Functionality of Secondary Education: An Investigation into Numeracy, Literacy and Civic/Citizenship Competencies of Secondary School Graduates in Rural Communities of Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The Functionality of Secondary Education (FSE) system in Nigeria has become a subject of concern among stakeholders. Evidence shows that many secondary school graduates, especially in rural communities of the country, cannot demonstrate basic skills required by the world of work. However, extant studies often devote more attention to functionality of education, generally, than probable causes of dysfunctionality of the system in rural communities. This study, therefore, investigates the current level of functionality of secondary education (functional literacy, functional numeracy, and functional civic/citizenship competence) in rural communities of Southwestern Nigeria (RCSN). The study was located within a post-positivist paradigm that incorporated the convergent parallel design in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data. The multi-level mixed methods sampling technique was adopted for the study. Three states with the highest rural demography in the southwest zone of Nigeria were purposively selected, while at the second stage, the cluster sampling method was used to select one Local Government Area from each of the three senatorial districts per state. At the third stage, the simple random sampling technique was used to select a secondary school from each Local Government Area. Lastly, proportionate-to-size sampling technique was adopted for the selection of 467 secondary school graduates. The participants for Key Informant Interviews comprised three principals and three senior officials from the Teaching Service Commission and Ministry of Education in each of the 3 states. A research instrument, Secondary School Graduate Aptitude Test (SSGAT) with a reliability coefficient of 0.715 was used for the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The FSE was found to be moderate for Civic/Citizenship Competence (60.8 percent) while it was low for Functional Literacy (50.3 percent) and Functional Numeracy (45.88 percent). The study concluded that urgent interventions are fundamental to stemming the ebbing tide of FSE in RCSN.