Attitude And Interest Towards The Teaching And Learning Of Basic Science And It’s Impact On Academic Performance In Public And Private Schools
Attitude And Interest Towards The Teaching And Learning Of Basic Science And It’s Impact On Academic Performance In Public And Private Schools
Abstract
This study was carried out to examine the attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools using selected secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State as a case study. The study was specifically set ascertain the attitude of students towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools; determine the extent of students interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools; find out whether the pattern of students attitude influences the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools; ascertain whether there is a significant difference on students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools; and ascertain whether students attitude and interest influences the there academic performance in basic science in public and private schools. The survey design was adopted and the simple random sampling techniques were employed in this study. The population size comprised of basic science teachers and students of some selected public and private junior secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State. In determining the sample size, the researcher conveniently selected 200 respondents and 150 were validated. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analyzed using frequency tables, while the hypotheses were tested using T-test statistical tool, SPSS v23. The result of the findings reveals that the pattern of students attitude influences the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools. The study also revealed that there is a significant difference on students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools. Therefore, it is recommended that the established role of diagnostic remediation method of teaching should be exploited and utilized by teachers in an attempt to make learning more meaningful to the learner and thereby generating improved learning outcomes. To mention but few.
Table of Content
- Title Page
- Certification
- Dedication
- Acknowledgement
- Table of Content
- List of Tables
- Abstract
Chapter One:
Introduction
- 1.1 Background of the Study
- 1.2 Statement of the Problem
- 1.3 Objective of the Study
- 1.4 Research Questions
- 1.5 Research Hypothesis
- 1.6 Significance of the Study
- 1.7 Scope of the Study
- 1.8 Limitation of the Study
- 1.9 Definition of Terms
- 1.10 Organisations of the Study
Chapter Two:
Review of Literature
- 2.1 Conceptual Framework
- 2.2 Theoretical Framework
- 2.3 Empirical Review
Chapter Three:
Research Methodology
- 3.1 Research Design
- 3.2 Population of the Study
- 3.3 Sample Size Determination
- 3.4 Sample Size Selection Technique and Procedure
- 3.5 Research Instrument and Administration
- 3.6 Method of Data Collection
- 3.7 Method of Data Analysis
- 3.8 Validity of the Study
- 3.9 Reliability of the Study
- 3.10 Ethical Consideration
Chapter Four:
Data Presentation and Analysis
- 4.1 Data Presentation
- 4.2 Analysis of Data
- 4.3 Answering Research Questions
- 4.4 Test of Hypotheses
Chapter Five:
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
- 5.1 Summary
- 5.2 Conclusion
- 5.3 Recommendation
- References
- APPENDIX
- QUESTIONNAIRE
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The desire of any country is to attain and sustain national development through education. Education, particularly in science and technology, remains an essential tool for scientific and technological development all over the world. This is due to the fact that individuals who are scientifically and technologically literate acquire useful skills, knowledge, and attitudes that can transform society scientifically and technologically. In the 1980s, the old integrated science program was introduced as a core subject at the junior secondary school level. The purpose of an integrated science course, as specified in the core curriculum for integrated science (Federal Ministry of Education; 1981), is to introduce scientific concepts to students at the early secondary level.
According to the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004), the goals of Basic Science (Formerly Integrated Science) should be to help students acquire the following skills: observe carefully and thoroughly, What is observed must be reported completely and accurately. Organize the information you’ve gathered. On the basis of the information gathered, generalizations are made. As a result of the generalization, we can make predictions. Creating experiments (including controls as needed) to test predictions, Using models to explain phenomena when appropriate; and carrying on the investigation when new data does not conform to predictions.
Basic science plays a vital role in Nigerian Science Education Programme (Oludipe & Oludipe, 2010), because it prepares pupils at the junior secondary school level for the study of core science subjects at the senior secondary school level which in turn brings about students’ interest in science-oriented courses a the tertiary institutions. Despite the government’s efforts to encourage science teaching and learning among Nigerian students right from the junior secondary school level, the enrolment of students in core science subjects and science-oriented courses at the senior secondary school level and tertiary institutions level respectively is not encouraging. This is a result of junior secondary school students’ poor academic achievement in basic science(Taiwo, 2015).
The significance of students‟ attitudinal variables as performance predictors have been emphasized by many researchers who indicated that student attitudes and interests could play a substantial role among students studying basic science. Ormerod and Duckworth (1975) supported this view by their suggestion that the attitudes of students are likely to play a significant part in any satisfactory explanation of variable levels of performance shown by students in their school science subjects.
The way students perceive a subject determines their interest and success or failure in that subject. Some students perceive science subjects as a no go area because of the negative impression passed down to them by the past generations, who had bad experience with unqualified basic science teachers; that science is the most difficult subject in the school, that the subject is not meant for everybody, not everybody passes it, it is meant for those with special talent, some were born to be science in clan while others were not (Audu, 1995). On hearing all these negative expressions before school age or getting admission into school, the child psychologically develops and nurses fear for the subject and comes to the lesson with these bad notions and bias, which disassociate learning patterns, which are impossible to build upon. This notion has done a lot of harm to the teaching and learning of basic science. Science phobia is the condition that these bad notions lead to. That is, fear followed by low productivity and consequently leads to low academic achievement in basic science. This study explores the attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There is public outcry about poor academic performance and ‘swing away from science’ at the secondary school level in Nigeria. Since only those students who did well in basic science or those who enrolled for science, or science and mathematics can pursue further in scientific education and careers. The decline in the number of science-based students as a proportion of all students eligible for higher education in the country has raised concerns about the nation’s scientific development. Students performance in WAEC, NECO and JAMB in the sciences have been discouraging and the trend in enrolment figures of science-based courses have been low compared to the other courses (JAMB, 2012). Teachers of basic science are instrumental in providing quality learning experiences for students to explore how both their natural and physical worlds and science itself work.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is to examine attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools using selected secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State as a case study.
