The Role of Christian Education in Character Formation Among Secondary School Students in Gombe State

This study examines the contribution of Christian Religious Studies (CRS) as a formal school subject to character formation among secondary school students in Gombe State, North East Nigeria. Character formation remains a central mandate of education in Nigeria, and faith-based subjects are widely regarded as key vehicles for transmitting values such as honesty, respect, compassion, and civic responsibility. Using a descriptive survey design, data are collected from 280 students and 30 CRS teachers across ten public secondary schools in Gombe, Kaltungo, and Billiri Local Government Areas. Instruments include attitude scales measuring student character indicators and teacher effectiveness questionnaires. Findings indicate that students in schools with well-structured CRS programmes and trained teachers report significantly higher scores on measured character indicators than those in schools where the subject is treated as a non-examination elective and staffed by untrained teachers. The study also finds that the content relevance of CRS curriculum to contemporary student experiences is a key predictor of engagement and character impact. Challenges include examination pressure that reduces CRS to rote learning, inadequate teachers' guides, and parental indifference. The research recommends curriculum reform for CRS in Gombe State that centres character formation outcomes and provides teachers with updated methodology training to deliver engaging, life-relevant instruction. Keywords: Christian education, character formation, secondary schools, Gombe State, curriculum