Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 154 Social Studies Teachers’ Readiness to Teach the Security Education Theme in the Reviewed Edition of Nigeria’s Basic Education Curriculum Moshood Babatunde Lawal Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Lagos, Nigeria Abstract: This study analyzed Social Studies teachers’ readiness to teach Security Education. We administered a structured questionnaire to 720 practicing Social Studies teachers drawn from 72 Junior Secondary schools in South Western Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed using percentage, means, and standard deviations to test the three null hypotheses. Findings of this study showed that practicing Social Studies teachers have a significantly low knowledge and awareness of the components of Security Education. However, the teachers’ readiness to acquire additional useful knowledge and skills required for handling Security Education alongside their area of specialization (Social Studies) was found to be significantly high. The teachers perceived the inclusion of Security Education in the reviewed curriculum as a development that will create a significantly higher workload for them. Nevertheless, their response showed a relatively high degree of negative disposition toward the handling of the newly introduced Security Education theme in Religion and National Values class. Based on these findings, necessary recommendations focusing on the need for training and organizing workshops for curriculum implementers were suggested. Key words: social studies, security education, teacher readiness, Nigeria, basic education curriculum mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 155 Background to the Study The Nigerian educational system has continued to witness conscious and concrete efforts aimed at improving the content of what is delivered as curriculum, from the 1969 Curriculum Review Conference until a recent effort that reduced the number of subjects that can be offered at the Basic Education level. One of the major outcomes of this recent curriculum review is the introduction of Religion and National Values (RNV), which has reduced standalone subjects like Social Studies, Civic Education, Islamic Studies, and Christian Religious Studies to themes, with an addition of a new theme called Security Education. Even though this latest review has been shrouded in controversy, particularly the feasibility of expecting only one teacher to handle three of the five themes and leaving the remaining two themes to specialist Religious Studies teachers, there is still the need to raise a major implementation constraint. This is concerned with the preparedness of the Social Studies teachers who are now charged with the handling of Security Education alongside Social Studies and Civic Education during their training. Coupled with this is the erroneous assumption by the curriculum designer/development agency that any teacher trained in Social Studies should be competent enough to teach the newly introduced theme, Security Education. Nigeria’s Basic Education Curriculum As part of its statutory responsibilities, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) restructured the existing primary and junior secondary school curricula into a nine-year Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) in line with the UBE. The BEC, which became operational in 2008 beginning from year 1 of primary school and year 1 of junior secondary school, was therefore developed to facilitate the implementation of the UBE. By this arrangement, the old primary and junior secondary school curricula were to be systematically phased out in two cycles: primary school in 2014 and junior secondary school in 2011. However, this reviewed curriculum was not allowed to complete its implementation cycle before another call for review was initiated, and the exercise culminated in a revised nine-year Basic Education Curriculum comprising 10 subjects instead of the old curriculum with 20 subjects mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 156 studied at the Basic Education level. According to NERDC (2012), this development allowed for relevant subjects to be grouped, and Social Studies was grouped alongside Civic Education, Islamic Studies, Christian Religious Studies, and the new Security Education under the name “Religion and National Values.” The new curriculum arrangement meant to address the issue of topic, content, and subject overload as well as repetitions within subjects without any reduction in the depth, appropriateness, and interconnectedness of the curricula as part the Education Sector’s role in the facilitation of achievement of the core objectives of National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS), Education for All (EFA), and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also came in response to the ever-changing needs, challenges, and aspirations of the Nigerian society. The Social Studies teacher is expected to teach about three (Social Studies, Civic Education and Security Education) out of the five themes in his or her class. The question is: How has the training institution and the corresponding teacher education curriculum prepared him or her for this new role? This is the major focus of this paper. It is therefore pertinent at this juncture to raise a major statement of problem, which is: How competent are the practicing Social Studies teachers in the handling of the Security Education theme while teaching the subject of Religion and National Values? Research Questions The following research questions were therefore addressed in the study: 1. Do practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers have a significantly high knowledge and awareness of the demands of Security Education as a theme in Religion and National Values? 2. Has the preparation of practicing Social Studies teachers significantly prepared them for effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values? mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 157 3. Are practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers significantly competent to teach the topics suggested under the theme Security Education in a Religion and National Values class? 4. Do the practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers perceive the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum as an intervention demanding more work from them? 5. Do practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers possess a significantly high positive attitude toward the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum? Hypotheses Ho1 Practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do not have a significantly high knowledge and awareness of the demands of Security Education as a theme in Religion and National Values. Ho2 The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers have not been significantly prepared for effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values. Ho3 Practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers are not significantly competent to teach each of the topics suggested under the theme of Security Education in a Religion and National Values class. Ho4 The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do not perceive the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum as an intervention significantly demanding more work from them. Ho5 The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do not have a significantly high positive attitude toward the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum. mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 158 Concept of Security Education Security Education in a democracy is education aimed at building resilience. It is the ability of children, communities, and systems to anticipate, prevent, withstand, adapt to and recover from stresses and shocks, advancing the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged. It is an education about what it takes to be in the state of being or feeling secure: freedom from fear, anxiety, danger, doubt, and a state or sense of safety or certainty. The concept is known to have been interchangeably used with “security awareness” and “security consciousness.” In a simple form, Fabinu, Ogunleye, and Salau (2016) described Security Education as the type of education designed to promote the level of security consciousness among the citizenry of a particular country for them to be able to protect their immediate environment, nation, and the world at large. Furthermore, they see it as an education that helps to enrich people’s knowledge against any form of threatening actions to lives and properties, be it at home, in school, in a place of work, or in the country. Trendsinstitution.org (2018), quoting Buzan, remarks that security is taken to be about “the pursuit of freedom from threat and the ability of states and societies to maintain their independent identity, and their functional integrity against forces of change, which they see as hostile. The bottom line of security is survival, but it also reasonably includes a substantial range of concerns about the conditions of existence.” An effective Security Education brings communities together, gives children and communities aspirations for a better life, and creates communities that are more resilient for overcoming conflict. Security Education and Teachers’ Receptivity to Curriculum Change In an attempt to introduce any curriculum change, the implementers are known to be wary of the demands of such change. Hence, they tend to exhibit some signs of receptivity. The case of the Security Education theme in the new Religion and National Values Curriculum is not likely to be an exemption. Although extant literature on Security Education is relatively sparse, there are cases in other subjects that can be cited to confirm this teacher receptivity to curriculum change. For instance, mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 159 Lee (2010), while examining teacher receptivity to curriculum change in implementation guidelines for Environmental Education in Hong Kong, reported that variables such as perceived non-monetary cost-benefit of the implementation guidelines, perceived practicality, perceived school and other support, and other issues of concern were predictors for teacher behavioral intentions toward active involvement and promotion of the curriculum change. Rationale for the Introduction of Security Education in the New Basic Education Curriculum There is an undeniable increasing prevalence of emergency situations in Nigerian schools in particular and the larger society in general. A typical recent example is the kidnapping of over 100 secondary school students from Dapchi, a community in Yobe State, North Eastern Nigeria. The increasing severity of this pathetic security situation makes the necessity of introducing Security Education in the Nigerian primary and secondary schools very germane. The rapid increase in the crime rate, security