I, )lIl'll,l1 of the Nigerian Academy of Educa tion (JON AED), !l12];
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a
Effect of Drama on Secondary School Students'
Achievement in Family Life and HIVjAIDS
Education Component of English Language
Curriculum.
Bakkita OJufowobi Bello PhD Department of Arts Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka. e-mail:
[email protected] &
Professor Grace Chibiko Offorma
Department of Arts Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka. e-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract This study focused on the effect of drama on junior secondary school students' achievement in Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) using English as a carrier subject.. The FLHE curriculum is new in Nigerian schools and an experiment on a new method of teaching it, as well as through a carrier curriculum like English Language becomes a challenge to the core subject teacher. The study adopted a quasi experimental, non-equivotent control group design. The population for the study comprised all 36,922 students of JS II in all 28 public junior seCOndary schools within Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. 180 JS /I studentswere sampled from four schOOls. Instructional materials used by teachers trained for the reseorch included training packages for both groups, based on NERDC English Language/FLHE curricula and scripted process drama for the expetimental group, respectively. A validated40-item FLHE Achievement Test (FLHEAT) instrument used, had a reliability index of 0.86 after two weeks interval, through the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co efficient and using the test-retest procedure. Results show that the mean achievement score of the students taught FLHE using drama was g reatf2r than that of those taught using the lecture method (Conventiono! Method). There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the FLHE mean achievement score of the students taught using drama
and that of those taught using the lecture method. This study has shown that students' achievement can be enhanced using process drama. Subsequently, recommendations made includethat thefor qovernments should train teachers in using process drama technique in place of other non-effective methods, and that curriculum implementers should integrate process drama method in the delivery of their curriculum.
Introduction Nigeria ranks as the most populous country in the black world and Africa.Thepopulation is her most valuable asset, the agent andbeneficiary of national development (FGN, 2003, 2009).This is reported to be growing rapidly but fast, losing its quality to the ravaging Human Immuno Virus and Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (HIVjAIDS) pandemic. A major cause for concern was the higher prevalence of 6.8% recorded among the age groups of 15 - 49 years which represents the nation's workforce,50% of the population, and most importantly the reproductive and economically viable segment of the society (NERDC, 2003: i). Since there is no known cure or 'vaccine', education is accorded priority as the window of hopeand the most powerful tool for reducing youthful vulnerability. It also offers a ready-made infrastructure for delivery of HIV! AIDS prevention efforts to large numbers of the uninfected population in schools and youths who constitute the age group most at risk (World Bank, 2002). FLHE resulted from global, national and local efforts that have been made concertedly to use education as a 'vaccine' to control the spread of HIV around the world and in Nigeria.The Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) collaborated with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to develop a new, acceptable, culturally sensitive, National Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) curriculum with the main goal of promoting the awareness and prevention of HIVjAIDS (NERDC, 2003: The objectives of FLHE include, assisting individuals in having a clear and factual view of humanity; providing individuals with information and skills necessary for decision-making about their sexual health; changing
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Journal of the NigeriilD Academy of Education ONAED), 8[2]; N llV " .~(I1 \.
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Ii '!! 111.1 I III the :\J igeri'lll Academy of Education (jONAED), 8[2]; Nov., 2013.
and affecting behaviour on humanity and preventing the occurrence and spread of HIV/AIDS. FLHE is therefore defined by the NERDC, as "a planned process of education that fosters the acquisition of factual information, formation of positive attitudes, beliefs and values as well as development of skills to cope with the biological, psychological, socia-cultural and spiritual aspects of human living" (NERDC, 2003: iii)./n the context of this study, FLHE is operationally defined as a programme package directed at increasing people's awareness towards a healthful family living and the eradication of HIV/AIDS.The FLHE curriculum like every other curriculum is a process of instruction, designed, executed, experienced and measured for the study of a healthful family living and HIV prevention towards a positive change of attitude to achieve better quality life and HIV free society (Bello, 2013).lt was developed and approved in 2003as an education sectoral response to controlling the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (NERDC, 2003). The design of the FLHE curriculum in Nigeria, is a combination of a comprehensive, integrative, thematic/topical and carrier subject approach for incorporation into the school system due to overcrowded school time-table; teachers' overload; challenge to teachers' ingenuityetc (NERDC, 2003/2007 &UNESCO, 2003).The curriculum premised on five broad themes, each with relevant topics, is spirally arranged, in the order of Topics; Performance objectives; Contents; Activities (teacher/students); Teaching/Learning materials; and Evaluation Guide.The two distinct stages of integrating FLHE into the school system in Nigeria are the curriculum development, done by the NERDC and where the teacher actually infuses the FLHE topics in what is being taught, where lied the problem identified in this study. Hence, the use of the JS II English Language Curriculum as the carrier subject curriculum or curriculum of connections (Tomlinson, Kaplan et aI, 2002)for the integration of the FLHE curriculum content. Teachers,as veritable change agents in our society needed to be trained in the use of the FLHE curriculum to save future Nigerians from the HIV/AIDS scourge (Bello, 200S).ln this study, the focus was on the
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lise or participatory instructional methodssuch asdrama, as against I helecture method. Such partiripatorv methods had iJeenrecomrnended by UNESCO (2003, J'l) to reinforce the learners' ,>xperience.Dramais an adaptation, recreation and reflection at realitvthrough impersonation or re-enactment in performances on ·;tage or in the class.
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The two techniques used in drama are the process drama and play building. Process drama was however adopted for this study because according to Norns, (2000) the technique does not lead to performances or presentations of the devised material to audiences who have remained outside the drama nor admits experience where some students demonstrate, model or perform before others. The technique was chosen instead becauseit involves all the students all of the time (Stinson 8
