ABSTRACT
The study investigated teaching and learning prose: a study of
Oko-Afo Senior Secondary School and Government Senior college, Badagry.
The researcher mode use of 50 secondary school students and 10 teachers
from two different school in Badagry Local Government and five research
questions were also used to test the opinion of the students. The
researcher also used simple percentage. Suggestion and recommendations
were mode.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUNDTO THE STUDY
According to Aristotle(1956) in his book "Peotic" literature is
defined as serious enterprise bringing out its special differentiating
qualities, demonstrating its functions, and vindicates literature
against those who consider it useless or immoral page (20)
Literature refers to any kind of composition 'in prose or verse which
has for its purpose not the communication of facts but the telling of a
story or the giving of pleasure through some use of the inventive
imagination in the employment of word. Literature by implication springs
from our in-born live of narrating a story or experiences. It is the
totality of man's action in his social environment
GENRES OF LITERATURE
All literary works are grouped under three basic classes. These
classes are technically termed genres. The three branches of literature
constitute the component parts of imaginative or artistic creative work.
Have the following.
· DRAMA
· PROSE/NOVEL
· POETRY
The basic difference in this various divisions depends on the narrative language used in each of them.
NATURE OF PROSE
Prose basically refers to all types of writing that use the normal
linguistic apparatus, marked by plain sentences, paragraphs and
chapters, as distinct from drama and poetry. It is unique as a form of
story telling art characterized by a subject matter.
Prose means an ordinary form of spoken or written language. It is
arranged in verses and rhymes. It comes, in sentences form through
dialogue and conversation, the sentences are added together to make
paragraphs. Prose is a genre(s) of literature which is one of the
subjects in the school curriculum. It explains, describes and narrates
events.
Adejumo (2003) claims that 'prose simply means story telling" It
requires that usual comprehensive skill that has the ability to identify
the imagery or figurative expression used in the chapters.
Prose demands the individual interest, dedication, commitment and,
time. It should be noted that even English language which is considered
very important cannot stand without literature and there is no way a
teacher will teach Iiterature without English prose being integrated in
it.
TYPES OF PROSE
There are sub-genres of prose like short story, the novel, novella and the novelette.
The Short Story: This is the shortest form of prose
that shares all that features of an averages novel. The short story
simply distances itself from the novel by its length or coverage. It is
absolutely complete on its own, in terms of presentation of characters,
setting and theme.
The Novel: The novel is the most ambitious of the
sub-genres of prose. It relates its story in manners resembling the
others sub-genres, nonetheless, it does this through a rational
coverage. It is total and wide ranging in its coverage of those actions
presented. Moreover, characters are wholly developed, with well
marked-out complexities, presented in a relaxed manner.
The Novella: The word novella is an Italian word
applied by the Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio. It is an known as the
intermediary prose form; this is varied between the short story and
novel, equally sharing all the qualities of the novel. It reveals a
natural tendency of being longer than the short story but shorter than
the novel.
The Novelette: The novelette is another Italian
word for the genres which is an anthology of short stories. More than
one story is incorporated within the volume of novelette.
The problems encountered in teaching and learning of prose and the
suggestion of possible solutions as well as what should be the teachers
role in teaching and learning of prose constitute our focus in this
study.
Over the years the rate at which students fails their final
examinations especially in literature (prose) has given causes for
public concern. The achievements of students in WASC examinations for
the past five years was nothing to write on according to Momoh
(2010). Many blame the government for this deficiency while others
believe that parents and even teachers are parties to the failure of the
students themselves. It is therefore against this back chop that we
decided to carry out this research in other to find solution to the
stated problems and possibly improve the teaching and learning of prose
in schools.
It is our believed that having outlined the problems of teaching and
learning the above subject. Useful recommendations and suggestions for
overcoming such problems could then be offered with a view to improving
the teaching and Iearning of prose (literature) not only in the selected
schools, but also for others offering the course as well. Education
planners Curriculum developments, teachers, student and others concerned
individual could find this project useful.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The study is to find possible solution to making the teaching and
learning of prose effective in Oko-Afo Senior Secondary School and
Government Senior College, Badagry. The following problems are outlined.
First the problem of qualified teacher is a great hindrance that affects the teaching of prose in schools.
Second the issue of overcrowding in class of literature (prose) makes learning ineffective in a literature class.
Also, the, problem, of instructional materials is another issue facing student’s performance in English literature.
However the problem of irrelevant textbooks affects the effectives of prose teaching.
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
This research project is designed to investigate the following.
1. To identify and examine the cause of the problems of the students failures in literature in external examinations.
2. To investigate the teachers role in teaching prose in our data.
3. To examine factors that enhances and negates the teaching and
learning of prose in Oko-Afo Senior Secondary School and Government
Senior College Badagry.
4. To proffer possible solution to make the teaching and learning of prose meaningful.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following are raised to guide the research study in finding
solutions to problems of teaching and learning of prose in Oko-Afo
Senior Secondary
School and Government Senior College Badagry.
1. What are the causes of students' failure in literature in examinations?
2. To what extent does the teacher of literature contribute in
students performance in the learning of literature in schools.
3. What factors enhance and negate the students learning literature in schools.
4. What is the solution to effectives teaching and learning of literature in our chosen data?
5. What are the criteria for choosing textbooks at secondary school level?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The teacher and student of English will find the result of this study helpful in many ways.
1. It could serves as sources of further knowledge in solving
problems that might be militating against the effective teaching and
learning of prose.
2. This research project will help teachers in Oko-Afo senior secondary
schools and government senior college Badagry and help students development their vocabulary and reading speed.
3. It also hoped that this project will help the students to re-shape their reading ability and vocabulary.
Some useful information derived from the result of this research
could be a description about the nature of materials used for teaching
of prose, the attitude of teachers towards the subject English and the
students. The project will help the teacher to rectify the deficiency
in the subject.
The importance of this project study could be felt when most of the
solution suggested' are put into practice. Potentials researchers could
find the result useful to them and may serve as stepping stone to
provoke further research studies:
1.6 LIMITATIQN OF THE STUDY
The research tend to make this research study to be of immense value
to the teaching and learning of prose in Oko-Afo Senior Secondary
Schools and Government Senior College Badagry, it should be
comprehensive enough to take care of all secondary schools.
The study is limited to Oko-Afo Senior Secondary School and
Government Senior College Badagry while selected samples were obtained
from the students and teachers.
The research work is limited to only novels as a sub-genre of prose.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study is delimited to the problems of teaching and learning prose
in two selected schools in Badagry. The researchers delimit the
research work to Oko-Afo Senior Secondary School and Government Senior
College Badagry.