Identification of Difficult Teaching Topics in Integrated Science in Junior Secondary School
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the relationship between teacher’s qualification and academic performance of student on integrated science
- To ascertain the effect of area of specialization in identification of a topics as difficult
- To ascertain effects of qualification on finding a teaching topics difficult
- To identified those topics in integrated science teachers find difficult to teach.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
There is a general impression that integrated science is difficult by very nature. Teacher rationalize integrated science as highly structured and so abstract that is study requires special intellectual telnets, Agarkar (1998). Some teacher holds the view that integrated science wide subject. thus teachers see the subject as something esoteric that is to be feared, Brown (1997) articulated the fact that the inherent notion held by many Africans that integrated science is a very difficult subject which is capable of thinking widely, is at the centre of the phobia which the teachers exhibit got integrated science and which has claimed many causalities over the years. Raymond (1996) therefore, posed the question “How” then children to be as courageous as to face something which is capable of making the teachers of integrated science think widely and going on constant research? The teachers would prefer to teach another subject rather than to involve her teaching integrated science subject. Furthermore, Goel (2000) opines that the nature of integrated science is such that it demands a lot of practical. It requires observing critically, and analytically, not every teacher specialized in that subject. Some teachers in integrated science know how to carry out the practical. Sue to they do not specialized in this area. Hence teachers consider integrated science as a difficult subject.
QUALIFIED INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEACHERS
In terms of adequate number qualified integrated science teachers we have in most cases, what cocoas (1999) has termed enough milling warm bodies to keep order in the classrooms. Our problem is to find enough teachers who can also teach. The production of qualified integrated science graduates at the Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) and university levels constitutes a vicious circle. This few number of qualified integrated science graduate Produced at the NCE level do not have enough avenue in universities to solve the problems by mounting integrated science programme simply aggravated it, further, by not producing enough graduate in the subject who would eventually relieve the shortage problem. One way to break this vicious circle and generate an increasing input of competent integrated science teachers into our educational system, is to mount integrated science degree programme in many of our universities and for NCE graduate as well as school certificates holders. It is pertinent to note that the observation practicing teachers that non-availability level is a science educational teacher at university level is a major factor that contributes to lack of interest, motivation and creativity in teaching integrated science Agarkar (1998). As a result of the gap, teachers look down on integrated science. There is general belief that it is a science subject only suitable for less able, the a science oriented teachers and for those who do not intend to pursue science subject beyond O level stage. Even now that integrated science is being studied in some collage of education, it is difficult to recruit teachers for the course Rao (2001) simply because teachers reason that those who study integrated science as a teaching subject at the level may be restricted in their future academic advancement as long as there are not enough universities in Nigeria that offers a degree course in integrated science. Teachers like students, wants to have something to forward to in terms of additional or higher qualifications.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to identification of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary school
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on identification of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary school. 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Enugu Urban Area, Enugu was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on identification of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary school. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary school
Summary
This study was on identification of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary school. Four objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the relationship between teacher’s qualification and academic performance of student on integrated science, to ascertain the effect of area of specialization in identification of a topics as difficult, to ascertain effects of qualification on finding a teaching topics difficult, to identified those topics in integrated science teachers find difficult to teach. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected secondary schools in Enugu urban area, Enugu state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made principals, vice principals adm, senior staff and junior staff were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
It is important for educators and curriculum development officials to have an understanding of the reasons why so many students in the lower secondary school find science a difficult subject and quickly lose interest in it. Two possible reasons were identified in this study. The first has to do with the nature of many science concepts taught in the secondary schools. These concepts are very abstract in nature and many times little effort is made to present them to the students in a concrete way, e.g. with the use of models, which may lead to an easier understanding of the abstract concepts. More of these concepts are in the physics and chemistry areas of science compared to biology areas. The second focuses on the teaching strategies used in the science classes. In this study, even the students called into question the teaching strategies used that are, according to them, ‘boring’ with very little effort being made to present the material in an interesting and relevant way.
Recommendation
It is therefore recommended that principals, curriculum officers, and teachers should reacquaint themselves with the inquiry-based approaches recommended for science instruction and do their part in seeing that the curriculum is implemented using these approaches. The ‘buzz’ word now in the education circles in Barbados is constructivism. This is a promising development. However, it is doomed to failure if strategies are not put in place for effective monitoring of the implementation of the curriculum using this approach. A reliance on examinations alone for evaluating the curriculum is inadequate. The teachers must be made to step up and use the strategies that they were trained to use. Only then will students see relevance and meaning in science concepts even though they may be abstract
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