Project – AN INVESTIGATION IN TO THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING BASIC SCIENCE AT JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

The alarming rate of poor performance in science subjects coupled with the low educational standard in the country are parts of the major reasons why most students shy away from the study of science. This negative attitude has encouraged poor performance and low participation of students in the higher science subjects like physics, chemistry and biology. All these problems mentioned above have been conclusively blamed on basic science and its teaching (Onose, Okogun and Richard, 2009).

 

Basic science serves as foundation for meaningful understanding of advanced scientific theories and principles because the bulk of content of the basic science curricular is descriptive, where the student is meant to learn many basic concepts like energy, matter, force and measurement. Previous studies have revealed that science teaching has been facing problems from different angles ranging from the learner, the teacher, the school, the government and even the parents.

 

Science itself is an organized body of knowledge in form of concepts, laws, theories and generalizations. Science according to Urevbu (2001) is the study of nature and natural phenomena in order to discover their principles and laws. Science education is thus a field of study concerned with producing a scientifically literate society. It acquaints students with certain basic knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for future work in science and science related fields.

 

Basic science, just as the name implies is the foundational aspect of science education that deals with the impartation of the basic knowledge needed to understand science. Basic science is taught at the elementary or Basic schools which comprises of classes from Basic one (primary one) to Basic nine (JSS 3). It is obvious that Basic science is the major determinant of performance of study and practice of science but regrettably, the teaching of basic science in Nigerian schools cannot be said to be effective because of the poor performance of the students resulting from various problems associated with the teaching of Basic science.

Notwithstanding, it has been observed that there are many problems militating against the teaching and learning of Basic Science in Post primary schools as enumerated by many writers on problem of Basic Science in Nigeria. They attributed the high level of failures in Basic Science to lack of students concentration in the classroom, their view steamed from observed students performance in Basic Science.

Thus, observed failure could be as a result of inability of the students to understand economic terms, lack of finance to buy relevant textbooks, inadequate teachers, inability of the students’ to interpret Basic Science table and graph, inappropriate and ineffective method of teaching, lack of control over the attitudes of students and teachers and others which have contributed to low level of teaching Basic Science in secondary schools.

Okorie (1979: 152) suggested that for the effective teaching to take place, the skillful teacher needs to use the many effective method and techniques effectively because in them his success and failure depends. He further emphasized that the success in the use of methods depends on the intelligent analysis of educational purposes, pupil in the class and the curriculum content of the moment.

A few moment reflection is sufficient to reveal that every society faces crucial issues and problem in education which have very serious economic angles that cannot be overlooked easily for instance, the production of education as well as the acquisition of education both require the use of large qualities of scare resources (Production of education requires conducive classrooms, administrative blocks, personnel, librarians, laboratories while the acquisition of education requires expenditures on tuition fees, book, travels, uniform, lodging etc. and students time.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

Basic Science is been taught in secondary schools in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State and it has been observed that students in government secondary school Ajah performed poorly in the 2012 May/June Senior Certificate Examination. It has also been observed that there are lots of problems militating against the effective teaching and learning of Basic Science in secondary schools in the study area.

Poor performance in Examination is caused by many factors such as; students ineffective study techniques, quality of teachers and method of teaching, the parents inability to provide useful materials like textbooks, exercise books and school fees and problem of inadequate instructional materials for teaching and learning of Basic Science in schools.

However, the pivoting problems of Basic Science is complex and can minimally be solved if the teachers and students change their attitude towards teaching and learning in schools generally and to Basic Science in particular.

 1.3    Purpose of the Study

Study has been undertaken with a view to identify the problems involved in the teaching and learning of Basic Science in secondary schools and Eti-Osa Local Government Area and factors responsible for these problems. Specifically, the study sought to find out if:-

1. Insufficient numbers of qualified teachers affects students’ mass failure in Basic Science subjects.
2. Unavailability of instructional materials for teaching of Basic Science subject affects students’ mass failure in Basic Science subjects,
3. The previous socio-economic backgrounds of the students affect them in studying Basic Science subject.
4. The attitude and interest of students towards the nature of Basic Science subject contribute deeply to their mass failure in JSCE.

Research Questions

In assessing the purpose of the study, this research project will answer the following questions:

1. Does insufficient numbers of qualified Basic Science teachers affects students’ mass failure in Basic Science subject?
2. Does unavailability of instructional materials for teaching of Basic Science subject affects students’ mass failure in Basic Science subjects?
3. Does previous socio-economic background of the students affect them in studying Basic Science subject?
4. How would interest of students towards the nature of Basic Science subject contribute deeply to their mass failure in JSCE?

 

 Research Hypotheses

In carrying out this research work the following theoretical statements are buttressed to serve as a direction on which the work will be premised:

1. H₀: Insufficient numbers of qualified Basic Science teachers does not affects students’ mass failure of students in Basic Science subject

H₁:  Insufficient numbers of qualified Basic Science teachers and instructional materials teaching affects Basic Science subject.

1. H₀:There is no significant relationship between availability of instructional materials for teaching of Basic Science subject and students’ mass failure in Basic Science subjects.

H₁:   There is significant   relationship   between availability of instructional materials for teaching of Basic Science subject and students’ mass failure in Basic Science subjects.

 1.6    Scope of the Study

The research work seeks to examine the An investigation in to the  problems and prospects of teaching basic science at junior secondary school. The study will be limited to five selected schools in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos.

 

1.7   Significance of the Study

There is need to apply knowledge from Basic Science to many area of our life in other to benefit the society. The achievements of the objective necessitates an understanding of the basic teaching of Basic Science. We cannot attain national objectives in the light of poor or average performances in examinations and lack of application of Basic Science to life students.

Without doubt, improved teaching and learning of Basic Science will spur us into greater heights. This study will help to make our educational administrators to see the need to have qualified Basic Science teachers to handle the subject effectively for the benefit of the students and society at large.

This study will help to sensitize the educational administrators to appreciate the need to make available the necessary materials, example, chalkboard, graphs, audio-visual materials etc. that will enhance effective learning of Basic Science if they are not available.

This study will if need be direct the Basic Science teachers’ attention to the need for them to adopt more appropriate teaching method in order to bring about the above mentioned desirable experience in the learners. This study will have a great significance because it is going to provide information to Basic Science teachers for formation and evaluation of their plans.

It will be useful to learners for through this, they will be able to identify the problems militating against the proper teaching and learning of Basic Science. This study will help to produce sound Basic Science students that will function very well in the economy such as:

(a) Knowing how to use scarce productive resources with alternative uses to meet prescribed ends and be able to apply the principles of Basic Science.

(b)  The product of Basic Science that should be able to pick employment within a limited employment opportunity in any economy.

This work will serve as a source of encouragement to students and teachers that will come across it. It is hoped that the findings of this study would also form the basis for further research work by future researchers on this issue.

 1.8 Definition of Terms

Basic Science: The basic sciences are defined as the scientific disciplines of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. They are called basic sciences because they provide a fundamental understanding of natural phenomena and the processes by which natural resources are transformed.

Instructional Materials: These are materials that are used to aid in the transference of information from one student to another in Education arena.

Teaching: the act or profession of a person who teaches.

Job Performance: This is the work related activities expected of an employee and how well those activities were executed.

Remuneration: Reward for employment in the form of pay, salary, or wage, including allowances, benefits (such as medical plan, pension plan), bonuses, cash incentives, and monetary value of the noncash incentives.

Condition of Work: Regulations governing on-the-job standards and conditions of work such as those affecting health and safety of workers.

 

Project – AN INVESTIGATION IN TO THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING BASIC SCIENCE AT JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL