REVAMPING CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES (CRS) EDUCATION TO MEET

GLOBAL NEEDS AND CHALLENGES: A CASE OF JOS NORTH LGA PLATEAU STATE

Jane Nonyelum Dialoke

Abstract
The study is on revamping CRS education to meet global needs and challenges. The purpose
is to identify the areas aspects of CRS education that need to be improved upon to meet global
needs. It was a descriptive survey that was guided by four basic research questions. A sample
of 200 respondents comprising 30 CRS teachers and 170 CRS students was purposely drawn
from both public secondary schools in Jos North LGA Plateau state. Data were elicited by
means of a structured questionnaire designed by the researchers and validated by three experts
from the University of Jos. The test-reliability of the questionnaire was 0.72 indicative of high
reliability. The percentage was used as data analysis tool with 50% as the bench mark. Results
indicated that the curriculum contents of CRS, teaching method of CRS and objectives of CRS
are areas that need to be revamped. Also it was discovered that students negative attitude and
teachers resistance to change are lead factors hindering effective revamping of CRS education.
The authors recommended among other things that CRS teachers need to be computer- literate
to be able to use modern technology gadgets in teaching the subject. Also, there is need for
further training and retraining of CRS teachers. The study concluded that if these changes are
made in CRS education in the various schools, the teaching of CRS will be of effect in
addressing global needs and challenges.

Key words: Challenges, Christian Religious Studies, Global needs, and Revamping.

Introduction
Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is one of the subjects taught in secondary schools in
Nigeria. It was one of those subjects bequeathed to Nigeria education system by missionaries on the
establishment of schools by the 19th century. Christian Religious Studies is an all-round education for
the development of all human faculties; an education for a full and adequate preparation for this life
and the future eternal life, an education in which emphasis is placed on not only intellectual and
physical development, but also on spiritual and moral development and character building(Adeyanju.
2019).
Alex and Auba (2006) view Christian Religious Studies as a type of education that can be
described as a process designed to induct each generation with the attitude, beliefs, ideas, doctrines as
well as the practices of the Christian Religion of faith in order to provide the individual with a
unifying centre of life.
Among the objectives of teaching and learning of CRS include inculcation of fear of God and
respect for human kind as well as production of responsible and productive youths who will take up
leadership positions in the nearest future (Obilom, 2018). Based on these laudable objectives, one will
think that majority of students (if not all) will show or display great likeness for the study of the
subject or that those who are privilege to go through the teaching will be seen exhibiting the right
attitudes and show competences expected of them. However, contrary to expectations, Ilori (2020)
noted that most students of CRSdisplay some terrible attitudes and show great disrespect to
constituted authority , thereby making the society full of vices. Many youths are seen committing

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 Revamping Christian Religious Studies (Crs) Education to Meet Global Needs and Challenges: A Case of Jos
North Lga Plateau State
crimes which range from raping, armed robbery, prostitution and drug abuse among others (Maful,
2018). All these vices seem to suggest that the aim of CRS education have not been fully achieved.
The observed prevailing ungodly attitudes, behaviours and multiplicity of vices in the society are
indication that there is a great problem with CRS Education in the various secondary schools. It
seems that the teaching of CRS has not been given the needed boost and attention it deserves in order
to help raise the caliber of youths that will possess the needed qualities to be able to lead the nation to
greater heights as expected.
In recent times, the teaching and learning of CRShas faced some serious challenges in the
various schools. Some of the challenges include poor teaching methods by teachers, poor use of
evaluative techniques, lack of instructional materials among others. These challenges may be
responsible for the non-achievement of the objectives of CRS education in the various schools. At
present, there is a global clarion call for peace, harmony, sustainable development and the raising of
responsible leaders. If CRS education that is one of the instruments or tools designed to be used to
achieve this great goal is being relegated to the background, how then can the society move to greater
height?. How then can we meet the global challenges? It is based on the premises above that the
researchers are motivated to examine how CRS education could be made better in order to achieve
global needs and challenges.

