THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN PROMOTING ETHICAL AND ACADEMIC MORALS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GOMBE METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT This study investigates the role of Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) in promoting ethical and academic morals among senior secondary school students in Gombe Metropolis. The research was guided by three key questions: (1) To what extent does IRS promote ethical and moral values among students? (2) How does IRS influence students' academic discipline? and (3) To what extent do students apply the moral and academic disciplines learned through IRS in their daily lives? Using a survey design, data were collected from 378 SS2 students across five public secondary schools in Gombe Metropolis through a structured questionnaire titled Ethical and Academic morals Questionnaire (EAMQ) with reliability index of 0.728. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, revealing that IRS significantly promotes ethical and moral values among students, as evidenced by a high mean score of 15.2751 on the ethical and moral scale. Additionally, IRS was found to have a moderate to strong influence on students' academic discipline, with a mean score of 3.66. Furthermore, students effectively applied the moral and academic disciplines learned through IRS in their day-to-day activities, as indicated by a high mean score of 18.7011 for practical application. The study concludes that IRS plays a vital role in shaping students' ethical, moral, and academic behaviors, contributing to their holistic development. Recommendations include strengthening the integration of IRS into the school curriculum, investing in teacher training, and fostering collaboration between schools, parents, and the community to reinforce the values taught through IRS.