breaches, and a continued increase in security threats are reflected in the increasing incidences of insecurity across the different geo-political zones of Nigeria: militia insurgency resulting in uncontrolled loss of lives, a high rate of kidnapping, armed robbery, incessant cult clashes and killings, etc. Children and youth need security and safety. They need someone to turn to, someone who has the experience and training to handle a potentially dangerous situation and who can properly guide them toward living a safer and more secure life as they operate within and outside the school. With the right combination of determination, strength, training, and a desire to do what is right, it is possible for such individuals to promote better school safety and security in the community. The challenge, however, is the capability of a trained Social Studies teacher to muster enough knowledge and skill to achieve this. Essential Components of Security Education in the Revised Basic Education Curriculum This curriculum is organized using the thematic approach around which the topics and contents are built. It is spiral in nature, with each learning experience at one level built upon another with increasing levels of difficulty and depth. mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 160 The sub-themes and corresponding topics for Primary 1-6 are: Level Sub-theme Corresponding Topics Units Primary 1 Elements of Security Concept of Security - Meaning of security of life and property. - Some sources of danger and insecurity Primary 2 Sources of Danger and Insecurity - Sources of Insecurity in our community - How to keep away from dangers - Identification of Security Agencies and their Primary Duties - Examples of security agencies in Nigeria - Duties of some security agencies in our Community Primary 3 Identification of Security Agencies and their Primary Duties - Security agencies and duties. - Identification of which security agency to report to when in danger Elements of Criminal Behaviour - Some examples of criminal behaviours - Ways to avoid criminal behaviours Primary 4 Personal/Neigbourhood Security: Duties and Responsibilities Introduction to Neigbourhood Security - Meaning of Neigbourhood Watch - Ways of Reporting Movements that we don’t trust - Dangers of Not Reporting Suspicious Movement and people in our Community mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 161 Primary 5 Personal/Neigbourhood Security: Duties and Responsibilities Introduction to Personal Security - Meaning of Personal Security - Actions and Behaviours that can make us to be personally secured Duties and Responsibilities for Personal Security - Duties and responsibilities of a child for personal security Primary 6 Personal/Neigbourhood Security: Duties and Responsibilities Personal Security Management - Meaning of Personal Security Management - Punishment for various crimes - How to act appropriately when in danger The sub-themes and corresponding topics for Junior Secondary 1 -3 are contained in Table 2. JS 1Theme- Common Crimes and Security Management I, JS 2 Theme- Common Crimes and Security Management II JS 3 Theme- Common Crimes and Security Management III Topics Topic Topics Common crimes, causes and effects Emergency management Common crimes and associated punishments Cooperation with security agents, school and neighbourhood authorities in crime prevention Observing and reporting common crimes Crimes and National security mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 162 This curriculum stresses learner-centered approaches. The learner-centered approach involves the consideration of the learners’ conditions, including how to develop in them the interest to pursue Security Education as contained in our curriculum. It treats the learners as people who have the capacity to think and behave rightly through a learning process in which they are active players. The teaching methodology of the Security Education theme in the curriculum is dynamic and promotes interaction. Hence, the teaching-learning experiences do not support forcing some values on the learners. Rather, it encourages a kind of teaching that touches on the learners’ daily lives. The methodology therefore involves active learning/participative strategies, experiential learning, partnerships in learning with learners’ participation, dialogue, self-expression, storytelling and response to stories, and project work focused on identifying questions and researching answers. It also encourages exchange with children from other cultures using their own medium, creative teaching, and learning. Another special feature of the Security Education curriculum is in the values and attitudes which need to be addressed through the curriculum and the whole school. Through effective teaching of the theme, learners are expected to become more alert, patriotic, sensitive to strange objects and people, and be more security-conscious in and around their environment. Methods The study employed a quantitative approach in obtaining data. This was done through the use of a five-part questionnaire. A total of 720 practicing Social Studies teachers drawn from 72 Junior Secondary schools in South Western Nigeria were used as the sample for this study using the cluster and stratified random sampling techniques. One hundred and twenty (120) Social Studies teachers were randomly selected from 10 schools in each of the six South West States (Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti