ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VALUE-BASED EDUCATION IN DETERRING RADICALIZATION AND EXTREMISM AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of value-based education in deterring radicalization and extremism among secondary schools in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with a study population of 972 social studies teachers from 574 public secondary schools. A sample size of 274 social studies teachers was taken for the study, in accordance with both Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) sample size table. Multistage sampling procedure (Purposive, proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques) was employed to select the respondents. Data were collected using the Effectiveness of Value-Based Education for Radicalization and Extremism Questionnaire (EVEREQ), which was validated by three experts at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi. A trial test yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.77. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while chi-square tests of goodness-of-fit were applied to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that value-based education is significantly effective in deterring radicalization among secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Furthermore, the findings revealed that value-based education is significantly effective in deterring radicalization among secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The concluded by highlighting the vital role of value-based education in preventing radicalization and extremism among secondary school students in, while warning that without urgent and consistent implementation, teacher training, and community engagement, the nation risks fostering a generation vulnerable to violence, civic decline, and social instability. It recommended among others that, the Ministry of Education and curriculum planners should embed value-based education into the secondary school curriculum by emphasizing empathy, tolerance, peacebuilding and civic responsibility across subjects, using real-life scenarios to help students resist radical ideologies.