Social Studies

This paper presents the theoretical framework underlying the analysis of EFL reading instructional methods in relation to preparation for content area reading in English within the EFL context. The framework used in this paper is based on Richards and Rodgers’s (2001) model of method of analysis of language teaching which was adapted to suit the analysis of the method of EFL reading instruction reflected in EFL curriculum documents. At the level of Approach, the analysis of method of EFL reading instruction was described in terms of theories of SLA and L2 reading theories. At the level of Design, the analysis of method of EFL reading instruction was described in terms of types of reading tasks, the level of cognitive demand of reading tasks, and types and length of reading passages.

The study explored and analyzed the responsibilities and functions of Executive District Education Officers (EDEOs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Data were collected from six (06) Districts Education Officers in 06 different districts trough structured interviews. An eight- item open ended interview checklist used in the study. The review of relevant literature both in global and local perspectives provided an insight to the researcher for understanding what other researchers did in such situations. The analysis of data was given both qualitative and quantitative treatment. The study found that D.E.Os did not make proper visits to schools and educational institutions. Lack of educational funds and other resource were the main weaknesses of educational administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study explored that there was no institutionalized or mandatory training for the EDEOs to build their administrative and managerial skills. The study pinpointed weaknesses and lope holes in the administrative structure and powers of educational administrators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Language is of paramount importance and a useful tool in the development of any nation. It is that variable in the development process that coordinates all other elements of development towards the growth of the human society. However, no society as it were, can claim to be totally monolingual due to the ease of mobility of peoples across the globe. Thus languages, which are means of cultural identity of peoples, have to coexist in a particular geopolitical entity. Rather than the multilinguistic nature and its attendant multiculturalism of nations serving as impediment to the development of nations it should be considered as part of the nations’ natural resource for growth and development. The diverse languages in countries should be made to serve as a means of integration and source of strength. People must wake up to the reality of their multilingual identity by ensuring that languages co-exist to bring about the needed popular participation in national development. Multilingualism is therefore, a veritable tool in the development process of nations.

This paper discusses poverty alleviation in Igbo traditional society as one critical response from the people’s indigenous religious metaphysics. The Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria are known from antiquity for their religiosity, industry and egalitarianism, among other virtues. As a people, they abhor material poverty (Ogbenye) and more so, relational poverty (Mgbenye). Therefore, from their world view which has a porous demarcation between the secular and the sacred, they evolved poverty alleviation schemes. The findings of this paper reveal that the success stories of these programs were based on love of neighbour, contentment, honesty, industry, communitarian spirit and other cultural values which were made robust by their indigenous religion. Based on the findings, this work therefore calls on the Igbo indigenes both at home and in diaspora to continue along these moral virtues and positive social values got from their ancestors as they do not contradict the ways of Christianity which majority of us have embraced. The implication of this persuasion is the need by both Igbo people and all persons on earth to eschew immoral vices such as corruption, sale of babies and human parts, assassination, fraud and human trafficking, looting and thuggery, prostitution, cultism and ritual money, et cetera as means of fighting poverty which are prevalent today in many indigenous and modern societies. The methodology employed in this work is “Culture Area Approach” which means that this study focused on Igbo cultural context with special interest on her traditional poverty alleviation methods as peculiar evolutions from her Indigenous Religion.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Cognitive Load Theory on the learning among Jadara University students in Jordan. The lesson developed in two different modes, text and image (TI) and audio, image with text (AIT). A quasi experimental factorial design was adopted in this research. The independent variables were the two modes of courseware. The dependent variable was the post test score and attitude. The study sample consisted of 79 educational technologies and was randomly (simple random sample). Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted to analyze the collected data. ANCOVA was used to determine the significant differences of the post-test scores among the groups. The findings of this study showed that students using the Text, Images (TI) mode were not significantly higher than that attained by students using the Audio, Images, Text (AIT) mode. Also the findings of this study showed that all of the differences between the attitude scores of students in two treatment groups were not significant.

