MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY

Sociology has been defined as a social science subject, which concerns with human
behaviour in society. In the area of social relationship or interaction among individual or
group of individuals (Denga, 1986). Okoro (2001) defines sociology as a social science,
which studies the social relationships that exist among members of a group, causes of
such relationship and the consequences from the above definitions. It can be deduced
that sociology is a subject that studies the social structure, institutions, pattern of
relati9onships and interaction among the members of the society. It equally studies the
origin, development, organization and functions of human society.

Sociology was derived from the combination of Latin and Greek words, Socius and
Logos respectively. This is why sociology is often defined as the scientific study of
human society.

ORIGIN OF SOCIOLOGY

In the earliest time, which was best described as “Dark ages,” feudalism was mostly
practiced in our societies. Agrarian economy was in vogue. The kings, Lords, Barons
and Nobles owned the lands (land lords) and held the entire land in trust from God. They
usually gave out portions of the land to the commoners, vessels or serfs to farm and
make returns in form of annual tribute or tromage to the lords (Orakwue and Orakwue,
2012) in addition, the vessels became the soldiers that defend their land lords and kings
in times of war and indirectly protected their farmlands and homes.

The word sociology was coined Auguste Comte (1798-1857) a French social
philosopher, Mathematian and sociologist in 1839. He drived it a Latin word “socio” or
“socius,” which literally means society or companion and a Greek word “logos” which
literally mean study or science of society. Sociology therefore means the study or
science of society. Comte expounded his theory of three stages through which all
overtime in progressive order, that is interpreting the trend of social order and its
sustenance in three historical stages, namely theological or fictive, metaphysical and
positive, scientific or empirical stages, otherwise known as theory of position
observation and systematic study or investigation of social phenomena or social
behaviour using positive or scientific method. Comte emphatically stated in his positive
philosophy that this new discipline, sociology should be the “sciences or the “queen of
sciences” and a vehicle for the mastery of the universe. Consequently, he became
popularly acclaimed and reputed father of sociology as a field of study.

THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF SOCIOLOGY:

It can be summarized as follows

(a) Social structure: (organizational frame work and machinery for operation)
(b) Social function (social actions, roles, norms, processes and behaviour)
(c) Socialization (social interactions and relationships)
(d) Social change (social reforms/reconstructions, dynamics and progress)
(e) Social problems (casual relationship, solutions, amelioration, control or containment)

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIOLOGY AS A DISCIPLINE INCLUDE:

1. It is observable (visible and practical) analytical systematic breakdown and

explanation of ideas)
2. Fact finding (discovers facts/truth and provides objective, answers about the society)
3. Reformative or reconstructive (repair, reforms and re-directs members of the society
to the right path
4. Predictive (for-tells future behaviour or trends)
5. Ameliorative or social problem solving (provides social remedies) (Ilorah, 2010).
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIOLOGY TO THE SOCIETY

1. Sociology provides sociological theories that aid deeper understanding of human

interactions, relationship behaviours and social adjustments in our societies.
2. It creates a good sense of cultural awareness to the people, especially on the process
of enculturation and acculturation within a particular area.
3. Good knowledge of sociology enhances policy formations for general development
and for problem solving.
4. Sociology, which covers wide areas of study and topics, is very useful in training
professionals in the areas of law making and enforcement, industries works,
education, medicine demography and allied occupation.
5. It explains the relationships between different elements of social life. For example
relationship between political and economic system, between religious and legal
system, between family and education system etc.
6. It studies different types and patterns of social problems in society, gaining social fact
and better understanding about them. Thereby, establishing the basis for their control.
Amelioration, solution and prevention (Ilorah, 2010).

Sociology is a general rather than specialized social science. It specializes in

generalities, in finding patterns and principles from the concrete and specific acts of
social life. It is a pure rather than applied social science because its goals like that of
other pure science is basically the acquisition rather than the application of knowledge.
However, sociology like mathematics and other science is developing an applied branch
distinct from pure sociology which focuses on social problems and their study, analysis,
interpretation, understanding, solution or amelioration and control or contentment using
available reliable knowledge and scientific research result. It equally includes or brings
about social reforms or reconstruction that would bring about social progress and avoid
or reduce social problems to the minimum controllable level or proportion. Sociology
studies human social (group) life or social behaviour or conduct in its totality rather than
any specified aspect or segment of it’s as is the case with the other social science
disciplines.

