1.1 Introduction
Social studies is the integrated study of multiple fields of social science and the humanities, including history, geography, and political science. The term was first coined by American educators around the turn of the twentieth century as a catch-all for these subjects, as well as others which did not fit into the traditional models of lower education in the United States (David, 2018). The entrepreneurship development education refers to many things to variation of people as applicable to their values and observations of what it means to them. Nwabuama (2004) sees entrepreneurship education as the identification of the general characteristics of entrepreneurs and how potential entrepreneurs can be trained in management techniques needed for effective performance of persons for long time service of an organization after the acquisition of occupational skills.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Nigeria, like any other developing country is highly sensitive to the need of providing vocational and technical education to her teaming population in order to equip them with saleable skills. The complexities of modern societies demand a type of education that can equip the individuals with knowledge that can make them highly functional. The National Policy on Education (2004) highlighted Nigeria’s desire to achieve her national goals through education; hence, the need for acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competence both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live and also contribute to development of the society.
The introduction of social studies into the Nigeria school system was based on certain philosophical considerations. One of them is to address social issues and man’s problem of life in their interrelatedness, as they appear in real life situations instead of addressing them in an uninterrelated manner as those learnt through separate disciplined like Geography, Religion, Sociology and Anthropology. Social studies according to Ezegbe (2011), was therefore introduced as an integrated discipline to make education real to life.
Social studies was also introduced into the Nigeria school system to achieve one of the philosopher of Nigeria education as indicated in the National policy on education (2009) which is the development of the individual into a sound and effectives through social studies is possible since the subject is an integrated programme which is taught and learnt. Social studies look at all aspects of the life of the child in the society. It is further stated in the National policy on Education (2004) that the essence of education is to achieve the inculcation of National consciousness and national unity.
Similarly, entrepreneurship education according to Olufunwa (2009) is a specialized training given to students of vocational and technical education to acquire the skills, ideas and managerial abilities and capabilities for self-employment rather than being employed for pay. In the same vein, Olurunmolu & Olufunwa in Ezemoyih, (2011) opined that entrepreneurship education is the type of education that involves the acquisition of skills, ideas and management abilities necessary for self-reliant, and can turn around the economic fortunes of the country and reduce poverty level.
Therefore, in Niger State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to investigate the Influence of Socialization in Social Studies Education in Promoting Entrepreneur Skills among the Student's of FCE Kontagora.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that for many developing countries, development of entrepreneurial skills has been a powerful engine of economic growth and wealth creation, and is crucial for improving the quality, number and variety of employment opportunities for the poor. It has several multiplier effects on the economy, spurs innovation, and fosters investment in people, which is a better source of competitive advantage than other natural resources, which can be depleted. Acquiring entrepreneurial skills by social studies education students will enable them to create new enterprises, new commercial activities, and new economic sectors. They generate jobs for others; they produce goods and services for society; they introduce new technologies and improve or lower cost outputs; and they earn foreign exchange through export expansion or substitution of imports.
One of the possible causes for this lack is that the education in Nigeria addresses only output end of capacity development solving problem. In addressing the input and therefore, a complimentary approach is needed. In developed economies or industrialized economies for instance, the education system emphasizes the trail of inquiry-discovery application in teaching and students to perceive problems (including societal problems) as challenges and opportunities that can be turned into goods and services of commercial value (Adejimola & Olufumilayo, 2009, Giwa 2000, and Adeyemi 2006).
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Influence of Socialization in Social Studies Education in Promoting Entrepreneur Skills among the Student's of FCE Kontagora Niger State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine whether socialization influence the promotion of entrepreneur skills acquisition during social Studies Education;
- To identify the factors limiting the development of entrepreneurial skills in social studies education among FCE Kontagora Niger State Students;
- To investigate the impact of entrepreneurial knowledge on FCE Kontagora Niger State Students’ entrepreneurial intentions;
- To examine the roles of entrepreneurship skills acquisition among Social Studies Education students in FCE Kontagora Niger State; and
- To provide the students with enough training skills and support that will enable them to establish a career in small and medium size business.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there factors limiting the development of entrepreneurial skills in social studies education among FCE Kontagora Niger State Students?
- Does entrepreneur Centers provide students in FCE Kontagora Niger State with adequate training that will enable them to be creative and innovative?
- Is students provided with enough training skills and support that will enable them to establish a career in small and medium size business?
- To what extent does socialization influence the promotion of entrepreneur skills acquisition during social Studies Education?
- What are the roles of entrepreneurship skills acquisition among Social Studies Education students in FCE Kontagora Niger State?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Students in FCE Kontagora Niger State are not provided with enough entrepreneurial training skills and support that will enable them to establish a career in small and medium size business
- H1: Students in FCE Kontagora Niger State are provided with enough entrepreneurial training skills and support that will enable them to establish a career in small and medium size business
Hypothesis Two
- H0: Entrepreneur Centers does not provide students in FCE Kontagora Niger State with adequate training that will enable them to be creative and innovative
- H1: Entrepreneur Centers provides students in FCE Kontagora Niger State with adequate training that will enable them to be creative and innovative
1.7 Significance of Study
Social studies education is a skill-based course which inculcates entrepreneurial skills in the recipient. Entrepreneurship on the other hand, deals with creative identification and utilization of business opportunities. This research establishes that Social studies education has the potentials of promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria since it could lead to the acquisition of skills for identifying viable investment opportunities, proper marketing, financial management, proper management and avoidance of business failure.
The implication of this work is that, for Nigeria to encourage entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment and help the practicing entrepreneurs to be successful and achieve the aim of making their ventures to be going-concerns, Social studies education should be taken serious and highly encouraged; otherwise, the desire of Nigeria to encourage self-employment through entrepreneurship may end up as a mirage.
The importance of the study endeavor it to highlight Entrepreneur Centers accord much emphases on the training and development and why it is regarded as a vital human resources management system. This study will also be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The study focuses on the Influence of Socialization in Social Studies Education in Promoting Entrepreneur Skills among the Student's of FCE Kontagora Niger State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends 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).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Entrepreneurial: entrepreneurial is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
Entrepreneurship education: Seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. Variations of entrepreneurship education are offered at all levels of schooling from primary or secondary schools through graduate university programs.
Job creation: The process of providing new jobs, especially for people who are unemployed, the government's job creation strategy.
Skills acquisition: The ability to learn or acquire skills. It involves the development of a new skill, practice of a way of doing things usually gained through training or experience.
