*The Continuous Decline in Critical Thinking among Nigerian University Students and the Role of GenX*

I was teaching a first-year class in 2013, it was an engineering class, and I paused to ask this question: "If you are asked to pay the remaining 4 years of school fees and then you graduate at the end of the semester, how many of you will go for it? And about 95% of the class raised their hands. I asked why and one of them was courageous to tell me that they came for a certificate and that if the university is willing to give it at the end of the first semester, then why to wait for 5 years. And Dr. Jean Twenge, a US-based Author in 2017 stated that an iGener is more likely than previous generations to go to college to get a good job and less likely to go to get an "education.

I reflect over my 16 years as a university teacher and I realized how the quality of students and thought have reduced. I used to teach a course that a number of students struggled to pass. It was actually a simple course but my style was such that you need to have a basic understanding of the concept of the course to pass. Cramming the entire lecture note without understanding the concept may not help you to pass. Of course, I got all kinds of names. Then, I had a 6 years break and when I returned to teach the course I observed a sharp difference between the students I taught from 2005 to 2008 and those that I have taught between 2016 and 2019. If I should give the same question paper of the exam conducted in 2007 to the current students, the best student in the class will struggle to pass even though he may even be taught better than 2007 students. To make the students attend class, I take attendance during every lecture. In 2019 I declared that I won't be taking attendance and it was not a surprise that only about half of the students attended my class for that year and it also reflected on their performance.

The kids of this generation are supposed to be smarter, but that does not reflect in their academic activities, especially in Nigeria. So, what are we getting wrong? Can this be linked to their slow and protected upbringing and/or the poor state of early childhood learning and development?

Early Childhood Learning and Development from the age of 2 to 5 years is very important within that crucial age of a child. As stated by Kerry McDonald, a one-year-old is barely walking while a two-year-old gleefully sprints away from you. A four-year-old is always moving, always imagining, always asking why, while a five-year-old may start to sit and listen for longer stretches.

At the age they are supposed to be running around the house and learning to talk, they are enrolled in school and confined in a classroom. And the school has no provision to properly cater for Early Childhood learning and development. At that age, they are supposed to be imagining and asking why, they are forced to learn how to write and read.

Unfortunately, early childhood learning and development is not captured in our primary school curriculum in Nigeria. The respective schools design a program for the kids and it varies from school to school and they use different books. The parents most times influence the curriculum. I had an interaction with the Head Teacher of a private school who said the kids in their Nursery section don't use to write but do more play, but that some parents complained why their kids are not writing while their friends' kids in other schools are writing. They are wondering why they are paying for their kids to go play in a school. I was informed they even want their kids in pre-nursery to be writing to justify the fees paid. That was how they introduced writing in the nursery section.

There are different stages of early childhood learning development. Up to the age of 5, before they will begin to sit to listen and learn, the kids are meant to be aware of their environment. They naturally wonder why things are the way they are around them. That is the reason they naturally ask a lot of questions that the parents are supposed to answer, but they are confined in a classroom and unfortunately, the Teachers will most of the time not have enough time to answer all the kids in the class. They are supposed to learn to identify letters with the sound, be able to put different sounds together, then learn to write them. But instead of developing programs that help the mental development of the kids at that stage, they are unfortunately made to learn States and Capitals, A for Apple, C for Cup, etc., and copy from the board what they don't know. How the learning of States and Capitals helps in their mental development beats my imagination.

These programmed kids with low IQ are then carefully guided through primary school with beautiful end of term results based on how the parents want it, then through expensive private secondary schools, WAEC and JAMB results are arranged for them based on the parents' spec. As far as the parents are concerned, their kids are academically sound following the data in the report card/sheet. The necessary buttons are then pressed to get admitted for any available course in the university. They get to write their first real examination in the University. With reality staring at the faces of some of them, some poor students from some Government Science Secondary Schools will have to conduct Tutorials for them to pass their courses in the Public Universities. They will eventually graduate and the parents press the available buttons to find jobs for them or even buy them a job. Most have no initiative, they are not goal getters. That is the making of our leaders of tomorrow's leaders.