Statement of the Problem

Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is a subject meant to inculcate good morals into the youth.
The teaching of CRS in secondary is expected (among other objectives) to raise a generation of
youths who have fear of God and respect for human kind and who will be responsible to take up
leadership positions in their nation. Considering the importance of Christian Religious Studies as a
subject of moral compass of all individuals, one would expect that all students should who study CRS
will display attitudes , behaviours and competences in tandem with the objectives of CRS education
(Orji, 2012) to help met the global need of peace, security, harmony and sustainable development.
However, contrary to expectations, what we see todayis a crop of youths with little or no conscience.
Many youths lack good morals, neither do they have respect for constituted authorities. The terrible
attitudes being displayd by many youths suggest that there is great problem with CRS Education in
the various schools. If this trend or problem continues unabated the desire to raise responsible youths
who will lead the nation to a glorious future might be an illusion. Now the problem of the study is
embedded in the broad question ‘’ how can CRS education be revamped to help meet global
challenges and needs in Jos North Plateau state, Nigeria?

Objectives of the Study

The study is designed to achieve the following objectives namely to;
1. Examine the aspects of CRS education that need to be revamped in order to address global
needs and challenges.
2. Ascertain factors that pose threats to effective CRS education for meeting global needs and
challenges.
3. Suggest ways of revamping the teaching and learning of CRS in order to meet global needs
and challenges.

Research Questions
1. Which aspects of CRS education need revamping in order to help meet global needs and
challenges?
2. What factors pose threats to effective revamping of CRS education in meeting global needs
and challenges?

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 Jane Nonyelum Dialoke
3. How can the identified factors be ameliorated to enable achievement of global needs and
challenges?

Significance of the Study

The study is significant as it will benefit the following stakeholders: students, parents,
teachers, school administrators (principals), community heads, religious leaders, the general public,
government and other researchers.

Literature Review
Concept of CRS
Christian Religious Studies is one of the core subjects in the junior secondary and as well as
an elective in the senior secondary schools. The subject gains its root into Nigeria education system
through the European Missionaries who introduced the subject as a means of converting Nigerians
into white man religion (Christianity). Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is a subject of study in
schools taught to acquaint students with the basic knowledge of Christian doctrines which Diara
(2009) believes is a way to God’s kingdom. It is a subject taught from primary to tertiary school level
of education. The teaching of CRS started in the 19th century with the advent of the missionaries
known as the cradle for civilization (Agha, 2013). Christian Religion Studies involves the effort of
Christian community to guide both young and adult persons toward an ever richer possession of
Christian heritage and further participation in the life and work of the Christian fellowship. Christian
Religion Studies is concerned with the past, present and the future. Christian Religion Studies
concerns the past because it seeks to introduce persons to their religious heritage; and with the present
because it aims to make religion a vital force in every response to life, and with the future because it
cultivates creative experiences leading to growth in wisdom, structure and favour with God and man.

Objectives of CRS Education

Gotan (2005) submitted the under-listed as the objectives of CRS education.

To teach the Bible: CRS as an academic field of study aimed at teaching the student the Bible
contents. Ugo (2003) opines that the Bible is the master piece textbooks and in fact, in most times, the
title given to the subject was Bible.

To teach Morals: The teachings of morals has been a long-standing aims recommended for teachers
of Christian Religious Studies in secondary schools and other institutions of learning
(Nwachuckwu,2010). Morality is very important concept especially in this era of moral decadence all
over the world. Moral education as over the years impacted largely through literature in the forms of
legends about gods and heroes of Greece. Moral is very important in the lives of our young ones. It
plays a vital role and values such as respect for life, obedience to constituted authority, responsible
self, selfless services to Almighty God and humanity.

To Teach Catechesis or Christian Nature

The view that CRS aims at teaching catechesis or Christian nature underlies the frequent
demand by the various Churches that Christian Religious Studies in schools should be taught to their
adherents by teachers who are members of their own religious denomination. The view seeks to
awaken, nourish and develop ones personal belief and to hand on the received tradition so as to build
up the ecclesial community.
In addition to the above, the teaching of religious studies in senior secondary schools shows
or reveals that there is hope for the future of the Nigerian society. Generally, religious study is
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 Revamping Christian Religious Studies (Crs) Education to Meet Global Needs and Challenges: A Case of Jos
North Lga Plateau State
closely associated with the inculcation of moral values in youths. When the youths are exposed to the
moral teaching of religion at a tender age, it trains them to be obedient and to fear God who is capable
of punishing all evil doers (Orebanjo, 2012).

