RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF EDUCATION IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA: INTEGRATING PEACE AND SECURITY STUDIES IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS' PEDAGOGICAL SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

The pervasive insecurity in Nigeria necessitates an educational response that equips teachers to foster resilience and peace in learners. However, a critical gap exists in the preparedness of teacher educators in Colleges of Education (COEs) to provide this training. This study assessed the impact of a targeted intervention on the Pedagogical Subject Knowledge (PSK) of teacher educators regarding Peace and Security Education (PSE). Employing a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design, the study involved 350 teacher educators from seven federal COEs across Nigeria, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a intensive 6-week training intervention focused on PSE content, participatory pedagogy, and subject-specific integration, while the control group received no training. Data was collected using a validated 65-item Pedagogical Subject Knowledge Inventory (PSKI) administered as a pre-test, post-test, and an 8-week retention test. Findings revealed a significant deficiency in baseline PSK (M=48.23%). A multiple regression identified previous training and perceived relevance as key predictors of PSK. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results demonstrated a statistically significant and large effect of the intervention on the experimental group's post-test scores (F (1, 347) = 405.632, p<.001, d = 2.15), with gains largely retained over time. The study concludes that a structured, practical intervention is highly effective in building teacher educators' capacity for PSE. It recommends the mandatory integration of PSE into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) curriculum and the implementation of large-scale professional development programs to reconceptualize teacher education for peace and security in Nigeria