Curriculum and Instruction as a Tool for Education and Sustainable Peace in Nigeria by Aloefuna Nonso P.

ABSTRACT

This work is undertaken to discuss curriculum and instruction as a tool foreducation and sustainable peace in Nigeria. The analysis contained in thiswork started with explanation of major concepts in the topic like theconcept of curriculum, instruction and education. It further discussedcurriculum and instruction as a tool for education and sustainable peace inNigeria. The analysis shows that through curriculum and instruction, theeducational system is made function and when a country has functionaleducation, the citizens of that country will be well mannered, intellectuallydeveloped and above all, they will be productive which will not give themtime to plane or engage in activities that can threaten peace in the country.Finally recommendation were offered for improvement.

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INTRODUCTION

Education is a systematic process through which a

child or an adult acquires knowledge, experience, skill

and sound attitude. It makes an individual civilized,

refined, cultured and educated. For a civilized and

socialized society, education is the only means. Its

goal is to make an individual perfect. Every society

gives importance to education because it is a panacea

for all evils. It is the key to solve the various

problems of life. The goal of education is flowering of

the human on this earth. According to a UNESCO study,

“the physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical

integration of the individual into a complete man/woman

is the fundamental aim of education.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted

education as an instrument per excellence for effective

national development. The success of any educational

system is hinged on proper planning, efficient

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administration, adequate financing and effective

evaluation. The evaluation aspect hinges on proper

inspection and supervision of the educational programme

right from the planning stage through to the final

stage when assessment of the whole process and

reasonable decisions will be made.

However, the curriculum is very important in all

levels of education. It is the totality of the learning

experience that a learner should undergo from the time

he starts to the time he finishes a particular

educational programme. It includes lessons and academic

content taught in a school or in a specific course or

program. In dictionaries, curriculum is often defined

as the courses offered by a school, but it is rarely

used in such a general sense in schools. 

Curriculum can be described as the educational

experiences designed purposely for certain students

within a specific time in order to accomplish the set

objectives. It serves as an instrument for guided

instruction.

The curriculum is a very essential instrument in

the educational system and education on the other hand3

is also essential in economic, social and general

development of a country. It is thus not disputable

that education plays certain roles in bringing

sustainable peaces in a country. This work therefore

aims to discuss curriculum and instruction as a tool

for education and sustainable peace in Nigeria.

The Concept of Curriculum

In formal education, a curriculum is the set of

courses and their contents offered at a school or

university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin

word which means race or the course of a race,

referring to the course of deeds and experiences

through which children grow to become mature adults. A

curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more

general syllabus which merely specifies what topics

must be understood and to what level to achieve a

particular grade or standard. It is the total learning

experience provided by a school. It includes the

content of courses (the syllabus), the methods employed

(strategies), and other aspects, like norms and values,

which relate to the way the school is organized. It

includes the aggregate of courses of study given in a

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learning environment. The courses are arranged in a

sequence to make learning a subject easier. In schools,

a curriculum spans several grades. A curriculum is

prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus

which merely specifies what topics must be understood

and to what level to achieve a particular grade or

standard. Curriculum has numerous definitions, which

can be slightly confusing. In its broadest sense a

curriculum may refer to all courses offered at a

school. This is particularly true of schools at the

university level, where the diversity of a curriculum

might be an attractive point to a potential student.

A curriculum may also refer to a defined and

prescribed course of studies, which students must

fulfill in order to pass a certain level of education.

The Concept of Instruction

Instruction was defined previously as "the

purposeful direction of the learning process" and is

one of the major teacher/class activities (along with

planning and management). Professional educators have

developed a variety of models of instruction, each

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designed to produce classroom learning. Instruction is

the facilitation of another's learning. Instructors in

primary and secondary institutions are often called

teachers, and they direct the education of students and

might draw on many subjects like reading, writing,

Mathematics, Science and History. Instructors in post-

secondary institutions might be called teachers,

instructors, or professors, depending on the type of

institution; and they primarily teach only their

specific disciplines.

Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun (2003) describe four

categories of models of teaching/instruction

(behavioral systems, information processing, personal

development, and social interaction) that summarize the

vast majority of instructional methods. Each model

differs in the specific type or measure of learning

that is targeted. Therefore, as we make decisions about

"best educational practices" we must be certain that we

connect recommended practices with specific desired

outcomes. This point is often omitted; discussion of

best practices then becomes a debate about desired

outcomes rather than a discussion of how to achieve

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them. Another important point is that the different

models and methods of instruction have been developed

based on specific interpretations of concepts and

principles of teaching and learning. While it is

important to learn and practice the approaches

developed by others, it is even more important to

understand the concepts and principles upon which they

are based.

However, instruction (the purposeful guidance of

the learning process) is complex and can take many

forms. It is a vitally important classroom activity,

but must be considered in the context of such factors

as measures of desired student learning (including

overlapping objectives taught to objectives tested),

controlling student behaviour (classroom management

activities), individual differences among students, and

school processes and characteristics. Under the best

conditions it takes many years of experience for most

teachers to meet the ideals of instructional practice

that they set for themselves as preservice

undergraduate students.

