Project – Investigation into the extent of community participation in the improvement of science teaching and learning

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Community is the condition of sharing or having certain attitude and interest in common. Community can also be approached as a descriptive category or set of variables. In practice the two are entwined and often difficult to separate (Frazer 2000:76). A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is situated in a given geographical area (example village or town). It is a group of people who are connected by durable relation that extend beyond immediate genealogical, and who usually defined that relationship, as important to their social identity practice. Although communities are usually small, “community” may also refers to large groups such as national communities, international communities and virtual communities (James, Paul 2000). Bringing theory back in volume 2 of towards a theory of abstract community. The word “community” derives from the old French comunete which comes from the latin communitas (from latin communis, things held in common).Human community may share intent belief, resources, preferences, needs and risk in common, affecting the identity of the participant and their degree of cohesiveness.Schools are a part of their local communities. These schools interact in myriad ways with families and general public, but also with governmental, non- profit and business organization to support students and teachers these connection can bring a wide range of resources including additional funding and staffing into school.

A growing number of school and community partners are adopting programs that allow student to learn in their communities. These partnerships provide student with more authentic way of develop necessary knowledge and skills, aiming to engage student in curricular topic that explicitly relate to where they live, and to use their own community as a source and location for learning. This is an important feature, as failing to contextualize science learning can lead tostudent alienation from science. While there are many ways to organizecommunity-based education, advocates have focused on models that engage students in meaningful experiential learning through problems, (Douglas a Robert “scientific literacy\science literacy” handbook of research on science education Nyroutledge 2007, p.729-780).

Community-based science education provide a way for student and teachers to become local problems solving who can deal with scientific and technological challenges that are of consequence.These partnerships are challenging to develop due to the need for specific science materials and equipment, along with science and educational expertise, all necessities not available in many Nigerian communities. Outcome for student, teachers and community partners need to be clearly articulated, and resources and relationship need to be sufficient and workable. They have been some efforts to research and develop community based science programs with schools, additional effort are required to develop science curriculum and support professional learning that emphasized school science and community partnership. The potential benefits to science student are important.

Different kinds of support given by community to schools, the community- can support science education in many ways-;

1. Field-Visit Transportation: Transport operators or others who have vehicles may be able to help meet your transportation need for field visit clear their involvement with your head teacher or principal, and ensure that they are safe drivers.
2. Class Room Materials: If papers are scarce in your class room, business may­be able to make note books for children by stapling sheets of papers that have been used on one side, furniture makers may be. able to make blocks or other math manipulates out of scrap wood. Farmers can provide seed for a school garden as well as on how sprout them.
3. Expert Information: Members of the community may be excellent sources of information for learners on a range of topics, from farming to mechanic to machine and healing. Invite experts to address the class when you begin a new topic or arrange local field visit to see clinics, newspaper, farms, or fisheries.
4. Inter Views: For younger children, adults can be source of stories and histories for older children, they can be inter viewed regarding historic or community event such as when the families arrived in the region and from where, or what the occupation is. Interview and analysis of the result can easily link to learning in writing, social studies and mathematics

Identifying needs of the forensic science community. Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that- change and advancement both systematic and scientific are need in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish a enforceable standards and promote best practice with consistent application. Provide a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggest the creation of a new government entity, the national institute of forensic science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community.

This research work aimed at finding the investigation the extent of community participation in the improvement of science teaching and learning particularly in Gwale local government area of Kano  state, as a case of study.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

Community illiteracy has a great problem in the improvement of science teaching and learning. It is mentioned that lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support constrain the advancement of forensic science disciplines. It is stated that community illiteracy has been a significant problem in the improvement of science teaching and learning. The study aims to investigate the extent of community participation in improving science teaching and learning in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. The emergence of a broader vision is supported when school children focus on issues and problems that are of immediate concern to their own lives and community.

1.3    Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of this research, is to find out:

1. Is there any Community Support for Science Education Initiatives in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.
2. To what extent does Community Engagement in Science-Related Activities in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.
3. Do Parental Involvement in Science Education play a vital role in community in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.

1.4    Research Questions

1. Is there any Community Support for Science Education Initiatives in GwaleLocal Government Area of Kano State?
2. To what extent does Community Engagement in Science-Related Activities in GwaleLocal Government Area of Kano State?
3. Do Parental Involvement in Science Education play a vital role in community inGwaleLocal Government Area of Kano State?

1.5    Limitation of the Study

Base on time factor a project been a case study is limited to the community participation in the improvement of science teaching and learning within GwaleLocal Government Area of Kano State.

1.6    Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is to inform policy debate on participation science teaching and learning and add to the literature on the subject community participation and project outcome in Gwale Local Government. The study is also significant to the community in that it sheds light on the relationship between community participation and project outcome. This study examines factors effecting community participation and identifying the relationship between community participation and school management onscience teaching and learning.

1.7    Definition of Terms

• Science Education: Science education is the teaching and learning of science to school children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education includes work in science content, science process, some social science, and some teaching pedagogy.
• Community:-A community is a collection of households who live in close geographical proximity such as a ward commune with one another.
• Science:- Is a knowledge about or study of natural world base on fact learned through experiment and observation.
• TeachingSimply means course someone to learner understand something by example or experience.
• Learning:- Is the process of gaining knowledge or skills by studying, practicing been taught or experiencing something.
• Community Participation.- Is a process by which individuals families or communities assume responsibility for their own welfare and develop a capacity to contribute to their own and the community’s development by being involve in the decision making process in determine goal and pursuing issues of importance to them for example the direction of services and the allocation of fund.

Project – Investigation into the extent of community participation in the improvement of science teaching and learning