Factors Affecting the Performance of Computer Science Students in Junior Secondary School (a Case Study of Enugu North Lga)
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of the study are:
1) To find out if there are shortage of qualified teachers in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
2) To find out if there are adequate provision of instructional materials and computer laboratories facilities.
3) To ascertain the teaching methods used in teaching the students.
4) To know if refresher courses are organized for teachers.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter is concerned with the review of related literature which will be discussed under the following sub-headings:
- Shortage of qualified teachers
- Inadequate provision of instructional materials and computer laboratories facilities
- Method of teaching and learning of the computer science.
- Lack of organization of refresher courses for teachers
- Summary of literature review.
Shortage of Qualified Teachers
A qualified teacher should possess Bachelor in Science in Education (B.Sc. Edu), Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) in Computer Science for the teaching of Computer Science in any Secondary School.
Oluwole (1998) noted that the Nigerian Certificate of Education (N.C.E) and the Bachelor of Science of Education represent the start of academic qualification and they only mark stages on the path way to knowledge and wisdom. A teacher who lacks the basic methodology of teaching or training has no foundation. The N.C.E. teachers and the Bachelor degree holder in Education have the basic methodologies required for the teaching of computer science. The best teachers are the trained teachers because they are trained for the job, the knowledge and methodology they acquire, will qualify the teachers that will teach the subject they have acquired the training.
Darling – Hammond (1998) stated that teacher attrition is at 30% within the first three to five years of entering the profession. Igbokwe (1992), in an article on ‘financing science education in Nigeria’, observed that, in most schools, majority of those who teach the various school subjects are either one or two N.C.E. graduates and one university graduate who incidentally is not qualified. He concluded this by saying that this annoying inadequacy of science teachers in most schools and colleges creates a gap between the expected out come and actual outcome.
Most secondary school teachers have yet to attain the professional qualification of NCE as required by the National policy on Education.
Inadequate Provision of Teaching Aids and Computer Laboratory Facilities:
Lack of audio – visual computer hardwares such as monitor, video display units including video machine and television, floppy disks as well as computer software learning video cassettes, central processing unit, UPS and other peripherals in our secondary schools has created problems in both teaching and learning of computer concepts. The concept and rudiments of computer science always facilitate students’ learning and grasp (Fagunwa 1997).
In most of our secondary schools today most teachers do not even make use of the simplest teaching aid or instructional material in their lessons for clarification purposes. To fully emphasize the importance to teaching aid or instructional material, a Chinese proverb had this to say, “What I hear, and I forget, what I see and I remember, I do and understand” Oputa-Imala (1990).
What is then the fate of students in these teaching aids, which are indispensable in the teaching and learning processes, are grossly inadequate or lacking in our schools. It is pertinent that they are bound to affect the effectiveness in the students’ learning which will be portrayed in school certificate computer science examinations.
On the part of inadequate laboratory equipment, computer science, like any other science subjects is a practical science. Really, ineffective science education programme can exist without these laboratory facilities. These are in dispensable to good science teaching and learning because part of the objective for teaching science in schools is to communicate the spirit of science to pupils.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter describes the procedures adopted in conducting the research. It includes:
Research design
Area of study
Population
Sample and sampling techniques
Instrument for data collection
Validation of instrument
Method of data collection
Method of data analysis
Research Design:
The research design is survey. According to Okeke and Offorma (2001) survey research design provides data that describe the state or status of a phenomenon or problem under consideration.
Area of Study:
This covers the junior secondary schools within Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. Ten Secondary Schools which offers computer science as a pre-vocational subject in the area were involved in the study. The schools are all in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Population for Study:
The population for the study is all the teachers in the junior secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area and there are fourteen (14) Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter deals with the analysis and presentation of data and the answer to the research questions that guided the study. The data presented and analyzed are based on the four research question that guided the study as presented below.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY
This chapter deals with the restatement of the problem, summary of procedures used, principal finding, conclusion, recommendations and suggestion for further study.