Nwa-chi (2001:13-14) asserts that sociology consists of a central core of knowledge

which deals with that which is common to all these other (social and some natural
science) disciplines but which is not entirely studied by them. The other social science
discipline respectively, have as their central concern specific aspect of social life for
example, economics is mainly concerned with the efficiency of organizaling production,
allocation and distribution of resources, political science is mainly concerned with
governance, leadership and followership, psychology studies the individual, his
personality and psychic phenomena, anthropology is concerned with the culture and
recognizable hereditary traits of man while history focuses on the human past as a
sequence of concrete and unique events and situation. Brand (1974:13-14) indicated that
sociology’s quest for the study and understanding of human group or social behaviour in
its totality “provided the framework for the content-political, economic, cultural
(anthropological), psychological, religious, etc of that behaviour” The various social
sciences deal with special fields of human social life. They tend, however, to
investigates the form of human actions in society, the form common to all types of
endeavours. This co-ordinating function is the exclusive domine of sociology. Sociology
uses the scientific result or findings of the other social science disciplines and some
extent that of some natural science (chemical, physical and biological) disciplines in
addition to its own findings to discover the principles of social behaviour, explain and
predict social phenomena. Nwachi (2001:73) states that one major function of sociology
is the collection, collation and synthesis of the findings of the various sciences science
and to, some extent, ,natural sciences, it is the melting-point co-ordinating the results of
these other science. It is the central core of knowledge of human social behaviour, the
society and universe as a whole. Ezewu (1983:3) called sociology a rallying point of
other social Science and August comet in his positive philosophy described sociology as
the “science of sciences” or the queen of the sciences” and the vehicle for mastery of
the universe. He holds that human beings with sociological knowledge would control the
world by which they had previously but needlessly be super science unifying the
observations and generalization made by other social sciences. Sociology therefore is not
interested in and does not study the individual perse, nor is it concerned with man’s
physical or body structures or the functioning of the domain of anthropology, medicine,
biology and psychology (even though they provide clue for the study of group)” it does
not equally concern itself with only governance, power structure, leadership and
followership style; nor with the efficiency of organizing production, allocation and
distribution of resources or with past configuration of man in interdependence. These
concerns the domain of political science, economics and history “instead sociology is
interested in what happens when man meet man, when human beings form masses or
group, when they persuade or imitate others, develop or destroy culture. The unit of
sociological study is never an individual but always at least two individuals somehow
related to one another.

CULTURE

It is the patterns of behaviour and thinking that distinguishes people living in social
group from other animals. Peoples culture includes their beliefs, rules of behaviour
language, rituals, act and technology, styles of dress, ways of producing and cooking
food, religion etc.

TYPES OF CULTURE

(a) Material culture: it is all that man has made to help him such as weapons, tools,
shelters, skills technology aid other goods non materials culture such as things we
 don’t see or feel but they exist like norms, beliefs, values altitudes, ideas and
judgment etc

CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURES OF CULTURE

I. Culture is stable: The stability of culture means that culture does not change over-
night but endures for sometime. Culture is not subject to flux or dramatic change;
rather it remains relatively stable and only change gradually. Thus, beliefs and values
are hard to change, but takes a very long time before gradual change take place.
II. Culture is dynamic: Note that the stability of culture does not make it state
(unchanging). Culture is not stalic rather it changes from time to time, especially with
the fast rate of civilization and technological break through in our society. In this
regard, culture changes with time and reason.
III. Culture is shared: Culture is what is acquired and shared by members of a given
society that accept and live by the culture.
IV. Culture is societal creation and learned: Culture is a product of a society.
Therefore, it is man made; culture includes all the aspects of man’s social life which
he did not acquire biologically, covering material and non material culture. Culture is
the learned portion of human behaviour, which mean that it is not in-born, instincts or
other inherited traits.
V. Culture is transmitted: This portrays that culture survive and becomes transmitted
from one generation to another. In other words, culture survives because members of
a particular society agreed to preserve it and pass it along to the members of new
generation. This is why culture like the society exists beyond the life span of any
individual. Thus, through socialization culture is transmitted from older generation to
younger generation for people to live and interact freely and harmoniousely society,
there should be certain general acceptable patterns of behaviour which regulate
actions and interactions towards one another. These commonly acceptable patterns of
 behaviour are referred to as culture. Culture there is man-made and very central to the
existence of human society because it defines and guides all dimensions of human
behaviour in society.

