ABSTRACT
The study aims at finding out why more students shy away from Literature
in English in the Secondary Schools, using the analysis of some African novels
from different African regions to show how close Literature is to life and why
students should develop interest in it and study it.
The sociological approach to criticism was employed in the analysis of
the prose writings of some selected novelists from four African regions,
namely: Anglophone, Francophone, Eastern and Southern Africa. The regional
peculiarities of these novels was looked at, pointing out the relationship
between them and the socio-cultural background of the students and how this can
positively influence their interest in the learning of Literature in English.
Apart from taking cognisance of the benefits derivable from the study of
Literature in English, the study began by taking a look at literature in
general; its functions and the implications for the study of Literature in
English and the novel as an aspect of prose literature.
A visit was paid to schools to collect relevant data which was analyzed
appropriately. Conclusions were then drawn and recommendations made.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE
PAGE I
CERTIFICATION
II
DEDICATION
III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
ABSTRACT VI
TABLE
OF CONTENTS VII
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 1
BACKGROUND TO THE
STUDY 1
STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEMS 2
PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY 2
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3
HYPOTHESES 3
SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY 4
SCOPE OF THE STUDY 4
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION 5
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 5
FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE 10
LITERATURE REVIEW 19
REGIONAL PECULIARITIES 22
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION 37
STUDY SAMPLE 37
INSTRUMENTATION 37
PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION 38
DATA ANAL YSIS 38
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS
THE TEACHERS' QUESTIONNAIRE 39
THE STUDENTS' QUESTIONNAIRE 43
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION 50
CONCLUSIONS 50
RECOMMENDATIONS 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY 52
APPENDIX
CHAPTER ONE
1.1
INTRODUCTION
Literature is so important in our everyday life, but
we all take it for granted. The ordinary man hardly bothers about finding out
the role of literature in the society or what role it plays in his own personal
life. This complacent attitude is perhaps responsible for the success of the
advocates of technological development in undercutting the values traditionally
attached to literature and other subjects in the arts.
Today, few parents encourage their children to
choose literature in English as a subject. Even government policy does not
favour the subject as it is regarded as a "less useful" subject.
Admission quotas in higher institutions for literary studies have similarly
suffered radical reduction.
The logical outcome of this kind of attitude is the ultimate
removal of this subject from the school curricula, thereby bringing the
socio-cultural values it propagates into extinction. Though, this possibility
is actually remote, it nonetheless raises some fundamental questions like:
What, for instance, would happen to society should literature cease to exist?
Why in the first place did the traditional society develop literature to the
extent that even today, the modem society is the rich inheritor of both oral
and written forms of literature? What does literature do for society to make
some society so proud of their literary achievements and so committed to the
continued promotion of their national literature? In other words, what are the
socio-cultural, educational and other functions of literature?
1.2 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
This research project is predicated upon the
discovery that many students shy away from Literature in English, and their
ignorance of the benefits derivable from the subject and its relationship with
their lives has further led to other socio-cultural problems in the society.
A depressingly large number of those who study the
subject approach it with a wrong opinion. They may simply be studying
Literature in English in order to obtain a credit pass as one of their
combinations for higher studies in other disciplines. In other words,
Literature in English to them is a means to an end and not an end in itself.
This kind of view tend to make them think negatively
of the subject as a sort of ordeal involving struggles with baffling texts,
endless learning of quotations, attempts to predict questions and memorize
answers. This mechanical study approach must be reversed and replaced with
something satisfying and challenging.
This is where developing interest m the study of
Literature becomes imperative.
1.3 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEMS
The problems which this study seeks to investigate
are as follows:
1.
The effect of the sociological background of the African
Novel on the lives of the students.
2.
The cultural background of the African Novels and their
relevance to the lives of the students.
3.
The thematic preoccupation of the African Novelists as
derived from their unique experiences.
4.
The stylistic and artistic use of realistic African
aesthetics and embellishment to capture the interest of the students.
1.4 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
This research project seek to investigate how the
African Novels influence the learning of literature in English in our secondary
schools, through an analysis of some of the works of four major African Prose
writers; each from a different region of the continent, having a unique
peculiarity.
The focus on Anglophone West African will be on
Chinua Achebe, The Central African Novelist; Ferdinand Oyono will represent the
Francophone African region; Ngugi Wa Thiongo will be looked at as a
representative of the East African Zone and the works of Peter Abraham will be
reviewed for the South African region.
Their writings (at least one per Novelist) will be
analyzed with a view to show their sources of inspiration via the varied
experience of the writers, but with similar thematic preoccupations.
1.5 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The project will seek answers to the following
questions:
1.
What effect does the sociological background in the
African Novels have on the students.
2.
What is the relevance of the cultural backgrounds in the
African Novel to the lives of the students.
3.
What are the similarities in the range of themes explored
by African Novelists.
4.
How realistic and fascinating are the themes of the
African Novel to the modern African situation.
5.
What style and artistry do these Novelists adopt to make
their writings realistic and capture the
interest of the students.
1.6 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses will be tested for
validity and reliability.
1.
There is no significant effect of the sociological
background of the Novels on the students.
2.
There is no remarkable relevance of the cultural
background of the African Novels to the lives of the students.
3.
There are no obvious similarities in the range of themes
explored by African Novelists.
4.
There is no significant relationship between the themes
of the African Novels and real situations in the African context.
5.
The styles and other artistic adoptions of the Novelists
have no remarkable influence on the interest of students in studying literature
in English.
1. 7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significant in the sense that, it will
diagnose the importance of the African Novels in the learning of Literature in
English in secondary schools; how it's continuous inclusion in the curriculum
is of paramount importance because of its affinity with reality and relevance
to life, and the probability of making it a compulsory subject not only for
students in the arts but also in the sciences.
1.8 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The study will only cover the work (s) of four
African Prose writers. And data collection will be restricted to the secondary
schools in the Ikeja Local Government of Lagos State.
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