EFFECTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY ONE PUPILS
ABSTRACT
The study sought to investigate the effects of early childhood education on the cognitive development of primary one students in Lagos State’s Kosofe Local Government Area. An extensive and relevant literature review was conducted in this study under related subheadings.
In this study, a descriptive research survey was used to conduct an objective assessment of the opinions of the respondents chosen for this study. Furthermore, the questionnaire was used to collect the data needed for this study, and the sampling technique was used to select the samples for this study.
In this study, four null hypotheses were generated and tested using both the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the t-test of independence variable. The following findings emerged from the analyses: there is a significant
relationship between pre-primary school education and cognitive development among children in schools, there is a significant difference between pre-primary school education and children’s school achievement in schools, there is no significant difference between the speech development of children taught by parents and those taught by teachers, and there is a significant gender difference.
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher suggested that the National Policy on Education be revised to include, among other things, the education of Nigerian children aged 0 to 2 years.
CHAPTER ONE
Background Information/Introduction to the Study
As soon as conception occurs, a baby is on the way. Normally, it takes 9 months for a fully developed baby in the womb to be born into the world, assuming no accidents or premature birth. Caplan and Caplan state that a baby is a unique individual with unique characteristics from conception (1995).
According to them, the nature of children is such that no two children are exactly alike in every way, not even identical twins. As a result, there are obvious differences that distinguish one child from another. According to Nwagbara (2003), the complexities in children are the result of both nature and nurture. From birth to young adulthood, children go through various stages of development.
The first two years of a child’s life, from the age of two to six, are crucial to his or her development. Children’s physical, mental, and psychological development accelerates during this time because they are in a constant state of flux. They are undergoing significant changes and making significant development strides, particularly in the area of language acquisition and development.
It is believed that children’s reading material should be linked to their own spoken language as well as their interests and experiences in order for them to grow intellectually. The emphasis on children’s cognitive development is a welcome development (Anyanwu, 1991).
This is because a child’s brain is “tabula rasa,” ready to be occupied. Recognizing this, educators search for appropriate stimuli that will produce the best results for the children. According to Webber (1970), it must be recognized that there is something that can be done about children’s intelligence as a result of the types of experiences that are provided for them.
According to Aiyedun (1984), story books provide such experiences that can contribute to children’s intellectual growth. Stories, he claims, provide and improve reading, writing, and thinking skills, particularly because they stimulate the intellect. Stories help people understand why they do what they do. Just one story can serve as the foundation for a more in-depth investigation of other actions.
Selected experiences, as depicted in story books, provide children with the opportunity to use words that they are familiar with from their family life. As a result, children are encouraged to broaden their vocabulary appropriately. Not only that, but because their story books are almost always pictorial, they learn the vocabulary of colors, shapes, textures, and so on at a young age.
Story books help children develop their intellectual abilities by allowing them to practice the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They also assist children in learning new words as well as alternative meanings of words in different contexts. This is possible, especially if the stories’ language is not overly simple.
Anyamelue (2003) asserts that it is critical to provide young children with the quality care, nutrition, and stimulation they require for healthy growth and development. Furthermore, both in Nigeria and internationally, the holistic care of young children is gaining traction. This was emphasized in the CRC and was recently echoed at the Dakar World Education Forum in 2000. The goal of expanding and improving comprehensive early childcare and education was reaffirmed at the forum.
The rapid development of the brain is one of the hallmarks of early childhood. “The last three months of prenatal life and the first two years after birth have been termed the most critical period to brain growth spurt,” Godges (2001) writes.
This is due to the fact that more than half of the adult brain weight is added during this period. It grows rapidly in the first few years of life, reaching about two-thirds of adult weight by the end of the first year, 7.5 percent by the age of two, and 90 percent by the age of five. As a result, a five-year-brain old’s has developed nearly to the level of an adult’s.
However, due to the rapid growth of the brain, the child requires adequate nutrition during this time. This is due to the fact that poor nutrition before and after birth, as well as in the first few years of life, can seriously impair brain development. This can result in neurological and behavioral disorders, as well as learning disabilities.