Some Global Needs and Challenges

World over there is an outcry from all and sundry about the high level of moral decay,
insecurity, corruption , abuse of humanity and rise in crimes among others. Globalization has brought
about some challenges that are causing problems to every nation. Many young people are into all
kinds of atrocities in a bid to make it in life. The high quest for wealth, fame and popularity has made
many young people to dabble into many ungodly acts that destroy their future and cause harm to the
society at large. Schier (2023) stated that there is gross decline and neglect of common morals and
ethical standards in today’s society.
Another issue of importance that has challenged the intelligence of world experts is
insecurity. Insecurity is the state being in danger or harm. It is a condition whereby one is exposed to
attack or threat to life (Joseph, 2011). Many people in Nigeria and some other parts of the world are
living in fear due to high level of terrorism in their country. In Nigeria, the mayhem caused to many
families by the activities of Boko haram group cannot be forgotten in a hurry. Many lives and
properties have been lost and destroyed via their nefarious activities (Ibrahim, 2018).
Similarly, the world is in dire need of young persons with good virtues that will live
responsibly to be able to drive their nation to greater height. Certain virtues are expected of any nation
that will be great. Mbah (2022) noted that our fathers hammered on virtues like dignity of labour
(hard work), honesty, integrity, truthfulness, cooperation and modesty. These virtues are ingredients
that make a society progress. Lately these virtues are no longer found in the life of many youths.
Many young people now want to be rich over night without doing any work. Everybody wants easy
life without hard work.
Corruption is another global challenge. Corruption is simply defined as dishonesty or fraudulent
conduct (Tah, 2016). There is high level corruption in Nigeria and other countries in high and low
places. Many people in leadership are bent on misappropriating public fund and resources to their
personal or selfish use. In this regard Hornby (2018) saw corruption as abuse of trusted power for
personal or private gain. This has become a norm in the society. Accountability is gradually becoming
a history.
Increase in crime is threatening human existence across the globe. Everyday the news lines
are replete with cases of all forms of crimes ranging from kidnapping, killings and rape (Montaldo,
2021). These and other vices are threatening peaceful co-existence and making the society very
unconducive to dwell in.

Revamping CRS Education

Revamping is a term used to denote the art of improving or making changes in something in
order to make it better (Webster, 2016). With respect to CRS education,revamping means improving
the teaching and learning of CRS in order to help achieve its objectives. The teaching of CRS in
schools is expected to help raise youths with high moral and spiritual standard who will be
responsible enough to handle leadership positions among others (Obilom, 2018). However, from the
experiences and observations of the researcher these objectives are far from reality in the present day
society. The high level of crimes and morality decay prevalent in or society is an indication that
something is wrong with CRS education in the various schools. Could it be that the CRS curriculum is
no longer relevant to today’s needs, or is it that the CRS teachers are not teaching the subject as
expected or are there problems with the methodology of instruction used by the teachers? These
questions are needed to be answered if the global needs and challenges are to be addressed. In the
views of Gyagenda (2023), once the structure of any nation is polluted with colonial interests the
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 Jane Nonyelum Dialoke
education sector too will be affected. There is need to carefully look into the content of the CRS
curriculum to know how well it captures our core national values. If the core national values are not
well catered fro in the curriculum there may be problems. The teaching of CRS is expected to help
schools produce graduates with good traits , skills and competencies that will enable them live
meaningful lives and to contribute to nation building. Based on the forgoing,there is need to re-
examine some aspects of CRS education in order to ascertain where there is need for improvement.
That is the rationale for the present study.