CONCEPTS ASSOCIATED WITH CULTURE: ARE AS FOLLOWS

1. Belief: Belief is a proposition, an opinion, an idea or a thing which one or a group

of people accepts as real or true without substantiate. It is a general feeling of trust
and confidence by a group of people or society that an idea is or an opinion etc is
read and true and therefore should not be questioned by anybody. Belief never
based on any logical reasoning or empirical investigation rathan an opinion or idea
based on superstition. Every society has a range of beliefs which are highly
cherished. In Igbo land and perhaps beyond, there is a belief that if you knock your
left foot against an object in the morning, something bad is waiting for you within
the day e.t.c
2. Value: Value is an economic term meaning the worth or price of a thing. In
sociology, value stands for what is desired, needed, wanted, important and society
want to relairied & preserved.
3. Custom: This is the usual and generally accepted way of adding in a given
circumstances by members of a group. It is not the action or behaviour by an
individual but by the group or society. It is a patterned behaviour of the society
which has grown into a habit. Such group pattern of habitual activity/behaviour is
usually transmitted from one generation to another. Christian all over the world have
the custom of giving presents at Christmas etc.

CULTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH EDUCATION

It is a known fact that culture is very central to the existence of any society, meaning
that culture, with all that pattains to it, determines standard of behaviour in society.
Society which develop its culture, also established a number of institutions through
which it operates. Such institutions include the economy, religion and education.

Education which is one of the societal institutions that uses schools to offer formal
education. Schools therefore are products of society and society uses schools institution
to transmit its culture and achieve its goals, O’connor (1957) defined education as the
process by which the society through schools, colleges, universities and other
institutions deliberately transmits its cultural heritage.

SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

Educational sociology and the sociology of education are not the same. At the
beginning, only few trained sociologists exist, and very little out of the few trained
sociologists were interested in studying education as a subject. At the same time only
small part of education was subject to the use of sociological analysis for its
explanation. As time goes on, more trained sociologist’s surface and circumstances
compelled/ forced them to show more interest in the study of education as a subject.
Sociology studies human behaviour in groups the relationship between individual
groups, associations institution and so on. Education is one of the social institutions of
society designed render a social service. The educational institution and all the processes
which take place in it are of immense interest to sociologists. This is mainly because
both the instillation itself and the processes occur within the society. Therefore, for a
science which takes society as its main concern investigation, the internal relation of the
institutions as well as its eternal relationships with the wider society, is a subject of
study. As the scope of education being studied by sociology widened, the nomenclature
changed to sociology of education, which means the analysis of the sociological
processes involved in the educational institution. Educational sociology is narrower than
sociology of education. Sociology of education as a field of academic inquiry operates at
two levels of analysis mainly:

1. It examines the place and function of educational institution and society

2. It analyses the sociological processes which take place in the educational institution
seen as a micro-society and relates these atrocities to the external environment or
wider society.

RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

Sociology of education employs the same research methods commonly used by

sociologist. These include observation, interview and survey.

(a) OBSERVATION: it is a way of gathering data on aspects of human behaviour in

society. Observation
1. Indetached observation: the research observes the objects he wants to study by
hiding himself away, making sure that they are not aware that he is observing them.
In this way, he will observe the actions of his objects their “natural” content. This
type could be the use of close circuit television which puts the researcher out of view
of the objects. By so doing, the data he gathers would be shielded from interference
effects likely to arise if he were directly involved with the object.
2. Participant observation: The researcher in this case interacts directly with the
group and tries to observe action and acquire knowledge of it through participation.
The problem with participant observation is the high likelihood of interference effect
especially if the subjects of study are conscious of the fact that they are being
observed. Participant observation is widely use by sociologists probably because it is
less than closed circuit television and can be applied in different social contexts e.t.c.
(b) INTERVIEW: Data can be gathered in research on sociology of education by use of
interviews. The purpose of interview is usually to identify through the process of
 conservation, certain attitude or responses of individuals to particular situations or
events or some are commonly i.e. by direct face-to-face contact and by telephone
depending on the objective in view e.t.c.
(c) SURVEY: survey method is usually employed in social science research where the
objective is to describe thing or to reveal hidden relationships between aspects of
something e.t.c.