I tried to compare my experience with our students with an experience with a student in a University in Europe. I supervised a Master’s student in 2015 during my Postdoc fellowship and her work was in two phases. A preliminary study and the actual research which was part of my Postdoctoral activities. Somewhere along the line, time was not on her side and the deadline was approaching. The supervisory team met and it was agreed that she should write her report using the preliminary report. I conveyed the message to her and she disagreed with our decision. She said the whole aim of her dissertation is not achieved without concluding the second phase. She said she will do whatever it will take to conclude it. I reported back to the committee and she got a two weeks extension. I took her to the lab to set up the high voltage source for the work and the work was done, published and she is working with Siemens. If she was one of our students here, she will go and do testimony that God answered her prayer and her work was reduced. We are not developing critical thinkers and goal-getters like we use to and i think the damage started from early childhood education.

Early Childhood education is getting worse for the post-iGen generation born from 2013 to date and we all pretend all is well with the kids. We are rather working harder to make more money for their comfort without a critical thought on the mental development of these kids. Their protected upbringing from our perception that we do not want them to pass through the hardship we passed through that actually shaped our world, has shielded them from the reality of the world we live in. With their slow and protected upbringing, independent nature, and weak mental development, what future are we preparing them for in a tough and rough country like Nigeria?

We seem to have little or no time for our kids from age 2 to 5, an age they need their parents most. The kids spend more time with the Nanny and the classroom. And unfortunately, our education curriculum for Early Childhood Education does not make provision for the required mental development from age 2 to 5. Creative thinking and asking questions are not part of the program. We need to find a way to fill in the blank. It is not enough to push them to schools to give us the time to make enough money for them to spend, they need the wisdom to spend the money. We need to give them the tools to make a difference. We need to equip our kids with the confidence and the knowledge of real-life experiences. We (GenX) are tough and the world is getting tougher. We need to raise tougher kids that will bring joy and positive change to our communities and not the quick cash kids.

Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik, PhD
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

https://www.myengineers.com.ng/2021/05/17/the-continuous-decline-in-critical-thinking-among-nigerian-university-students-and-the-role-of-genx/

Thought I am the only one who observed this

Very apt indeed! Unfortunately, the same generation in contention would come in here and insult you for not understanding the entire piece. We need help as a nation. The facade and the hypocrisy that have hitherto guided our so-called values are fast coming apart.

Hunger

I want to make my contribution based on my limited education and how what I encountered shape my opinion on issues. Op thinks standard of education is falling, but it is an erroneous belief by many.

Decades ago I used to read this page from daily times.it was about event in history,a flash back and reprint to articles written years ago that falls on that day. On this particular day that I can't remember the year,it was about falling standard of education in Nigeria of 1930s

That falling standard produced Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka etc and still producing internationally recognized innovators,inventors and top notch teachers for European and American institutions

Survey may conclude mass of students to be unserious but despite the hunger wey dey, those wey dey learn dey learn

Blame low critical thinking on hard times brought upon Nigerians by this irresponsible and incompetent government. How can you think when your stomach is empty and numerous bills to settle.

factos!

Reading...

AnonPoet:
*The Continuous Decline in Critical Thinking among Nigerian University Students and the Role of GenX*

https://www.myengineers.com.ng/2021/05/17/the-continuous-decline-in-critical-thinking-among-nigerian-university-students-and-the-role-of-genx/

the country situation nor reach

As far as Nigeria is concerned,nobody can or will think well.

Am sick and tired of this country

It is high time we do away with these same recycled politicians that have nothing to offer.

Just look at how old and sick Tinubu is,urinating and suffering from parkinson disease,he ended up making most south western youths useless,by depending on other people's sweat with their useless "owoda" statement.

If care is not taken,they will force an old man of above 100yrs with stroke on us

Am from Anambra state,but i don't care which region produces the president of Nigeria...I just want a leader that will liberate us to greatness.

If Nigeria harness her resources judiciously,no country,i repeat,no country,not even China and America put together can match us economically....#GodBlessNigeria #GodHelpNigeria

I didn’t bother reading the long and stupid epistle.

Oyibo wey b critical thinkers. Naija boys they scam them back to back.