State). A five-part questionnaire was designed with a five-point Likert scale of Strongly Disagreed, Disagreed, Not Sure, Strongly Agreed, and Agreed for collecting data for the study. Section A of the questionnaire demanded demographic information about the respondents; Section B dealt mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 163 with teachers’ levels of awareness and knowledge of the demands of Security Education as a theme in Religion and National Values; Section C focused on the relationship between the level of preparation of practicing Social Studies teachers during training and effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme; Section D dealt with teachers’ levels of competency to teach the topics suggested under the theme of Security Education in a Religion and National Values class; and Section E dealt with the level of teachers’ perception of the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum as an intervention demanding more work from them. The questionnaire was given to experts in instrument design to examine its face and content validity. In the process, some items were modified, some removed, and others added. To determine the reliability of the questionnaire, it was administered to 60 Social Studies teachers’ from 20 schools used for the pilot study. A split half method was used. Thereafter, Cronbach’s Alpha was conducted and the coefficient was found to be 0.76. Research Assistants were deployed to the sampled schools in each of the six States used for this study in South Western Nigeria. They explained the content of the questionnaire and necessary clarifications were also made to the respondents. The questionnaires were physically administered and collected by the research assistants on the spot to enable them to have a high rate of return and reduce the incidence of loss or damage of the instrument, as they had earlier been informed of the intended visits. Results Data collected were collated and subjected to analysis in order to determine the mean scores obtainable for each of the tested hypotheses. The mean response was used to analyze data collected in order to determine the degree of agreement and disagreement with each of the scaling statements in the questionnaire. Nominal values were assigned to the items as follows: from 5 through 4, 3, 2, and 1 for “Strongly Agree” (SA), “Agree” (A), “Undecided” (UD), “Disagree” (D), and “Strongly Disagree” (SD); to determine the partitioning value of items, the maximum of each of the nominal values was divided by N. For purposes of data interpretation, mean values of 3.00 and above were considered for agreement; mean values below 3.00 were taken to mean mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 164 disagreement with respect to items on the attitudes and practices of the respondents. A standard deviation greater than 1.00 was taken to indicate high variability among respondents. H01: Practicing junior secondary Social Studies teachers do not have a significantly high knowledge and awareness of the demands of Security Education. Analysis of the data for Hypothesis One is presented in Table 1. The mean score ranged from 2.59 to 3.37. The overall mean score is 3.25 with SD 1.17, which is slightly above the middle limit of 3.00. Based on the mean scores, it can be inferred that practicing junior secondary Social Studies teachers do not have a significantly high knowledge and awareness of the demands of Security Education. Table 1: Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers’ awareness and knowledge of the demands of Security Education S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean SD 1 Security Education theme is now included in the revised Basic Education Curriculum. 250 (38.9) 130 (18.0) 32 (4.4) 199 (27.6) 79 (11.0) 3.37 1.49 2 Effective handling of the theme of Security Education demands an additional knowledge acquisition in that area of study. 172 (23.9) 31 (4.3) 16 (2.2) 379 (52.7) 122 (16.9) 2.72 1.75 3 High degree of the knowledge of the subject matter of Security Education by Social Studies teachers in schools is presently lacking. 149 (20.7) 51 (7.1) 17 (2.4) 360 (50.0) 143 (19.9) 2.60 1.42 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 165 4 Sub-themes like elements of security, person/neighborhood security, common crimes, and security management are part of the content to be taught by the Social Studies teacher handling Security Education in his/her class. 252 (35.0) 157 (21.8) 41 (5.7) 205 (28.6) 64 (8.9) 2.59 1.422 5 The demands of the methodology recommended for teaching the topics listed under the Security Education theme at the Basic Education level are quite similar to those of Social Studies. 