IMPORTANCE OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION TO THE TEACHER

Having sound knowledge of sociology of education is important to the classroom

teacher.

I. Sociology of education enables the teacher to know the intricate relationship existing
between the society and educational institutions. This knowledge is very vital and
basic in teacher’s ability to solve problems in the institutions and the classroom.
II. The teachers have it as a duty to impact knowledge and transmit the culture of the
society to young ones and also help the society to attain its goals. Sociology of
education enables the teachers relates the school goals to societal goals and
effectively marry them while performing his teaching assignment in the class.
III. No society is static, it experiences changes from time to time, in values, attitude,
ideas, belief e.t.c. Sociology of education enables the teacher makes correct selection
in emerging changes based on societal values and build into the school curriculum,
the necessary changes that are beneficial to the society.
IV. Sociology of education equips he teachers to know the society’s expectations and the
base for those expectations knowing those expectation makes the teachers to be
creative resourceful and innovative in order to achieve the expectation of the society
through education.
V. The course helps teachers to set the goals of education for a society with reference to
the prevailing social, economic, cultural, political and religious conditions in that
society.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND EDUCATION

In all things in life, nature allows in equality. This can be seen in plant& animals
we have around us. There are different types of plants in the world .These plants even
when they belong to the same specie differ in sizes. The same thing goes for animals. In
the society of human beings. The individuals in society occupy different positions or
statuses. Each of these positions or statuses has a number of roles attached to it which
status occupier must play in a given society. This status may be ascribed or achieved but
whichever one, individuals in a society are not equal, people are different in ages, work
they do, their level of intelligence, their income and so on. Many individuals or groups
in society, according to Obasi (1987) enjoy far more resources and privileges than
others. Some have good and high level of education, enter good professions, earn high
salary, live in beautiful residential houses, enjoy holiday overseas, drive big and
expensive cars, feed well etc. while others are unable to obtain primary education, get a
good job and no matter how poorly paid and above all even face the full weight of law
for the minutest offence committed. These differential social advantage and privilege
between individuals or social groups, is a reflection of social inequality which forms the
bad rock of social stratification. The term stratification is derived from the word “strata”
which refers to layers or classes. Society is divided into specific layers into which
individuals are fitted, categorized or grouped, each of these layers is called stratum. The
process of categorizing or fitting the individuals+ in society into layers or strata is called
social stratification. They differ in respect of their class (referring to their prestige) what
it means here, is that society is organized in a hierarchy which Obasi (1988) captured
when he defined social stratification as the hierarchical organization of society based on
the unequal distribution of power, wealth and prestige amongst various groups and
individuals in a society. Power to impose their will on others whether like it or not, when
such power is generally recognized or legitimized, it becomes authority.

Wealth stands for those valued material possessions which include land, building,
livestock, money etc. prestige refers to the level of esteem or honour which social
position or statuses carry with them.

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

One of the major roles of formal education is allocating people to various

occupations. The level of education attained determines the type of occupation one
should engage in and consequently the social class one belong to. Children from low
social class background are known to be quite handicapped in terms of educational
opportunities. This is because success at school requires the existence of certain home
and school based resources which are not readily provided in low class homes and in
school mainly attended by children from low class homes, we notice in the country some
differential educational opportunities existing between groups and individual. There are
categories of school in the society, rural or village schools, staff schools, urban schools,
federal government schools and so on. The schools are for the children of the peasants,
artisans, craftsmen etc and the later for the children of the government functionaries, top
professionals etc, respectfully we know that the most prestigious and best paid
occupations are pursued by those with power, connections and exposure, send their
children to the best schools serves as sure gate ways to high educational qualifications.
The children with these opportunities then graduate from the university to occupy high
positions in society like their parents. This means that the highest educational level as
well as the most prestigious occupation is being monopolized by the high socio-
economic state groups. It is in this way that education is seen/perceived to be ostensibly
a re-inforces of social stratification instead of a means of open social vertical mobility

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL MOBILITY

Social mobility refers to the advancement of individual or groups from one social
class to another in the stratification system of society. The movement could be upwards
or downward between social classes when it is referred to as vertical mobility, it could
also be movement within the same class, say from one sub-division to another within a
particular class where it is referred to as horizontal mobility.

