RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES ON THE TEACHING OF CIVIL LIBERTIES AND DEMOCRACY THROUGH ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PLATEAU CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT, PLATEAU STATE
Keywords:
Religion, Civil Liberties, Democracy, English Language, InstructionAbstract
The study examines the influence of religious beliefs on the teaching of civil liberties and democracy through English language instruction in public secondary schools in Plateau Central Senatorial District, Plateau State. The Secularization Theory, propounded by Bryan Wilson (1966) and further developed by Steve Bruce (2002), served as a theoretical framework for this study. The study used descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 1,532 teachers of English and CRS in the selected Senatorial District. The study sampled 280 respondents from 70 public secondary schools. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using mean scores and chi-square statistical tools. Findings indicate that religious beliefs significantly influence teaching materials, classroom discussions and students' understanding of democratic principles. Teachers perceive religious influences as both reinforcing and hindering democratic education and they face challenges such as student resistance, parental opposition and institutional restrictions. The study concludes that religious beliefs play a critical role in shaping the delivery of democracy and civil liberties education through English language instruction. It recommends strategies for balancing religious perspectives with democratic principles to foster effective civic education in secondary schools.
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