162 (22.5) 123 (17.1) 28 (3.9) 307 (42.7) 100 (13.8) 2.92 1.43 Total 985 492 1171 1450 508 3.24 1.172 Of the five items used to measure the knowledge and awareness, only the statement “Security Education theme is now included in the revised Basic Education Religion and National Values Curriculum” was given the highest rating with a mean of 3.37. All the other four items have mean scores below 3.00. The deduction from these responses is that practicing Social Studies teachers do not possess high knowledge and awareness of the demands of Security Education. The result also revealed that 69.6% of the practicing Social Studies teachers agreed with the statement that “Effective handling of the theme of Security Education demands an additional knowledge acquisition in that area of study.” Almost 70% of the teachers agreed with the statement that “High degree of the knowledge of the subject matter of Security Education by mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 166 Social Studies teachers on schools is presently lacking.” This could be attributed to the training packages in terms of curricula and curricular materials that were used for preparing these teachers while in the College of Education or the Faculty of Education as pre-service teachers. H02: The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers have not been significantly prepared for effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values. The respondents were asked to rate statements relating to the effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values. The results are presented in Table 2. Seven items were used in measuring the effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values. The mean scores of the statements ranged from 1.91 to 3.93. Three of the items had mean scores above 3.00 while four items had mean scores below 3.00. The deduction from these responses and the overall mean score is that practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers have not been significantly prepared for effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme in Religion and National Values. Table 2: Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers’ level of preparation for effective handling of the content areas of the Security Education theme S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean 1 The content of the teacher education curriculum at both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and undergraduate levels does not have any sub- theme or topics relevant to the Security 287 (39.9) 264 (36.6) 18 (2.5) 96 (13.3) 55 (7.6) 3.87 1.276 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 167 S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean Education theme of the revised Basic Education Curriculum. 2. Pre-service Social Studies teachers are already familiar with most of the suggested Security Education themes and topics while in training either at NCE or the undergraduate level. 281 (39.0) 290 (40.3) 27 (3.7) 64 (8.9) 58 (8.1) 3.93 1.23 3. The recommended foundation and content courses used in preparing Social Studies during training are not capable of grooming them effectively for teaching the Security Education theme and topics in the Religion and National Values Classroom. 73 (10.1) 60 (8.3) 30 (4.2) 280 (38.9) 277 (38.5) 3.82 1.36 4 The Social Studies teacher preparation program at both the NCE and undergraduate levels is not full enough to empower the 70 (11.9) 64 (10.3) 26 (3.6) 291 (40.4) 269 (37.4 2.131 1.273 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 168 S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean trainees for the realization of the ideals of Security Education as demanded in the Religion and National Values (RNV) curriculum. 5 The structures and recommended activities/methodologies that are embedded in the training materials of Social Studies teachers are either inadequate or lack effective skills and background knowledge required for handling Security Education in the RNV Curriculum. 76 (10.6) 82 (11.4) 33 (4.6) 417 (58.0) 112 (15.6) 2.434 1.190 6 The handling of Security Education topics by a Social Studies teacher requires background training in the field, which they presently lack. 60 (8.3) 42 (5.8) 21 (2.9) 499 (69.3) 98 (13.6) 2.26 1.04 7 Effective teaching of Security Education by a Social Studies teacher who has not been 46 (6.4) 17 (2.4) 16 387 (53.8) 254 (35.3) 1.908 1.02 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 169 S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean properly groomed in that sensitive area of study is a difficult goal to attain. Total 893 817 171 2034 1123 3.15 1.272 H03: Practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers are not significantly competent to teach each of the topics suggested under the theme of Security Education in Religion and National Values. In Table 3, the mean ranged from a mean score of 2.13 (SD=1.35) to 2.99 (SD=.85). All 10 items had mean scores lower than 3.00, indicating that teachers have low competence to teach the suggested topics. Only 9.5% of the practicing teachers expressed a position that they effectively teach the listed 10 topics drawn from the Security Education theme contained in Religion and National Values. A percentage as high as 52.4% said that they cannot teach the topics, although about 35.8% of them still reported that they can manage to teach the same set of topics. The low depth of content enrichment concerning the new focus of Security Education at the Basic Education level might have been responsible for this pattern of results. Table 3: Percentages, means, and standard deviations for Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers’ competence to teach selected Security Education topics S/N Items/Statements Teach well Manage to Cannot Not sure Mean SD 1 Emergency management 50 (6.9) 256 (35.6) 403 (56.0) 11 (1.5) 2.479 0.647 2 Strategies for observing and reporting common crimes 45 (6.3) 261 (36.3) 379 (52.6) 35 (4.9) 2.438 0.684 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 170 S/N Items/Statements Teach well Manage to Cannot Not sure Mean SD 3 Common crimes and associated punishments 15 (2.1) 300 (41.6) 395 (54.8) 10 (1.4) 2.446 0.565 4 Crimes and national security 12 (1.7) 282 (39.2) 410 (56.9) 16 (2.2) 2.424 0.565 5 Our roles