The differences in the abilities of individual in a society are known to constitute the
key factor in upward social mobility is open societies which have value for hard work
and merit such open societies largely operate on the principles of “social Darwinism” i.e.
the survival of the fittest. In such society, those who are better endowed with the
attributes of success by dint of hard work, climb the social ladder rapidly. It is on the
basis of ability that education is cited as a traditional key factor in social mobility.

THE SCHOOL AS A FORMAL ORGANIZATION

The school generally can be viewed as a place where teaching and learning
occurs. It is an institutionalized form of education which is comprised of organized set
of activities carried out in a specifically and designated teaching and learning
environment. The school therefore is a social institution and a formal organization with
many sided roles ranging from moulding and reshaping of minds, dissemination of new
knowledge, character building to transformation of behaviour and attitudes. It is through
the school system that students develop the competences and habits of mind through
practicing learning and instructions, in order to be useful to themselves and their society.
The school is a typical formal organization that operates both open and closed systems.
As an open system school emphasizes collaboration and advocacy of other external
environments such as the local community where it is situated and collective action. As
a closed system, all activities in the school revolved within the school premise e.g.
teaching and learning instructions, administrative and management operation etc as
social and formal institution have the same characteristics and features as any other
formal organization whose purpose is to achieve a set of goals and objectives.

FORMAL ORGANIZATION

The term formal organization simply means the combination of efforts and
resources from different groups in order to achieve institutional set goals. According to
Reggie Fubara (1990) organizations are the social units which exist for the attainment of
certain goals, examples of typical organization include churches, schools, companies etc.
Organizations are structured network of relationships among individuals, positions and
activities in a particular work setting, which involves the network of person’s roles and
statuses through which the activities of the organization are implemented/carried out.
There are different types of organization and central to their activities is the pursuit of
specific goals essential to the life of modern society. For instance, military organizations
are geared towards the security of the nation, the police force towards maintenance of
law and order. Business firms towards production of goods and services, hospitals
towards the treatment of the sick, schools towards transmission of knowledge, these are
members interacting with one another in their effort to reach the organizational aim
which may be either profit oriented or client oriented in pursuing these goals, people
need to interact with one another as he activities are coordinated towards the
accomplishment of goals and it also consist of a structure of positions and different roles
performed by people. When we talk of structure of social organization, we mean that
their component parts stand in some relation to one another. The relationship between
components can be said to involve
(a) Pattern of social interaction. In the case of the school, how the teachers are expected
to interact with the headmaster/principal on the other hand, and the pupils on the
other.
(b) Frequency and duration of contacts between members in the case of school, the
expected duration of contacts at the primary and secondary schools is between Sam
and 2.30 pm from Monday to Friday.
(c) The direction of influence or authority of members in the school system, we know
that authority flows downwards from the head, through the teachers, to
pupils/students.
(d) Sentiments towards one another, which could involved feeling of attraction, respect
or hostility by the members. When students engage in riotous act, they are expressing
the sentiment of hostility. From the above, we can see that formal organizations
involve both structural and behavioural aspect.

STRUCTURE OF RELATIONSHIP IN THE SCHOOL

In the social structure of the school, we realize there is a network of social

relationship within and outside the school system. The principal can be seen having a
formal relationship with several people or groups of people inside and outside the school
he has dealings with staff and students and with parents, members of the community,
school supervisors and inspectors, teaching services commissions and boards. Inside the
school which is made up of teachers, pupil/students, non academic staff and
administrative staff. All these groups relate, depend/rely and interact with one another in
order to be effective and achieve a common goal here, there are several social
relationships which make up a formal organization and such relationships include the
interactions;

I. Between the school head and teachers

 II. Between the school head and students
III. Between the school head and non academic staff
IV. Between teachers and students
V. Between teachers and teachers
VI. Between students and students
VII. Between students and non academic staff
VIII. Between teachers and non academic staff
IX. Between non academic staff themselves