The Concept of Education7

Education is the process of facilitating learning.

Knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits of a

group of people are transferred to other people,

through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training,

or research. For Fafunwa (1974), education is the

aggregate of all the processes through which a child

develops abilities, and other forms of behaviours which

are of positive value to society, while Okafor (1981)

conceptualised it as a process of acculturation by

which the individual is assisted to attain the maximum

activation of his potentialities according to the right

reason, and to achieve thereby his self-fulfillment or

self-realization.

Education frequently takes place under the guidance

of educators, but learners may also educate themselves

in a process called autodidactic learning. Any

experience that has a formative effect on the way one

thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.

Education is commonly and formally divided into stages

such as preschool, primary school, secondary school and

then college, university or apprenticeship. The

methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

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Education in the largest sense is any act or

experience that has a formative effect on the mind,

character or physical ability of an individual. In its

technical sense, education is the process by which

society deliberately transmits its accumulated

knowledge, skills and values from one generation to

another.”

Curriculum and Instruction as a Tool for Education andSustainable Peace in Nigeria

Curriculum and instruction could be inseminated

into the students using the exiting subjects in the

school curriculum which promote sustainable peace in

Nigeria. Subjects, such as History, Social Studies,

Geography, Civic Education, Government and Religious

Studies are relevant in this case. In History, students

are made to understand the past and present happenings

in their communities and use the knowledge to better

their future.

Curriculum and instruction can serve as a tool for

sustainable peace in Nigeria by making the educational

system functional. Through functional education,

qualitative manpower is produced. The educational

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system of any nation determines its type, nature and

calibre of manpower to be supplied.

To clearly show how Curriculum and instruction will

lead to functional education and sustainable peace in

Nigeria, Aloefuna (2015) stated that well planned

curriculum will ensure functional education which will

help in building sustainable peace in four basic ways

which includes; People Empowerment, Diversification,

Creation of Employment and Individual Competence.

People Empowerment: According to him, functional

education that teaches people innovative ways to make a

living empowers them to take control of their life

circumstances. Functionally educated people can easily

gain employment or start their own busineses with

little cash and grow from there. Functional education

is aimed at improving self confidence and giving people

a chance at becoming self reliant so that they are not

totally dependent on employment. This form of education

also builds up self-awareness. It provides a dynamic

platform on which an individual can explore his

strengths through practical application and not

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theoretical knowledge gained from theoretical

education.

Diversification: He further noted that functional

education leads to diversification. Functional

education teaches students to recognize and seize

diverse opportunities for financial gain. This allows

people to work in authentic environments that best suit

them. As a result there is greater individual

satisfaction as compared to conventionally employed

workers.

Creation of Employment: Unemployment is a rampant

problem in Nigeria. In short unemployment and poverty

are the most observable causes of terrorism, insurgency

and insecurity in the country. If our youths are

employed, they cannot carry bombs to kill themselves

and others. Therefore functional education which

empowers people to be self-employed and create

employment opportunities for others can go a long way

in ameliorating the problem of insecurity.

Individual Competence: Functional education imparts

qualities such as self motivation and financial

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responsibility. In addition to this, functional

education empowers people to have self discipline.

Since business involves taking well calculated risks,

people who have gone through this kind of training are

able to recognize opportunities.

Through the four ways above, people are engaged in

more productive activities that will give them less

time to plan evil, violence or crime that can threaten

sustainable peace in the country.

Furthermore, the role of curriculum and education

in sustainable peace in Nigeria includes that education

and curriculum promote sustainable peace through peace

education and Education helps in promoting sustainable

peace by making the citizens useful and functional to

himself and to the society.

(A.)Education Promotes Sustainable Peace through Peace

Education:

One of the effective methods for the mainstreaming

of peace in the society and indeed promoting the

process of peace building is through the

instrumentality of formal and informal education. After12

all, it is said that education is a lifelong learning

process for the individual and the community.

Currently, there are various socialization avenues that

have been widely known to engage in peace education and

peace building. In so doing, individuals and

communities learn about respecting alternative

opinions, living in diverse settings, upholding justice

and non-violence, and tolerating, understanding,

accommodating and feeling for each other.

Peace education, however, does not equal peace

building. Peace education refers to the people’s

development of positive attitudes, whereas peace

building integrates aspects of economic and social

justice. However, the two concepts are related as they

both attempt to improve the situation of human rights

(Baxter and Ikobwa 2012).According to Harris and

Morrison (2003: 7-10), peace education forms a crucial

part of education. They argue that educators have

contributed to the development of a global village and

that it is now time for the schools and communities to

contribute to the achievement of Dr. Martin Luther

King’s vision of “beloved communities”.  Nigeria is a

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developing nation, which is facing different challenges

ranging from political tensions to religious and tribal

violent conflicts. These events constitute factors that

have been negatively influencing the development of the

country. As they are left unattended due to the

difficulty of resolving these issues, these situations

of conflict keep happening and are gradually becoming

part of the national culture. Consequently, the

situations of conflict and tension continue and the new

generations are not aware of those issues and the need

to resolve them. Nigeria is a multicultural and

multiethnic nation where people are raised differently

according to the beliefs and customs of their ethnic

group. Consequently, by observing one’s behaviours it

is possible to discover one’s origins.

