Oral Literature as a Tool for Moral Education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study focused on oral literature as a tool for moral education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeduru local government area of Imo State. It has revealed that the application of the literature review covered many conceptual issues, theoretical and empirical studies. The work adopted a descriptive survey with and questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using mean statistics. Findings reveal that to a very high extent, Senior Secondary Schools utilize oral literature for moral education in Ikeduru LGA, Imo State; the types of oral literature use more often for moral education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeduru LGA, Imo State include history, folklores and oral traditions; the impacts of oral literature in enhancing moral education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeduru LGA is very positive; and the challenges affecting effective utilization of oral literature for moral education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ikeduru LGA, Imo State are ineffectiveness on the part of some teachers, negative peer group influence, lack of proper consideration in the curriculum, societal neglect of history, folklores and oral traditions. The study concludes that oral traditions, folklore and history were the bed-rock for the development of education and society in the pre-colonial period, but these were dropped gradually with the advent of the colonial masters and gradually deteriorate both in the educational curriculum and general conduct of the society and these have adverse effect on the nation’s economy. It was therefore recommended that there is the need for more provision of more cultural, personnel, capacity building, material mobilization for innovative study and development of the oral literature for history of Nigeria. Furthermore, there is the need to re-learn oral traditions, folklores and history by making use of artistic remains of Ife, Nok culture, and Igbo Ukwu.