Discussion of Findings
The Data were gathered through structured questionnaire administered to respondents that consists of teachers in the Junior Secondary School in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. The questionnaires were consisting of four sections; each section was used to answer one research question. Each of these questions was expanded to accommodate various opinions of respondents towards the idea being portrayed degrees of opinion and thus.
Strongly Agreed – SA
Agreed – A
Strongly Disagreed – SD
Disagreed – D
The mean was used in calculating the result of the responses; analysis and interpretation of data were made.
From table 1, the mean score of individual items ranged from 1 to 5, this means that qualified teachers are not enough for the teaching and learning of computer science in these schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
From table 2 the mean scores was calculated to fall within the agreed level which means there is inadequate provision of instructional material and computer laboratories in the secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State.
From table 3, the mean scores ranges from 1 to 9 respectively, falling within the region of agreed region which means that a greater mean of respondent agreed that there are factors that affect the teaching and learning of the subject.
From table 4 the mean scores ranges from 1 to 3 and this falls within the region of agreed range, which means that another factors that affect the students’ performance is the organization of refresher courses for teachers.
Restatement of the Problem:
To ensure that the performances of computer science students in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area is well improved teachers should play their role, the governments should provide good teachers that can teach the students very well. This will promote the growth of computer science students in the Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area. This study was undertaken to establish the problems encountered for the poor performances of the students in Enugu North Local Government Area.
Conclusions:
Based on the principal finding, the following conclusions were laid down.
– According to the data gathered and analyzed in chapter I. The findings include that shortage of qualified teachers affect the learning and teaching of the subject.
– Another problem that affects their poor performances is inadequate provision of instructional materials and computer laboratories facilities.
– On the other hand another factor that affects the students’ poor performances is the poor teaching and learning of the subject.
– Another factor or problem that affects the students’ performances is that there is no organization of refresher courses for teacher
Recommendations:
The following recommendations were made based on the findings from this research.
- The government should employ qualified computer teachers to teach in the secondary schools mentioned in Enugu North Local Government Area.
- The bodies in-charge of secondary schools in Enugu State should organize workshops and seminars for in-service teachers so that secondary school teachers on the other hand will learn the practical use of computer since the study showed that they lack knowledge of the practical aspect of computer.
- The government should see that the teachers are paid when due.
- Dedicated computer teachers should get their promotions when due.
- The school authority should allow computer science teachers in secondary schools to use the school vehicles for excursions with the students.
- The government should provide the necessary facilities and equipment for computer science education in these secondary schools.
- Computer science laboratories should be built in each of these schools.
- The government and the Parents/Teachers Association should help in providing computer/printers in the secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
- The government should supply enough standard textbooks to the school libraries in these secondary in these secondary schools.
- Computer Science teachers should utilize the necessary technique for motivation to get the students interest in the subject.
- Computer science teachers who have distinguished themselves in their job should be given scholarship by the government to further their education.
Suggestion for Further Studies:
Similar study should be concluded in secondary schools in other education zones of Enugu State and also in other States.
Summary:
The study investigated the factors affecting the performance of computer students in junior secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The following are the findings from the study as the factors affecting their performances in the local government area:
- Teachers of computer science are not qualified.
- They are not experienced in the practical aspect of computer science.
- The computer science teachers are not interested in their teaching job.
- The teachers are not dedicated to their duty because they are not given any incentive.
- The teachers do not go to excursions with their students.
- The teachers do not mark all exercises and assignments they give to the students.
- Facilities and equipment needed for effective teaching and learning of computer science are not provided.
- Student teachers ratio for the teaching of computer science in the school is not appropriate.
- Computers/printers are not provided in the secondary schools.
- Good textbooks in computer science are not provided in the secondary schools.
- Teachers are not encouraged to attend workshops and seminar by their principals because of financial involvements.
- Teachers are not promoted at when due.
- In-service training for computer science teachers are not provided.
- Scholarships are not awarded to distinguished teachers to further their studies.
- The governments do not fund the teaching of computer science in the schools.
- Computer laboratories are not built by the government in these schools.
- Teachers of computer science have other private business apart from teaching job.
REFERENCES
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