The relation ship exists at two level of interaction i.e. formal (official) level and
informal (unofficial) level and it is their combination that gives expression to the
structure of the school organization. The relationship if often conditioned by the rules
and regulations of the school system either made for it or by it for the internal regulation
of its affair. For instance, teachers, being lower in rank than the head teacher are
expected to submit to his authority, students to submit to the authority of the teachers,
student in general to submit to the authority of the school and class prefects, junior
students to submit to the authority of senior students and son. Also official task to be
performed are usually graded and expected to be carried out at specified duration of time
and in a particular way. Such tasks include classroom, teaching, morning assembly,
sporting activities and so on. Positions in the school are arranged in a hierarchical order
so that the top most position is superior to the lower ones. In such a hierarchy, authority
is ordered from the most superior position to the lowest.
 ARIC SC/ HM ECONS/INTRO TECH
VOCIST DEPT
VP (ACADEMICS)

HIST/GEO/MUS TEACHERS
ARTS DEPT
SCIENCE DEPT
PHY/CHEM/BIO TEACHERS
LANGUAGE DEPT
ENG/EDU/FRN TEACHERS

SCHOOL PREFECTS

STUDENTS
BURSAR

NB
PRINCIPAL

GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR
VP (ADMINISTRATION)
MESSENGER
TYPIST
SECURITY MEN
CLERK
AUTHORITY STRUCTURE IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

The school and its position show that outside the school, the principal receives
orders from the ministry of education or the state school board of education as the case
may be. The externally prescribed rules referred to above are formulated, imposed and
enforced by those bodies. In this way the headmaster/ principal, as the chief executive
within the school is subordinated to the ministry of education and the state school board.
Within the school, the head becomes the superior officer and all other positions are
subordinated to him. The principal/headmaster plays a due role in the school, he is an
administrator and a teacher as an administrator, he sees to the day-to-day running of the
school and gives directives to his subordinates, other academic and non-academic staff.
He is accountable for the actions of every other person occupying a position in the
school. Every action in the system is deemed to have been performed by him or
delighted by him or authorized by him. In this way, authority in the school is clearly
ordered from the principal to all other positions through the vice-principal and
departmental heads down the line. All official communications between the teachers and
outside the school are routed through the principal. This is aimed at preventing the
actions of subordinator that might not be approved by the principal.

SOCIAL FACTOR & THEIR INFLUENCE ON LEARNING

In all human environments there are several social factors which interact in a
complex manner to influence an individual’s learning. Such social factor are more of
social structures and include the family, the school, mass media, religious organizations
e.t.c. the family it is the oldest social and primary institution in society providing the
main setting where roles of different types are learned. The family serves as the most
important agent of socialization. The family to an extent determines what the individual
learns together with the individual’s learning ability. Within the family, there are certain
factors which affect the child in one way or another. Nicholls and Nicholls (1978) stress
such factors as size of the family, the child’s position within it, the relationship
between the parents, the parental socio- economic status their attitude to education etc
The effect of such factors may either help or hider the child learning or
education. the socio-economic status of the family has a great influence on the
child’s learning. Parents who are rich and enlightened provide adequately for the
health, physical and education needs of their children. The children have access
to facilities like radio, newspapers and other relevant materials that stimulate
learning. In such family children have freedom of expression and freedom to
communicate with elders. The atmosphere of democracy prevails. Such
conditions are conducive to effective learning. On the contrary, children from
poor socio-economic back ground are seriously deprived as they lack the necessary
learning facilities provided in rich homes because they are not well provided for,
they lack position attitude towards school education and therefore unlikely to do
well in school learning. In families where parents have good cordial
relationship positive attitude towards education and high aspirations, their children
are likely to learn better than those from families where the case is opposite. A
family that is small pays more attention to their individual child’s need and
development. The parent have high emotional attachment to the child and are
ready to invest their resources on the child’s education. On the contrary, a large
family with too many children to cater for, devotes more attention to the
collective needs of the family (e.g. food, shelter& clothing ) than the educational
needs of individual child etc

THE SCHOOL: School are established as formal organization to socialize or

acculturate children. The schools take over where the homes or families stop. As
a formal Social institution it prepares the individual for the many roles he
is expected to play in the complex society. Children from different socio-
economic backgrounds come to school with their varying values which may or
may not agree with what the school teaches. The school creates opportunities for
individuals to interact and study in the same environment and learn from one
another.The values taught by school are learned. The curriculum used in school is useful
in developing the developing the learner’s skills, knowledge, attitude and ideas. The
school climate, values and attitude held by members of the school, the relationship that
exist influence learning in school.

