INVESTIGATION INTO THE INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The pursuit of knowledge is one of mankind's most important activities, and it is focused on the outside world. The contact that man has with his surroundings causes him to alter his conduct as a direct consequence of the lessons he has learned. A variety of aspects of an individual's personality may influence the degree to which they engage with their surroundings. Maintaining one's status as a member of the society over time necessitates acting in a manner that is socially acceptable. In contrast to the centuries that came before it, the 20th century saw an unprecedented expansion of the global economy, especially during the times between the wars. Since that time, people all across the globe have abandoned more traditional methods of living. The 20th century was characterized by several things including access to international capital flow, technology, cheaper imports, broader export markets, and increasing competition, division of labor, and acceptance of the notion of comparative cost advantage. As a direct consequence of the perceived relevance of globalization, the per capita incomes of some nations, particularly those in Asia, have been rapidly approaching those of industrialized nations since 1970. This has been a source of prosperity for these nations. As a direct result of this, a new order in the globe has emerged, which indicates an integration of power structures. Economists have a picture of globalization that depicts a situation in which artificial barriers such as tariffs, quotas, and exchange controls are eliminated. This is followed by an environment in which liberal market forces usher in subsequently a culture and era of free flow of investments, which are characterized by shared artifacts, identical production processes, and tastes. One of the many aspects of human existence that the trend of globalization has had an impact on is education. Globalization is a process.

Because to the arrival of educational institutions from the West in the 20th century, a number of developing nations have seen an expansion in the range of educational options that are open to their citizens. Some individuals have the opinion that this procedure represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the inhabitants of poor nations to improve both their level of education and their level of expertise. It is the goal of globalization of education, which may be defined as the transfer of information from developed nations like the West to less developed countries like China and India, to enhance the knowledge, talents, and skills of the people who receive it. Globalization as it exists today is one of the few tools that can be used to attain high levels of development and economic stability. On the other hand, for a developed nation, globalization will be one of the tools to use in order to remain afloat of the world ocean, particularly in the midst of economic adversities, disasters both natural and created, outbreaks of diseases, war, etc. For a developing economy, globalization as it exists today is one of the few tools that can be used to attain high

Because of the consequences of globalization, there are persistent changes occurring in the educational system. The effects of globalization on education bring rapid developments in technology and communications, which are foreseeing changes within school systems across the world as ideas, values, and knowledge, changing the roles of students and teachers, and producing a shift in society from an industrialization-based society towards an information-based society. Children, the future citizens of the world, are being transformed into "global citizens" as a result of the rise of a global society, which is being driven by developments in technology and communication. These children are intelligent people who have a broad range of skills and knowledge that can be applied to a competitive, information-based society.

Realizing the importance of knowledge, skills, and the intellectual capacity to meet the challenges of accelerated change and uncertainty, the future of countries often depends on their ability to compete in a global market. In this market, industrial-based economies are giving way to knowledge-based industries, and countries are beginning to realize the importance of knowledge, skills, and intellectual capacity. Education is a process of learning and training that continues throughout one's life, with the goal of acquiring skills and information that are portable and can be employed in competitive marketplaces in which knowledge and information are exchanged as a commodity. Students are generating papers, assignments, and projects in electronic form as a result of the introduction of technology into the classroom, which is changing the nature of how education is delivered to students. This is gradually giving way to a new form of electronic literacy, as more educational programs and materials are made available in electronic form, as teachers are preparing materials in electronic form, and as students are generating materials in electronic form. A poll conducted by the United Nations in 2002 found that a large number of individuals had lost their employment, while others had seen the disintegration of their communities, and some even felt that their identities were at risk. Consequently, for developing countries such as Nigeria, the facet of globalization and information and communications technology (ICT) that ought to worry them is the inequality issues and the imbalanced distribution of advantages that are handed out all over the globe. This was supported in the global community by the comments of Kofi Annan (1999), who said that "the internet bears the greatest promise to mankind ever known." The internet provides a resource for studying at a distance and expanding access to educational opportunities of a high standard.

