Pages: (63-75 )
Abstract
The introduction, delivery, and sustenance of humanities, either as a field of discipline or as a subject in Nigeria’s education system, has often been welcomed with mixed reactions from stakeholders, especially in the 21st-century educational cravings. In all these, literature abounds globally and locally on the importance of these humanities subjects, including history, across all levels of education. While much is known about the position of policy and school-based stakeholders on the subject, there is a dearth of literature on how external components that transcend the learners of History in high school influence students’ willingness to take on History as a subject. This study, therefore, sought to uncover home components associated with students’ learning and how these components intersect with high school students’ interest in History class. Two research questions were raised and answered. A self-designed SHoBFIHQ questionnaire was used to gather data from randomly selected 225 students taking History classes in five public junior secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the first research question. Multiple regression was employed in establishing the home factor(s) that predict students’ interest in History class. This study revealed a slightly high interest of high school students in history class. However, of the three home-based factors considered in this study, i.e., family literacy, parental financial commitment, and parental involvement, family literacy was the home-based factor that majorly predicted students’ interest in history class. It is recommended that schools establish models that reinforce the intentionality of parents towards channeling their literacy competencies towards not only STEM-related disciplines of their children but also inclusive of History as a subject, owing to the statistically high level of students’ interest.
Keywords: Family, High school, History, Humanities, Students’ Interest.,