FREEWILL AND DETERMINISM

IMPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This paper examines how freewill can be engaged in Nigerian secondary schools to enhance learning among the students. This study is qualitative in nature and philosophical in orientation. It adopted the analytical, the speculative and the prescriptive methods to deal with issues and problems such as freewill, choice, determinism, indeterminism and compatibilism, among others. The paper depended on library sources for its data collection. The paper examines freewill as the power to do or not to do, and determinism as having all events caused by past natural occurrence(s) or possible consequence. It discusses indeterminism as the philosophical idea that supplants determinism. The paper analyses compatibilism as the compromise between ‘freewill’ and ‘determinism’. This study found out that proper deployment of freewill in Nigerian secondary schools could facilitate learning among the students, and build sense of responsibility in them. The paper reveals that there could be cases of derailment, aberration or abuse among the students if exposed to absolute freedom. The paper concludes that controlled freedom of choice is what the students need, although still within the confines of their interests, abilities, dispositions and outlook.