Teaching Methodologies for Islamic Studies in Nigerian Universities: Strategies, Evaluation and Way Forward.

Islamic Studies as a discipline in Nigerian Universities was introduced to provide training and the dissemination and promotion of Knowledge of Islam in particular and Islamic culture in general. The discipline is designed to pursue the development of Muslims through inculcation of Islamic values, norms and principles, without which the goal of ideological, moral, intellectual and economic development of any Muslim Nation may not be achieved. The programme seeks to make students appreciate the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet (S.A.W) as the two fountain heads on which Islam is based. The curriculum is structured to produce qualified intellectuals, professionals and scholars by integrating the articles of faith (Iman), qualities of knowledge, (Ilm) and good character (Akhlaq) to serve as agents of comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development. It focuses on developing practical solutions through research on contemporary problems of Nigerian Muslim society in particular and the Muslim world in general. This paper is going to discuss on the teaching methodologies for Islamic studies in the Nigerian Universities. A suitable teaching method is very important in helping to achieve desired objectives and behavioral outcome expected on the learners. The research Methodology to be adopted in conducting this research is analytical methods by studying facts and information on research methodologies used for teaching Islamic studies in Nigerian Universities and analyses them to make a critical evaluation. 

Integrated Pest Management of Sugarcane Pyrilla, Pyrilla Perpusilla Wlk. Homoptera: Lophopidae in Punjab, Pakistan

The study was conducted on IPM of P. perpusilla, on various sugarcane genotypes, in the research area of Sugarcane Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, during 2006 to 2008. Twenty genotypes of sugarcane were tested for their resistance/susceptibility under replicated field trials against P. perpusilla, as a preliminary screening experiment. The most resistant variety, HSF-240 was selected for further experiments after final screening trials. The role of weather in the population fluctuations of the pest was also determined. Various physio-morphic and chemical plant-characters, viz., leaf width, leaf length, leaf spines density, cane length, cane diameter, nitrogen, phosphorus, total minerals, calcium, magnesium, fat, CHO, copper, zinc, POL, Brix, CCS and fiber contents were determined from the selected genotypes with the objective to ascertain the role of these factors, towards the resistance/susceptibility, against the pest, under test. Various control methods, like, cultural (fortnightly hoeing, detrashing of older leaf two times and trash mulching at the time of sowing), biological (release of cocoons of Epiricania melanoleuca @ 2500/ha four times from June 15 to September 15) , chemical (carbofuron @ 35 kg/ha from one month after sowing and coupled with earthing up), were applied singly and in their possible combinations, such as, biological + cultural, biological + chemical, cultural + chemical and cultural + chemical + biological control with the objective to keep the pest population below the economic threshold level and to find the most economical and effective method of control, for communication to the farmers. Application of cultural + chemical + biological controls in combination, resulted in a minimum population of P. perpusilla i.e., 0.32/leaf, whereas cultural methods showed a maximum population of 3.65/leaf, of the pest. The maximum yield, was recorded to be 3415.67 mounds/ha, in those treatments where cultural + chemical + biological control methods, were implicated and the minimum yield of 2214.33 mounds/ha, was observed, in application of cultural method. The application of cultural + chemical + biological control methods resulted in maximum net gain i.e., Rs. 149167/- with a cost-benefit ratio of 9.44 and was found to be the best treatment.