As a consequence of this, technology is predicting that there will be a shift in the way educational content is distributed, with an increased dependence on electronic sources. Due to the primary component of globalization, such developments, as well as the introduction of video conferencing and the Internet, are contributing to the fast breakdown of barriers of distance at an increasing pace. Mustafa, Kemal Ataturk (2004) suggests that "in order to fight off covetousness, greed, and spite, inhabitants all across the globe must be educated." This addition provides more evidence of how education may contribute to the development of an equal society that is unified, a strong and self-sufficient country, a great and dynamic nation on education, and particularly Nigeria. Education is the only way to ensure that people have the necessary degree of competence to keep up with the rapid pace of change in today's society, which calls for ever-increasing levels of sophistication. At this juncture, it is necessary to emphasize categorically that in this day and age of information, globalization has huge affects on the learning and teaching process, among other things; as a result, it has the potential to change the outcome of educational input and output. Their perspective on the subject matter, economics, and its position in the 21st century has been significantly reshaped as a result of the significant effect that globalization has had.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In a democratic society, having an understanding of economics and being able to apply that understanding to serious problems and concerns are both necessary components of responsible citizenship. In order for citizens to effectively fulfill their roles as producers, consumers, investors, critics, analysts, commentators, and agitators, as well as voters in public elections, they need to be able to grasp fundamental economic principles and put them into practice. Large-scale advances in people's capacities to carry out these functions will bring about huge advantages for both individuals and the country as a whole.

However, the subject of economics is not exactly an easy one to teach in secondary schools in Nigeria. These thorny issues include students' lack of interest in and commitment to their studies, inadequately qualified and professional teachers, the employment of and use of crude materials for teaching, the lack of support from the government in terms of the provision of modern tools, family history, societal and environmental factors, the absence of a serene environment for learning, and other similar issues. When compared to other countries of the globe that are in the same category as Nigeria, all of these difficulties have dug deep into our educational system, which has caused it to fall well behind the others in its category. As a result, with regard to education and all the issues that it presents, it is also very vital that both instructors and students understand how to utilize and integrate the new technology, and that they are encouraged to develop a sense of curiosity in themselves. Although the costs of modern information and communication technologies are excessive, the costs of not employing them in education are far greater since it denies students access to knowledge, communications, and innovativeness. It implies the next generation will continue to be trapped in the same cycle of poverty and ignorance as their parents and grandparents. It also means giving up one of the simplest methods to keep a job for financial assistance. Therefore, the research work will examine the impact of globalization on the teaching and learning process of economics as a subject.

1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is to investigate the influence of globalization on the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools. Specifically, the study will be guided by the following:

i.          To examine if globalization has an effect on the teaching of economics in senior secondary schools.

ii.        To find out the importance of Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools.

iii.      To investigate the challenges posed  by Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools.

iv.      To assess if globalization has improved the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTION

The research questions have been generated for this study : -

i.          Does globalization have an effect on the teaching of economics in senior secondary schools?

ii.        What is the importance of Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools?

iii.      What are the challenges posed by Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools?

iv.      Has globalization improved the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools?                                                                                       

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the research work will be of help to teachers, students, school management and educational planners as well as the entire society. It will guide the teachers on the need to instil appropriate knowledge into the students at the right stage and at the right place. It keeps educational planners alert of the pros and cons of Globalization and education.

The study is significant  to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6       SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study  will examine if globalization has an effect on the teaching of economics in senior secondary schools. The study will also find out the importance of Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools. The study will further investigate the challenges posed  by Globalization in the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools. Lastly, the study will assess if globalization has improved the teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools. Hence this study is delimited to Enugu State.

1.7       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Globalization: it refers to the act or process of globalizing: the state of being globalized; especially the development of an increasingly integrated global economy.

Economics: it is defined as a science which study human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.

Teaching: the occupation, profession, or work of a teacher.

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught.

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