Empirical Review
Abanikannda and Oluwafemi (2022) studied revamping ICT for meeting the needs and
challenges of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria education system. The study used the experimental
design involving descriptive survey research. A sample of 300 students and lecturers was used from
three institutions in southwest, Nigeria. A self developed questionnaire was used for data collection.
Results showed that poor technical infrastructure and cost of ICT equipment are some of the
challenges faced. Also, Zoom, Google classroom and Skype were the available e-learning facilities
available. The study recommended that e-learning should be given the utmost attention and properly
implemented to help attain the desired growth.
In the same vein, Kuboja (2019) worked on revamping students’ academic performance
through the use of ICT technology in teaching and learning activities: Correlating variables. The study
used the survey design and used questionnaire as principal means of gathering data. The sample was
156 teachers. Findings reveal that teachers training on ICT and support from school leaders have
strong relationship with ICT integration while teachers’ attitude and perception showed weak
relationship. The author recommended that more efforts should be invested in teacher-training and
support from school leaders.

Methodology
The study used the cross-sectional survey research design. The choice of the cross-sectional
survey design was because the researchers could not use all the CRS teachers and students in the
study area but had to select a sample to represent the entire population of the study. The population
for the study comprised of all the CRS students and teachers in the 23 government secondary schools
in Jos North. The sample was 200comprising of 30 CRS teachers 170 CRS students drawn from the
study area. Simple random and convenience sampling techniques were used in selecting the
respondents. A self designed questionnaire tagged CRS Education and Global Challenges and Needs
(CRSEGLOCHN) was used for data collection. The CRSEGLOCHN was validated by two experts
from the University of Jos. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.72 which means the
instrument is good and reliable. Personal contact method was adopted in data collection. Data
obtained were analyzed using the percentage for all the research questions with 50% as the bench
mark.

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 Revamping Christian Religious Studies (Crs) Education to Meet Global Needs and Challenges: A Case of Jos
North Lga Plateau State
Results
Research Question 1: Which aspects of CRS education need revamping in order to help meet global
needs and challenges?

Table 1: Aspects of CRS Education that Need to be Revamped

S/NO Statement Agreed Disagreed
Freq Freq
1. Curriculum contents of CRS 192 08
2. Aim and objectives of CRS 188 12
3. Teaching methods used by CRS teachers 190 10
4. Available instructional aids for CRS education 114 86
5. The mode of assessment used in CRS 108 92
6. Exemplary life style of CRS teachers 120 80
7 Societal expectations from CRS education 118 82

Societal expectations from CRS education

Exemplary life style of CRS teachers
The mode of assessment used in CRS
Available instructional aids for CRS education
Teaching methods used by CRS teachers
Aim and objectives of CRS
Curriculum contents of CRS

0
50
100
150
Respondents 200

Figure 1:Aspects of CRS Education that Need to be Revamped

Table 1 and Figure 1 revealed that CRS curriculum content, teaching method used in CRS and aim
and objectives of CRS education are the key areas that the average 190 respondents agreed need to be
revamped to meet global needs and challenges. The least observed aspect is the mode of assessment in
CRS as seen in Figure 1.
Research Question 2: What factors pose threats to effective revamping of CRS education in meeting
global needs and challenges?

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 Jane Nonyelum Dialoke
Table 2: Factors Militating Against Effective Revamping of CRS Education
S/NO Statement Agreed Disagreed
Freq Freq
1. Poor interpretation of CRS curriculum 162 38
2. Poor quality CRS teachers 178 22
3. Lack of learning aids for CRS 150 50
4. Negative attitude of students towards CRS 186 14
5. Lack of modern teachings aids like ICT 180 20
6. Use of old fashion evaluative methods in CRS 132 68
7 Resistance to change by CRS teachers 170 30

Resistance to change by CRS …

Use of old fashion evaluative…

Negative attitude of students…

Lack of learning aids for CRS
Poor quality CRS teachers

0 50 100 150 200

Respondents

Figure 2: Factors Militating Against Effective Revamping of CRS Education

Evidences in Table 2 and Figure 2 show that the negative attitudes of students towards CRS and lack
of modern teaching aids like ICT are the main challenges that militate against effective revamping of
CRS education as noted the average of 183 respondents. The least accepted factor is that of use of old
fashion teaching methods in CRS.
Research Question 3: How can the identified factors be ameliorated to enable achievement of global
needs and challenges?

