The Attitude of Students Towards Teaching and Learning of Geography
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study include;
- To examine the attitude of the students in the subject area.
- To suggest ways of stimulating the attitude of the students further.
- To find out the attitude of students towards practical geography.
- To suggest how this wrong attitude towards geography in the study area can be corrected.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Student is one of the elements that are indispensable to education. Every student, in the process of education, is an individual, so they must be treated as individuals. The individuals with different biological structures, who come from various environments, naturally have different points of view about events, and they comment on them differently. These differences result from various factors such as their past experiences, their interests and abilities, and the way they learn etc. (Açıkgöz, 2003). One of the major characteristics of modern education is that it is student-centered. In this system, students are placed in the center of education so that they become the principal focus of attention. John Dewey, who had an important part in the adoption of this method, developed the principle of “child-centered education” (Büyükkaragöz, 1997). As is clear from the explanations, students’ physical (abilities, etc.) and social traits (expectations from education, past experiences etc.) are some of the most effective elements in education. These features are quite effective on the kind of attitude that a student takes to a particular lesson. However, a student’s attitude towards a lesson is not only connected with his/her personality traits. Teachers’ qualifications (such as their knowledge of the field and method) are also important in this sense. Before the establishment of students’ attitudes towards geography lesson in higher education institutions, it is necessary that answers are sorted to the following questions: What does attitude mean as a concept? How can it be measured? Attitude, in a broad sense, means somebody’s tendency to react to any event or object in his/her environment. In other words, attitude can be defined as an individual’s possible behaviors in a situation, occasion or towards any phenomena (Đnceoğlu, 2004). From this point of view, it is quite natural that science of behavior deals with ‘attitude’ as one of key concepts. Investigations and inquiries about attitudes are not confined only to the science of behavior such as psychology or social psychology. In many other fields, within the frame of social sciences such as politics, economy, history, geography, etc., examination of attitudes is given as a good deal of importance. As attitudes have no physical dimension, in other words, as they are abstract concepts, it is rather difficult to measure them, which means it cannot be measured directly.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
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 for the study the attitude of students towards teaching and learning of geography, the researcher randomly selects 200 students of selected secondary schools 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 to evaluate the attitude of students towards teaching and learning of geography.
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 combating student’s negative attitude towards the study of geography.
Summary
It is empirically clear from the above that the teaching and learning of geography and map reading and interpretation in Nigerian secondary schools have dwindled over the years and that the present state calls for immediate remedy. Teachers who scantly and scarcely teach map reading have been shown where their weaknesses lie and solution have been equally proffered. In the same vein, the challenges which students who are scared of map reading have been encountering have also been identified from empirical studies, and these have equally been given a way out. If teachers would go through these once and again, and then take immediate action on them, the teaching and learning of map reading and interpretation would definitely effective and rewarding in terms of better performance in various examination, which would consequently lead to achieving the goals set for map reading and interpretation in the specific, and geography in general.
Conclusion
The study concludes that performance is a function of how factors such as student’s characteristics, teacher’s characteristics and Teaching/Learning resources interact in the school environment. If the interaction is well nurtured, the performance of the school should be good. Teachers are special resources in teaching and learning of geography as a subject and this applies to all other subjects taught in schools. The availability of adequately trained teachers is crucial for the proper implementation of a curriculum innovation. The experience of a teacher in the school environment influences students’ performance as the teachers tend to connect with the students hence inspires the students to learn freely in an environment that they have the support and encouragement from teachers.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusions presented above, the study makes the following recommendations: that more female teachers to take up a geography teaching combination because this influences the students decisions especially the female students who want to take up geography as a subject but they have no inspiration from the teachers hence these could affect students’ performance and attitude in the subject. The government should recruit the teachers. The government should take an initiative to ensure that the problem of inadequacy of teaching /learning resources is eradicated. There is need to sensitize the parents and the community on the provision of adequate teaching /learning resources in public secondary schools. The government should endeavour to source funds from donors, well-wishers, and NGOS to diversify provision of appropriate facilities. This will supplement funds released from the government kitty which is insufficient to put in place learning resources for geography education.
Reference
- Barnes, (1985). International Encyclopedia of Education Research Studies. New York: Pergamom Press.
- Davis W.J.K (1975). Learning Resource and argument for schools. London: Council of Educational Technology.
- Egunyomi, D.(2006) “Access to Basic Education for Girls: The Nigerian Experience” in Oduaran, A and Bhola, H.S(Eds) widening access to Education as social Justice: Essays in honour of Michael Canolawa. The Netherland, Dordrecht: Springer Pp427-438
- Eshiwani G.S.(1995). Education in Kenya since Independence, Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers.
- Fellman, J. D., Getis, A., Getis, J. and Malinowski, J.E.(2005). Human Geography: Landscape of Human Activities. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Pp4-9.
- Glen Turner (1993) A study of examinations Gopsill, G.H. (1966). The Teaching of Geography. London: Macmillan.
- Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) (2005) Report. Krejcie R.V and Morgan D.W.(1970).Educational and Psychological Measurement, vol.30 No 33.
- Mugenda, A.G.(2008). Social Science Research. Theory and Principle. Nairobi: Applied Research and Training Services.
- Mwiria,K & Wamahiu, S.P.(1995).Issues in Educational Research in Africa. Nairobi: East African Publishers
