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. 

Synthesis, Characterization and Analytical Applications of Polypyrrole-Metal Oxide Composites

In the current study, PPy and its composites with V2O5 were synthesized in aqueous medium by chemical oxidation polymerization method using FeCl3.6H2O as an oxidant. The materials were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopic, XRD, TGA, SEM, EDX techniques, surface area and pore size analyzer, UV-visible spectrophotometry and LCR-meter. The FT-IR results confirmed the successful synthesis of PPy and PPy/V2O5 composites. The XRD study showed the amorphous and crystalline nature of PPy and PPy/V2O5 composites, respectively. The TGA analyses showed slight increase in the thermal stability of the composites. The SEM data ratified the porous nature of PPy and PPy/V2O5 composites. The BET surface area of the samples was found to increase with the increase in the content of V2O5. The UV-visible spectrophotometry confirmed the doping of PPy in the composites. The electrical properties of the samples showed their semiconducting nature. The resistance of the samples was found to be dependent on temperature and V2O5 content in the composites. Afterward, the electrochemical gas sensing behavior of the samples was evaluated for ammonia and some common organic liquid vapors. The results showed that the composites were more sensitive and selective towards ammonia and therefore, further studied with respect to V2O5 content in the composites, temperature and ammonia concentration. Among the studied samples, PPy/V2O5 composites with 8wt.% of V2O5 showed best sensitivity response toward ammonia at 25 oC in the range of 5 to 200 ppm with LOD 1.4 ppm. The sensitivity, response and recovery time of this composite was determined from dynamic response curve at 10ppm ammonia and found to be 19.5%, 10.5 and 81.6 s, respectively. The highly selective ammonia sensing performance of PPy/8%V2O5 composites 18 may be due the incorporation of V2O5 in PPy and could be declared as a promising candidate for sensitive gas sensors.