Christian Education and Moral Formation of Secondary School Students in Adamawa State

Christian Religious Studies as a curriculum subject in Nigerian secondary schools is intended to provide moral and ethical formation alongside academic content, but the effectiveness of this mandate in shaping student behaviour remains empirically underdocumented in the North East zone. This study examines the relationship between Christian Religious Studies instruction and moral formation outcomes among secondary school students in Adamawa State. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 240 senior secondary students (SS1 to SS3) across six government and mission schools in Yola, Numan, and Ganye. Teacher interviews and student focus groups provided qualitative depth. Moral formation was assessed through self-reported prosocial behaviour, attitude toward cheating, respect for authority, and peer conflict resolution behaviours. Results indicate that students in mission schools where CRS is integrated with school ethos show significantly higher moral formation scores than those in government schools where CRS is treated as a peripheral examination subject. Teacher quality, specifically the spiritual authenticity and relational engagement of CRS teachers, is identified as the strongest predictor of student moral outcomes. Textbook-centred, examination-focused teaching produces minimal moral formation gains. The study concludes that CRS instruction in Adamawa State secondary schools requires a pedagogical shift from content delivery to character formation, supported by teacher formation training programmes and curriculum integration with school pastoral care systems.

Keywords: Christian Religious Studies, moral formation, secondary schools, Adamawa State, North East Nigeria