According to research, a baby’s brain is made up of trillions of neutrons waiting to be woven into the “intricate tapestry of the mind.” Childhood experiences influence which neutrons are used to wire the brain’s circuits. Begley observes that “the experiences of childhood determine whether a child grows up to be intelligent or dull, fearful or self assured, articulate or tongue tied,” according to Hodges (2001).
According to Munonye (2002), there is scientific evidence on the importance of adequate stimulation during the early childhood period for the child’s cognitive development. The environment can influence how the brain is “wired” for certain functions such as language, music, physical activity, and even mathematics during specific stages of childhood development.
As a result, the brain must receive the appropriate stimuli at the critical time in order to perform these functions; otherwise, it may be impossible for it to “re-wire” itself later in life. As a result, the early childhood period should be handled with extreme caution.
Statement of the problem
Most children today do not develop cognitively because of a lack of early childhood education, which is primarily provided to children by their parents and, secondarily, by their teachers, who are also regarded as surrogate parents in the school.
The majority of primary one students in Nigeria’s school system did not attend pre-primary schools, where children are primarily taught using methods appropriate to the children’s learnability and comprehension at this early stage of life. Because of this lapse, most children in primary schools fail to grasp the content of their lessons because they began their early education from the stem rather than the root.
Furthermore, the majority of teachers employed to teach in primary one schools do not use appropriate teaching methods that are understandable to children, and as a result, most children do not achieve high academic achievement in the early stages of their primary school education.
Children’s low cognitive development has resulted in poor academic performance at virtually all levels of our educational system. This is due to the fact that what a child is unable to achieve during his or her early education will be difficult for him or her to achieve at the pinnacle of his or her educational life.
The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of early childhood education on the cognitive development of primary one students.
The Study’s Purpose
The following will be among the specific goals:
(1) To investigate whether there is a link between primary school education and cognitive development in school-aged children.
(2) To determine whether there is a link between primary school education and speech development in school-aged children.
(3) To distinguish between the cognitive development of children taught by their parents and those taught by teachers.
(4) To determine whether there is a general difference in cognitive development between children who received pre-primary education and those who did not.
(5) Determine whether there is a gender difference in cognitive development as a result of pre-primary school education.
Research Issues
As a result, the following research questions will be addressed in this study:
(1) Is there a link between primary school education and cognitive development in school-aged children?
(2) To what extent can there be a difference between pre-primary school education and speech development in primary school children?
(3) How can we tell the difference in cognitive development between children who were taught by their parents and those who were taught by teachers?
(4) How can we determine whether there is a general difference in speech development between children who received pre-primary education and those who did not?
(5) Will there be a gender difference in children’s cognitive development as a result of pre-primary education?
Hypotheses for Research
In this study, the following research hypotheses will be developed and tested:
1. There will be no significant relationship between pre-primary school education and cognitive development in school-aged children.
2. There will be no statistically significant difference between pre-primary school education and children’s school achievement.
3. There will be no discernible difference in speech development between children who were taught by their parents and those who were taught by teachers.
4. There will be no significant gender differences in children’s cognitive development as a result of pre-primary education.
The Study’s Importance
The following people will benefit greatly from the research:
(1) Children will benefit from the study’s findings and recommendations because it will put their teachers and parents in a better position to teach or instruct them on the appropriate language to learn in their communities.
(2) As a result of this study’s recommendations, teachers would be exposed to how to best approach teaching or dealing with children at our school system’s lowest level, primary school. Not only that, but they would be exposed to the appropriate methods for teaching language to children in school, particularly in the primary school system.
(3) Parents would have a better understanding of the importance of teaching their child to master the language of his or her environment. Most parents are unaware that they are their children’s first teachers at home. This study will teach them that
they should be the first people to impart knowledge to children, especially when it comes to language development. With the results of this study and its recommendations, parents will be able to determine the best techniques to use when teaching language to their children.
(4) The society will be exposed to proper language acquisition knowledge for the child in the society. With the recommendations, society will be able to determine how best to assist the child in the areas of language acquisition and mastery.
The Study’s Scope
This study will include all primary schools in Lagos State’s Kosofe Local Government Area. Its primary focus will be on the investigation of the effect of primary education on the cognitive development of children in Lagos State primary schools.
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EFFECTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY ONE PUPILS
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