in promoting safety in our community 14 (1.9) 255 (35.4) 412 (57.2) 14 (1.9) 2.387 0.563 6 Personal security management 24 (3.3) 292 (40.5) 392 (54.4) 12 (1.7) 2.445 0.598 7 Introduction to personal security 21 (2.9) 289 (40.1) 394 (54.7) 16 (2.2) 2.436 0.590 8 Introduction to neighborhood security 61 (8.5) 272 (37.7) 366 (50.8) 21 (2.9) 2.518 0.691 9 Concept of security 254 (35.3) 211 (29.3) 250 (34.7) 5 (0.7) 2.99 0.852 10 Sources of danger and insecurity 186 (25.8) 147 (20.4) 361 (50.1) 26 (3.6) 2.133 1.347 Total 682 (9.5) 2565 (35.8) 3762 (52.4) 166 (2.3) 2.56 0.664 HO4 : The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do not perceive the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum as an intervention significantly demanding more work from them. In Table 4, the mean ranged from 2.37 to 3.69. The overall mean is 3.41, indicating that practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do perceive the inclusion of Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum as an intervention significantly demanding more work from them. An item-by-item analysis further showed that 60.7% of the teachers disagreed with the statement that “I don't think I need any library search to effectively handle the Security Education theme and topics in RNV as a Social Studies teacher,” while 66.6% of them disagreed with the statement that “The inclusion of the Security Education theme in the Basic Education RNV Curriculum does not demand any extra effort from me in the RNV classroom.” Also, 65.9% mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 171 of the teachers disagreed with the statement, “The fact that Religion and National Values has subsumed the previously autonomous subjects like Social Studies and Civic Education does not make the teaching of Security Education an extra workload for me.” About 72.2% of the respondents agreed that asking a Social Studies teacher to teach Security Education in the Basic Education RNV class is a potential stressor, as he/she lacks the required foundation training in Security Education. Table 4: Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers’ perception on the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new basic education curriculum as an intervention demanding more work S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean SD 1. I don't think I need any library search to effectively handle the Security Education theme and topics in RNV as a Social Studies teacher. 286 (39.7) 151 (21) 27 (3.8) 144 (20) 112 (15.5) 3.49 1.541 2. The inclusion of the Security Education theme in the Basic Education RNV Curriculum does not demand any extra effort from me in the RNV classroom. 289 (40.1) 162 (22.5) 12 (1.7) 136 (18.9) 123 (17.1) 3.45 1.565 3. The fact that Religion and National Values has subsumed the previously autonomous subjects like Social Studies and Civic Education does not make the teaching of Security 300 (41.7) 174 (24.2) 15 (2.1) 189 (26.3) 42 (5.7) 3.69 1.385 mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 172 S/N Items/Statements SD D Not Sure SA A Mean SD Education an extra workload for me. 4. To teach Security Education in the RNV Classroom, I need extra hours assigned on the school time table. 109 (15.1) 99 (13.7) 09 (1.7) 371 (51.3) 132 (18.2) 2.55 1.340 5. Asking a Social Studies teacher to teach Security Education in the Basic Education RNV class is a potential stressor as he/she lacks the required foundation training in Security Education. 92 (12.8) 102 (14.2) 06 (0.8) 377 (52.4) 143 (19.8) 2.47 1.302 6. Getting the Social Studies teacher to teach all the themes in RNV except Islamic Studies and Christian Religious Studies will require developing new assessment procedures and it is an additional responsibility for collating and processing of assessment data. 97 (13.5) 58 (8.1) 13 (1.8) 401 (55.7) 151 (20.9) 2.37 1.273 Total 1173 746 82 1618 703 3.41 1.33 HO5: The practicing Junior Secondary Social Studies teachers do not have a significantly high positive attitude toward the inclusion of the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Curriculum. mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 173 An attempt to examine some of the patterns of responses in Table 4 revealed that a large percentage of the respondents do not have a significantly high positive attitude that can confirm their readiness to teach the Security Education theme in the new Basic Education Religion and National Values Curriculum. A percentage as high as 60.7% felt they do not need any extra library search to effectively handle Security Education topics in RNV class. Likewise, 62.8% of them felt that the inclusion of Security Education theme in the RNV Curriculum does not demand any extra effort from them in their classrooms. This is probably the reason for a low percentage of 28.8% response to the item that tried to elicit from the respondents whether they would need extra hours assigned on the school time table to effectively ensure the integration of Security Education theme. Conclusion and Recommendations A majority of the respondents expressed the feelings that Social Studies teachers are not prepared enough to teach Security Education in schools. Hence, they were of the opinion that for Social Studies teachers to effectively teach Security Education, they will require special training in order to be efficient in teaching the subject. This is a reflection of the fact that a majority of the respondents felt that as Social Studies teachers, they cannot