The extent of integrating religion and national values in the primary school curriculum in Nigeria with global citizenship values

ABSTRACT_ The aim of the research was to identify the extent to which the global citizenship values was integrated into the curriculum of Religion and National Values (RNV) textbooks for primary school students in Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive method in its documentary and analytical forms. To achieve this goal, a content analysis card (QUESTIONEER) of global citizenship values that are more preferable to be inculcate to the targeted categories was prepared. The checklist consisted of (12) main values which are : Values of moderation and the rejection of extremism, Values of ethics and righteous conduct, Values of identity and national affiliation, Values national engagement and social responsibility, Values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, Values of justice and equality, Values of cultural openness and pluralism, Values of heritage preservation and cultural identity maintenance, Values of democracy and political participation, Values of peace and the peaceful resolution of conflict, Values of sustainable development and productive labor, Values of social justice and economic responsibility, and in the light of which an analysis instrument was prepared to identify the repetition rates of the global citizenship values in the Religion and National Values curriculum(RNV) for the primary pupils. It was found that there is a discrepancy in the number of times global citizenship values appeared in the content of the prescribed textbook through the sub-categories, starting from the first grade to the end of the sixth grade, as some values appeared at high rates and others at weak or absent rates. This discrepancy is due to the nature of the topics that dealt with these values across the different sub-categories, and based on the government-approved criterion for knowing the extent of inclusion in the targeted curriculum. Accordingly, the researcher recommends the necessity of reviewing the curriculum contents and reinforcing the global citizenship values in the Religion and National Values curriculum (RNV) for the primary pupils in Nigeria.