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 Revamping Christian Religious Studies (Crs) Education to Meet Global Needs and Challenges: A Case of Jos
North Lga Plateau State
Table 3: Suggestions on Solving the Identified Challenges
S/NO Statement Agreed Disagreed
Freq Freq
1. There is need for a review of CRS curriculum 178 22
contents to address today’s global need
2. Teachers of CRS need to trained and retrained 184 16
regularly through workshops and seminars
3. Teachers of CRS should be drilled on modern 160 40
learner-friendly teaching methods
4. Emphasis should be made towards inculcating our 156 44
core values in students during CRS instructions
5. Teachers of CRS should lead exemplary lifestyle 124 76
6. Parents should assist teachers at home in inculcating 168 32
morals in students from early age

Parents should assist teachers at home in…

Teachers of CRS should lead exemplary lifestyle

Emphasis should be made towards inculcating our …

Teachers of CRS should be drilled on modern …

0 50 100 150 200

Respondents

Figure3: Suggestions on Solving the Identified Challenges

Results presented in Table 3 and Figure 3 show that 184 of the total 200 respondents agreed that
teachers of CRS need to be trained and retrained regularly, while an average of 173 respondents
agreed that there is need for review of CRS curriculum and of the view that parents should assist at
home by early inculcation of good morals.

Discussion
The study discussed revamping CRS education for meeting global needs and challenges. The
analysis of research question one showed that the curriculum contents, teaching methods and
objectives of CRS need to be improved. This is necessary because according to --------------( )
curriculum refers to the course or learning contents students are to be exposed to.The curriculum
defines what knowledge students are to learn. The content determines what the techer teachers and
also it is from the content that objectives are drawn. Therefore it is necessary the contents of CRS be
critically examined in the light of the present global needs and challenges. If the present contents are
no longer relevant to the present needs there is need to redesign and improve on them.
In the same manner, students’ negative attitude and resistance to change by CRS teachers are
among the critical factors militating against effective revamping of CRS education. Teachers are
critical stakeholders in the education system. According to Mbah(2022) teachers are the implementers
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 Jane Nonyelum Dialoke
of the curriculum and the students are the recipients. Hence if the teachers who are to teach the
revamped CRS contents are not willing to accept the change then the students will not learn. Some
teachers are very comfortable with the archaic method of teaching they are useto . Even when they see
that the old normal is no longer yielding possible results, they resist change vehemently and this
attitude of resistance to change poses great threat to CRS education improvement.
Similarly, the study suggested curriculum review and training and retraining of teachers as
viable means of revamping CRS education to meet global needs and challenges. This findings are in
tandem with Mbah (2022) noted that once societal needs change learning contents must as well
change. This is important because the real essence of education is to solve societal problems hence
when the curriculum contents are no longer relevant or useful to the needs of the society then revision
or total change becomes inevitable.

Conclusion
The study dealt on revamping CRS education to meet global needs and challenges. The study
became necessary due to the poor attainment of the objectives of CRS. Some aspects of CRS that
need to be revamped include curriculum contents, teaching methods and objectives among others. In
the same manner, it was gathered that resistance to change by teachers and students negative attitude
towards CRS were lead factors militating against effective revamping of CRS education. To solve the
identified problems curriculum review,and teachers training and retraining were suggested. It is
envisaged that if these steps are taken CRS education will meet global needs and challenges.

Recommendations
Based on the results that ensue from the study, the following are recommended.
1. Experts in CRS should urgently form a committee to see to the review of the present CRS
curriculum across all levels of education.
2. The needs of the society and our core values should be the basis for the new curriculum.
3. Teachers of CRS need to be trained on the use of learner-friendly and modern teaching
methods for effective lesson delivery.
4. The government needs to assist the school in providing necessary and modern teaching aids
or the teaching of CRS.

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