teacher.
3. Teacher: This is a person whose job is teaching or impacting knowledge in others.
4. Moral: This is concerned with the principles of right conduct or distinction between right and wrong.
5. Upliftment: The process of improving, as socially, intellectually, or morally.
6. Moral upliftment: Formal improvement of a person’s moral condition.
7. Decadence: The behavior that shows a love of self indulgence, pleasure and money, or the process of decline or decay in the society’s ethical and moral traditions.