The environment in Nigeria doesn’t support critical thinking only criminal thinking use NPF as a case study.

@ Writer it will be better you put the blame on government because government construct policy and implementation of our curriculum.
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2. You blamed parents they force teacher to speed up cognitive development at a time between 2-5yrs when kids should learn through play,songs and curious questionings:

Again blame your government; because if a child doesnt get admission on time or graduates on time, remember years of ASUU strike, remember first four to five years is usually wasted by most graduate to find jobs cos there are no provision for jobs. So parents have to play the game of the system. And remember most recruiter won't recruit once u pass certain age..the bias is there. Parents have no choice.
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Now u dwell so much on childhood development being paramount to forming or building critical thinking in a child till adulthood; Well, I will also say apart from that fact, our children spend six years in secondary schl which is also a very important stage in building confidence, public speaking and critical thinking; Now tell me, how do most nigerian secondary school fare in building self esteem of a secondary schl kids, in allowing them have a mind of their own, in stimulating their deep thinking skills? Zero!
Most secondary schl teachers are brute and unmotivated to teach let alone giving room for independent thinking or inspiring critical thinking skills in kids.
Then university years student are not allowed to talk, ask questions or protest in schl, how do u want them to have critical thinking and self esteem when u damage them with ur demonic university system?
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I feel u can't blame those kids, much less their parents.
BLAME YOUR GOVT THAT HAS NO PLAN OR PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION THAT WILL BENEFIT THE KIDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, OTHRR THAN GABAGE IN GABAGE OUT.
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THANK YOU. THE VISION OF IDEAL EDUCATION AND MINDSET U ENVISAGE CAN ONLY BE ACTUALISED BY A THINKING VISIONARY LEADERS. BUT UR LEADERS ARE ONLY OUT TO DESTROY THOSE KIDS

"Continuous Decline In Critical Thinking Among Nigerian Students"

You can say that again.

Reetarded "yoots"!!!

Where is that daft Olam09?

This continue decline is cause not only by parents, but also the society itself.

Will be back to explain ...

Critical thinking is foreign to most Nigerians.

Really

AnonPoet:
*The Continuous Decline in Critical Thinking among Nigerian University Students and the Role of GenX*

https://www.myengineers.com.ng/2021/05/17/the-continuous-decline-in-critical-thinking-among-nigerian-university-students-and-the-role-of-genx/

When you regurgitate old ideas, deemphasize problem solving and reward rote learning, anchor career growth on acquisition of certificates and turn educational institutions into business centres what you get is a progressively dumbed down generation of graduates that constitute more of a threat to their society than solutions. The sins of the fathers are now being reaped by the children.

Watch how majority will shift the blame to the president or government

I dis not read the article. E too long.

I shaa see something thinking. You fit send the audio??

How can one think critical when, the society wouldn't appreciate the outcome of your critical thinking and would rather tag you as "I too know"

Ok

Children of nowadays are mentally lazy.

Dasal

AnonPoet:
*The Continuous Decline in Critical Thinking among Nigerian University Students and the Role of GenX*

https://www.myengineers.com.ng/2021/05/17/the-continuous-decline-in-critical-thinking-among-nigerian-university-students-and-the-role-of-genx/

Could it also be due to insecurities in the North, most Southerners prefer studying in the South thereby making most of your students on returning to same University after years of absence to be majorly northerners?
Then you can check their JAMB or Secondary School cutoffs

Prinss:
Watch how majority will shift the blame to the president or government

...but they are partly to blame too...but bulk of the blame falls on teachers, lecturers and parents. Students are the clay, parents, teachers and lecturers are the potter. Whatever graduates we are producing is traceable to what transpires at home and in the school.

This is spot on. I couldn’t attend most lectures last semester due to hunger. The same salary wey my dad Dey receive in 2014, that’s what he’s still receiving, every thing is expensive, the little wey dem Dey send me no fit even last for two weeks . All these affected my results. Honestly T

dollarsplenty:
Blame low critical thinking on hard times brought upon Nigerians by this irresponsible and incompetent government. How can you think when your stomach is empty and numerous bills to settle.

Nairaland is a proof of it.

This is raw fact.