THE MASS MEDIA: Mass media are those means through which the public can be
informed educated, enlightened, taught, guided or entertained. They include the radio,
television, newspaper. The mass media are increasing in complicity over the years and
they exert powerful influence on the masses especially the young ones. From them, new
knowledge, information e.t.c. ways of life are gained or acquired which may be good or
bad. If their programs are well prepared, edited, monitored and transmitted, they may
have high educational values. In some cases where the programmes are not well
controlled they transmit wrong models which are counter-productive to society and
our children also learn them. So we see that programmes from mass media help to
reinforce learning or hinder it.

RELIGIOUS GROUPS: Religious institutions like churches, mosques and traditional

religions have a way of initiating the young into various orders after necessary
orientations. The church organizes catechism classes, Sunday school classes and other
teaching sessions for the members including the young. Through such teachings, the
members grow spiritually, learn good moral conduct, develop good social human
relations and advance intellectually. Religious groups generally inculcate moral disciple
in their followers and this has positive influence on effective learning of the child.
SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYISIS OF CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN NIGERIA
EDUCATION.

Some contemporary sociological issues which have long bedeviled the Nigerian
educational system. Such issues are cultism, examination malpractice institutional
riot/unrest, drug abuse, strickes, religious intolerance, national integration etc.

a. CULTISM: cultism according to Ogidefa (2008) can be defined as a ritual

practice by a group of people whose membership, admission. Policy and initiation
formation as well as their mode of operations are done in secret and kept secret,
with their activities having negative effect on both members and non members
alike. According to Ogunsola (2005) cultism is a way of thinking, oriented
towards devotion and allegiance. A secret cult is therefore a group of persons
committed to a cause and whose activities are characterized by rituals and
secrecy. The first secret cult was formed in 1952 when the 1 st confraternity group-
the seadogs confraternity (a.k.a Pyrates) was formed at the University of Ibadan
by a group of seven students namely: Prof. Wole Soyinka, Pius Olegbe,
Olumuyiwa, Ame Agi-Imonkhuede, Ralf Opara and Nat Oyeola. Their format5ion
was in good faith as their activities and operations included fighting colonialism
and oppression. They also rendered social services to hospitals and presented gifts
to orphanage homes. After about two decades, rancor, feud and factions set in, and
in reaction to the excesses of the pyrate other cult group groups came into being.
b. EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE: Examination malpractices of various
forms are fraudulent acts affecting the Nigerian educational system. The exam
malpractice Act (1999) explains that examination malpractice is an act of
omission or commission by a person who, in anticipation of, before, during or
after any examination, fraudulently secures any unfair advantage for himself or
any other person in such a manner that contravenes the rules and regulations to the
 extent of undermining the validity, reliability, authenticity of the examination and
ultimately the integrity of the certificates issues (Olatumbosun, 2009).

Examination malpractices have eaten deep into the Nigerian educational system and it
affects all levels of education from primary, through secondary to higher education
where it has reached a maximum height.

DANGERS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

According to Udoh (2008) examination malpractice which is rampant in the Nigeria

educational system has given less credibility and integrity to the Nigeria society. The
consequences of these malpractice is that our certificates are being rejected abroad due
to its loss of credibility. The scourge of examination malpractice affects production of
competent and qualified people used in the offices and parastatels.

STUDENTS’ RIOT/UNREST

Riot, as a concept, is a mildorviolent protest by a crowd of people. The origin of

students’ riots in Nigeria, according to Adebayo, dates back to 1944 when student
protest against the British authority who were determined to use the premises of king
college lagos, as a base for housing the west African frontier force raised in their west
African colonies to help in the second world war. Since then it has grown to become
regular occurrence in the country. According to Johnson (2002) riots or unrest are part of
deviant behaviours in Nigerian schools. Students’ riot/unrest as a result of indiscipline.
They use or see means of communicating their grievances to the authority and a means
of informing the authority of the need for a desired change or adjustment in the system.

CAUSES OF STUDENTS RIOTS INCLUDE

1. Unexpected hike in fees.
2. Oppression of students.
3. Inadequate provision of infrastructural/fecilitites.
4. Poor feeding.
5. Extortion.
6. Obnoxious rules and regulations etc.