The specific objectives include:
- Ascertain the attitude of students towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools.
- Determine the extent of students interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools.
- Find out whether the pattern of students attitude influences the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools.
- Ascertain whether there is a significant difference on students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools.
- Ascertain whether students attitude and interest influences the there academic performance in basic science in public and private schools.
1.4 Research Questions
The study will be guided by the following questions;
- What attitude does students have towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools?
- What is the extent of students interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools?
- Does the pattern of students attitude influence the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools?
- Is there a significant difference on the students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools?
- Does students attitude and interest influence the there academic performance in basic science in public and private schools?
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis
- Ho: There is no significant difference on the students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools.
- Ha: There is a significant difference on the students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The aim is to educate the present and new incoming generations on the likely variables perceived to be affecting learning and teaching of basic science in secondary schools, resulting to the persistent rate of failure in the subject. A person’s attitude to an idea or object determines what the person thinks, feels and how the person would like to act or behave towards that idea or the object. Therefore, the students’ attitude towards their teachers’ qualification could influence their attitude towards learning basic science or any other school subject and subsequently, academic performance in examinations. Students more often than not, judge their teachers in such areas as the teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter, communication, ability and the choice of appropriate teaching method, class management and leadership style. A teacher who is rated high on these indices in the eye of the students is likely to enjoy the confidence, respect and admiration of his/her students and vice versa and in the process become their role model, mentor and inspirator in the subject taught. By examining the different perceptions, attitudes, belief and myths of basic science that parents, former students and even community people and policy makers hold, there is a potential for such perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and myths to be challenged, promoted or discouraged scientifically with proofs.
The information obtained will enhance better strategies and measures, information and understanding for promoting students’ beliefs, understanding and participation in basic science and basic science-related fields during their career development. The results of this study might inform the extent of the influences of parents and teachers in shaping students’ perceptions, attitude and bahaviour towards basic science. This information can be used to promote positive attitudes while attempting to avoid the negative influences of these sources. It will help to understand better the roles of parents and teachers in the shaping of students’ attitudes towards the study of basic science and academic performance. The findings will reflect possible implication for basic science education and basic science teacher education. Knowing how students perceive basic science learning experiences in school and how this could influence their attitudes towards basic science will help policy makers, curriculum planners and other education stakeholders to understand better how basic science should be presented at the planning and policy levels and in the classroom for easy appreciation by students. This knowledge may also help to enhance better curriculum planning and teacher development programmes. Students’ views of basic science are important as they can shape the way in which they learn basic science. Such views and attitudes may have more influence than knowledge in determining how individual students organize and define tasks, while studying basic science. Perceptions of what basic science is and is not, may affect attitudes, performance, confidence and perceived usefulness of basic science in the short, medium and long run.
1.7 Scope of Study
This study is structured to focus on attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools. Hence, this study will be delimited to selected public and private schools in Etch Local Government Area, River State.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only selected selected junior secondary Abeokuta Metropolis in Ogun State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other junior secondary in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Basic Science:
It is a branch of knowledge involving systematized observation and experiment.
Attitude:
Attitude is a central part of human identity. Everyday people love, hate, like, dislike, favour, oppose, agree, disagree, argue, persuade etc.
1.10 Organization of the Study
The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.
Chapter Five
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations:
5.1 Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools using selected secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State as a case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
5.2 Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was to examine the attitude and interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science and it’s impact on academic performance in public and private schools using selected secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State as a case study. The study was specifically set to ascertain the attitude of students towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools; determine the extent of students interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools; find out whether the pattern of students attitude influences the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools; ascertain whether there is a significant difference on students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools; and ascertain whether students attitude and interest influences the there academic performance in basic science in public and private schools.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 150 responses were validated from the enrolled participants, where all respondent are basic science teachers and students of some selected public and private junior secondary schools in Apapa, Lagos State.
5.3 Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made the following conclusion.
- The students does not have positive attitude towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools.
- The students does not have high interest towards the teaching and learning of basic science in secondary schools.
- The pattern of students attitude influences the effective teaching and learning of basic science in public and private schools.
- There is a significant difference on students attitude and interest towards basic science in public and private secondary schools.
- Students attitude and interest influences the there academic performance in basic science in public and private schools.
5.4 Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proffered.
- The established role of diagnostic remediation method of teaching should be exploited and utilized by teachers in an attempt to make learning more meaningful to the learner and thereby generating improved learning outcomes.
- Workshops should be organized for science teachers already in the field. During the workshops, the teachers must be required to reflect on their classroom practice. This is to get teachers to be part of an action to remedy the problems.
- The government and all those concerned with education in the country should get more committed and invest more funds, time and energy towards making teaching especially science and technology more attractive to the students and teachers.
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