teach Security Education content effectively. Furthermore, the inclusion of Security Education in the new Curriculum has posed a serious challenge to practicing Social Studies teachers. Again, a majority of the practicing Social Studies teachers believe that it will be difficult for them to embrace the inclusion of Security Education in the curriculum because the workload and the expectation is high and demanding. According to Azebanwan (2010), since there is no graduate in Security Education course yet, the available personnel—Social Studies teachers—cannot help but be seen as belonging to the group that can best fit into the shoe. This, however, has serious implications for teaching their own subject alongside Security Education, as it will be cumbersome and can pose a serious challenge to practicing Social Studies teachers. The fact that the Social Studies program and standards are not congruent with the content of the Security Education theme makes it quite challenging, particularly when we consider the need for a deliberate teacher re-orientation policy and mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 174 program that was never part of the initial implementation plan of the agency charged with curriculum review in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study revealed that a majority of the respondents did not demonstrate a significantly high positive attitude toward the teaching of the Security Education theme in their RNV Class, and this could have a serious implication for the effective handling of the theme during implementation. This is evident in the demonstration of signs of non-commitment to go extra miles in promoting effective teaching of the theme. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are suggested as part of the measures that can help promote effective implementation of the revised Basic Education Curriculum and meaningful coverage of all the themes, Security Education in particular: 1. Immediate incorporation of the components of Security Education in the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Minimum Academic Standards for teacher preparation, so that the pre-service teachers can become better equipped for effective delivery of the theme while teaching Religion and National Values at the Basic Education level on graduation; 2. Social Studies in-service teachers handling Security Education alongside other themes in RNV should be motivated via promotion and other incentives in order to achieve maximum results during implementation; 3. Programs aimed at integrating Security experts into the teaching of Security Education as resource persons at the Basic Education level would need to be explored by the managers of the Education Sector at this level. Such programs should deliberately promote the production of relevant textbooks and instructional materials on the content areas of the Security Education theme as prescribed in the RNV curriculum; 4. Re-training of practicing Social Studies teachers on the skills for better content acquisition and pedagogy of handling the Security Education theme in their respective classrooms, so that they become better equipped to deliver; mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 175 5. Quality Assurance Officers at the different levels of education management in the country would need to do more in promoting a shared vision and ownership of the Security Education theme among Social Studies teachers, providing them with empirical and inspirational examples that will enhance their understanding and teaching of the theme. mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 10, 1. 2, 2020, pp. 154-176 Corresponding author: teemlawal@gmail.com ©2012/2023 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 176 References: Adenipekun, O. (2010, April). Government drives tertiary institutions to develop new teacher education programmes. Vanguard. Azebanwan, C. (2010, October 16). Integrating civic education in schools and strategy for implementation. Nigerian Observers Online. ExpertSecurityTips.com. (2018). 10 Reasons why employees need security and awareness training. Retrieved from https://www.expertsecuritytips.com/employeessecurity- education-awareness-training/ Fabinu, F. A., Ogunleye, T. O., & Salau, A. T. (2016). The inclusion of security education in the basic education curriculum: A means for preventing child abuse. Asian Journal of Education and e-Learning, 4(2). Lee, J. (2010). Teacher receptivity to curriculum change in the implementation stage: The case of environmental education in Hong Kong. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 22(1), 95-115. NERDC. (2012). Religion and national values (Primary 1-6). Abuja: NERDC. NERDC. (2012). Religion and national values (JSS 1-3). Abuja: NERDC. Singh, T. K. R., & Chan, S. (2014). Teacher readiness on ICT integration in teaching: A Malaysian case study. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 4(7) 874-885. Trendsinstitution.org. (2018). “New patterns of global security in the twenty-first century.” International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs), 431-451. About the Authors: Moshood Babatunde Lawal - Chief Lecturer, Department of Social Studies, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Lagos Nigeria. mailto:teemlawal@gmail.com http://www.iajiss.org/ https://www.expertsecuritytips.com/employeessecurity-education-awareness-training/ https://www.expertsecuritytips.com/employeessecurity-education-awareness-training/