The Niger Delta of Nigeria is the largest mangrove Forest in Africa and the chief source of wealth to the Nigeria state. This naturally endowed region has become a hot bed of hostage taking, violence, insurgency, crude oil bunkering and gang war. This paper writes on the causes and effects of militancy and kidnapping in the Niger Delta region, its implication on Nigeria economy and transnational cooperating in the region. The study adopts the Marxian political economy approach. It relied heavily on primary data. The study reveals that the tensions that rob the region of its peace and stability were the long years of neglect and the people’s quest to get a reasonable share of the states resources. The study also examine the role of the Nigeria state in ameliorating the situation. It recommends that current measures at restoring peace and infusing a massive infrastructure in the area should be maintained. Lastly, the provision of life sustaining skills for the youths of the region should be continued. This will enable the youths to survive without recourse to militancy and kidnapping.

The issue of truth and reality is one of the main conscientious issues in philosophy. The propagators and interpreters are different in reality over the historical period. For example, in the ancient times, philosophers such as Plato were interpreted as truth by Elisa that is what reveals itself. But most philosophers have assumed the truth to be true but Nietzsche has a different interpretation of the truth, in his opinion, the truth is myth.

Nigeria is a developing country which attained political independence from British colonial rule in 1960. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society where inter-personal and inter-group relationships are governed by a number of subjective socio-cultural variables: ethnicity, cultural differences, majority-minority dichotomy, religions, etc. The incursion of the military into governance and the impact of the anti-labour colonial and post-colonial policies on the whole society are some of the challenges faced by the labour movements in Nigeria. From the time that trade unions first emerged in Nigeria, they suffered crude treatment and abuse from the government. The abuses were particularly grave during several years of military rule. Although Nigeria has returned to democratic governance, the abridgment of trade union rights continues. This article argues that through such behavior, the government of Nigeria infringes upon workers' freedom of association under international law – which does not augur well for the nation's future as a liberal democracy. The basic challenges of the labour movements today in Nigeria border on but not limited to, lack of entrenched and institutionalized democratic structures, good governance, civil liberties, corruption and poor working conditions of workers. The paper attempts to see how an alliance or partnership between labour movements and the civil society organizations had affected social and political policies of government in the past, and the extent to which it can reshape the future of labour organizations, industrial relations and the structure of the Nigerian society. All these factors are examined against the backdrop of increasing globalization and more specifically the internationalization of the labour market and general economic production systems and ideology.

As a cross-cultural study, the present study investigates politeness strategies that native English speakers and EFL learners employ for exchanging greetings in different situational contexts. Data includes responses elicited through an open-ended Dramatic Written Discourse Completion Task (DWDCT). In order to control the effect of students’ proficiency level, an advanced test of Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was administered to select among 73 senior students of English literature and translation at Isfahan University. Sixty female undergraduate EFL learners with an age range of 21-24 at Isfahan University in Iran and 60 native English learners with an age range of 23-37 studying Medical Laboratory Technology at Dalton State College in Dalton, Georgia, USA participated in the present study. The findings present that EFL learners are not linguistically competent in English greetings in different situations. It also suggests that EFL learners use inappropriate politeness expressions in their English responses, as they do not have the ability to express greetings according to the situational context and native culture. Therefore, it may be necessary to adopt systematic, appropriate and situationally contextualized greetings in the Target Language (TL) in second and foreign language teaching.

One type of Islamic historiography is through historical biographical dictionaries. The rise and development of this type of historiography in the seventh century AH, coincided with the establishment of the Mamluk Sultanate (648-922 AH). Although it was Y?q?t al-Hamawi (626 AH), the author of Mu'jam al-udab?, who wrote the first of these sources in the Islamic history, Ibn Khallikan (681 AH), through writing most renowned work Wafay?t al-A'y?n, entered biographical dictionary writing in a new phase as a profession and elevated it. In fact, subsequent biographical dictionaries like al-Wafi Belwafiat by al-Safdi, Fawat al-Fawayat by Ibn Shaker, Al-Manhal al-Safi by Ibn Taghribirdi complement Wafay?t al-A'y?n. Historical dictionaries enjoy a high status and importance in Islamic historical studies especially in the realm of the Islamic culture and civilization such that without referring to them, research in this realm as well as other realms is impossible. In addition to having a brief look at the status of historiographies during this sultanate and how biographical dictionaries were formed, this study aims to review and analyze the resources, methods and motives for such historical works.