Comparative Investigation on Student’s Dwindling Interest in the Study of History in Public and Private Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Abstract

History as a subject has been facing a decline in popularity among Nigerian secondary school students especially after the ban and re-introduction of the subject resulting to loss of interest by students who decided to seek refuge in other alternative subjects. This trend has sparked concerns among educators, policymakers, and historians, as History plays a vital role in shaping national identity, cultural heritage, and informed citizenship. This phenomenon has been attributed to various factors, including outdated teaching methods, lack of relevance, and inadequate resources. The study employed mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative research. Five research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Six hundred (600) secondary school students from five public and five private secondary schools in Southwestern Nigeria of Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States and one hundred and twenty (120) history teachers were randomly selected. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the differences between the response of teachers and students in public and private schools was analyzed using descriptive data analysis and T-test. Base on the findings, there is a significant mean difference in the strategies to enhance students’ interest in history as perceived by teachers. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected. Furthermore, teachers from public schools (mean = 29.89) had a better perceived strategies when compared to their counterpart in private senior secondary schools (mean = 21.17). Th result showed a significant outcome (t = 19.625, df = 692, p < 0.05). There is a significant mean difference of students’ interest in History when public and private senior secondary schools were compared. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected. Furthermore, students from private schools (mean = 41.73) had a higher interest in learning history when compared to their counterpart in public senior secondary schools (mean = 28.61). Hence, teachers should make history lessons interesting and adopt a learner centered teaching approach in order to encourage students. Students must pay attention in history classes and attend classes. The curriculum content of history should be reviewed in order to meet the expectations of the learners

Keywords: Comparative, Interest, Dwindling, History

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-1-06

Publication date: January 30th 2026