Grace Edu

Abstract Reading proficiency is crucial for academic success, yet many students struggle with comprehension, do not engage in independent, self-motivated reading, and lack confidence in their reading abilities. The absence of a reading culture in Nigeria threatens the knowledge economy, as those who lack reading proficiency are incapable of producing, accessing, or transmitting knowledge. Purpose of the study: This study examined the potential of structured debate as an instructional strategy to address the reading outcomes of secondary school students in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was employed with two groups: an experimental group engaged in structured debate activities and a control group following traditional reading instruction. Data on reading proficiency, reading anxiety, and reading autonomy was collected through standardized tests and surveys before and after the intervention. Three hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), while the pre-test scores were used as covariates. Results: The findings revealed that structured debate significantly improved students' reading proficiency and autonomy compared to the control group. However, no significant impact on reading anxiety was observed

Over time, the public has had an outcry over the state of learners’ performances apportioning blame on various stakeholders, especially the teacher. The teacher has been blamed for ineffectiveness in the implementation of the school curriculum. Looking at the work of the teacher, he/she is seen juggling through series of tedious complex activities in a bid to making the realization of educational goals through the implementation of the curriculum. However, teacher motivation, which is one of the most important factors in the effective implementation of the curriculum, remains somehow without much emphasis in societal and polity discourse. Rather, the teacher is faced with motivation-based challenges that tend to impinge on the effective implementation of the curriculum. Thus, this paper has identified outstanding teacher motivational challenges as well as suggested various ways for motivating teachers if the curriculum must be effectively implemented