Peace education helps in promoting sustainable

peace in the following ways;

Through Peace education programme, students will

learn how to peacefully handle critical issues

that can lead to conflict.

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Through the activities of the curriculum,

students will be empowered with the necessary

skills to become agents of peace and change.

Through peace education, students will learn how

they can create a peaceful environment by

respecting the equality of human rights. The

equality between individuals is crucial as

inequality can generate structural violence. By

avoiding structural violence, it will be possible

to prevent the acts of direct violence to happen,

as Galtung suggested (2006:15). Students will be

taught that equality is very important, not only

in school but also in their daily lives.

The peace education classes acts as platforms for

the expression of opinions regarding peace and

will give occasions to practice non-violent

approaches. They will also provide support for

the students to bring about social change.

Through peace education programme, students are

expected to improve their knowledge, skills and

attitudes by participating in activities and

cooperate with others for the realization of

projects. By creating an environment filled with15

care, tolerance and respect, teachers will

encourage the students to explore and exchange

ideas and to respect others’ opinions. As

students will be asked to actively participate in

the classes, they will be encouraged to take

responsibility for their own learning process and

personal achievement of peace.

(B.) Education helps in promoting sustainable peace by

making a citizen useful and functional to himself and

to the society:

A popular adage has it that an idle mind in the

devil’s workshop. This fact is not hidden an idle mind

has nothing serious to ponder on rather than evil. To

this end, education which helps one to be functional

for himself, to a large extent promotes sustainable

peace. The specific ways through which education

empowers an individual and promotes peace by

implication includes;

Education is self Empowerment:

Receiving a good education helps empower you, thus

making you strong enough to look after yourself in any

given situation. It keeps you aware of your given16

surrounding as well as the rules and regulations of the

society you're living in. It's only through knowledge

that one can begin to question authority for its

negligence or discrepancies. It is only then that you

can avail your rights as a citizen and seek improvement

in the structural functioning of governance and

economy. It's only when a citizen is aware the policies

of its government that he can support or protest for

change. As a whole, people can bring about development

only when they know where improvement is necessary for

the greater good of mankind. Education helps one

understand himself better, it helps you realize his

potentials and qualities as a human being. It helps you

to tap into latent talents, so that he may be able to

sharpen your skills.

Financial Stability and Dignity of Life

Another importance of education is that it helps

one gain sufficient academic qualifications so that he

will be able to get suitable employment at a later

stage. A decent employment would be combined with hard-

earned remuneration or salary through which one can

look after his personal expenses. While you earn for

himself, he gradually begin to realize the true worth17

of money and how hard it is to earn it. He realizes the

significance of saving for a rainy day and for

unforeseeable contingencies. He feels empowered because

there is a new sense of worth that develops within he,

and you feel the need to be independent and free from

any further financial support. He takes pride in the

fact that he is earning for himself, and is not

obligated to anyone.

Broadens the Mind of an Individual:

An educated person has broader perspective towards

life. He does not waste his life into little details.

He is open minded person and a good listener, he gives

importance to other’s view points. Furthermore, an

educated person is a logical person who thinks widely

and for all. He has no selfish interest and does not

promote unnecessary wastage. He knows how to increase

and maintain the supply.

Improves the Future of a Person:

Education truly improves the future of an

individual. He earns his living with the help of his

skills and knowledge. Education teaches a person to

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preserve the natural environment, educated people

believe in living in a clean and hygienic environment.

They do not make their environment dirty by throwing

trash everywhere.

Through the means stated above, curriculum,

instruction and education promote sustainable peace in

Nigeria.

Conclusion

As seen in the analysis above, curriculum and

instruction is a tool for education and sustainable

peace in Nigeria. Through curriculum and instruction,

the educational system is made function and when a

country has functional education, the citizens of that

country will be well mannered, intellectually developed

and above all, they will be productive which will not

give them time to plan or engage in activities that can

threaten peace in the country. Thorough this way,

curriculum, instruction and education will lead to

sustainable peace in Nigeria.

Recommendations

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- Nigeria should adopt and strengthen existing

strategies of peace education, both formally and

informally, to expand the opportunities of peace

building and reduce the threats of “lawlessness” in

the Nigerian nation.

- The relevance of peace should be made an essential

part of the curriculum at all levels of formal

education in the country so that the pupils/

students who are leaders of tomorrow will imbibe

the culture of peace from their early stages of

education.

- The government at all levels should show their

commitment and political-will to ensuring

functional education through its funding, policy

making, supervision and monitoring of educational

projects and programmes.

- A law should be enacted that will mandate the

federal and state governments to adhere strictly to

the UNESCO’s recommendation that 24 percent of

their annual budget be allocated to education. This

will help to improve access to education in the

country

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- Teachers should try and make their curriculum more

of practical than theoretical to enable the

students practice what they learnt. This will boost

employment as the education becomes functional

there by eradicating the national insecurities in

the country.

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