AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SCHOOL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SCHOOL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Background of the Study

The physical world is a collection of "mysteries" to the layman. However, these mysteries are being resolved via science teaching. Specifically, science is defined as an organized body of knowledge acquired through observation and experimentation. According to Ugochiwu (2009), science is largely used to explain, predict, and control the physical environment. Therefore, science as a discipline (especially the foundations) is essential for human progress if he is to grasp his environment and exploit its underlying principles. Thus, Ugochiwu (2009) concludes that science education is crucial on a global scale.

In the debate over science education, chemistry, which is the branch of natural science that deals with the composition and structure of substances and the changes that occur as a result of changes in the structure of their molecules, has been identified as a crucial science subject due to its importance in the scientific and technological development of any nation. According to Dosmond (2005), chemistry was promoted to a key subject in the Nigerian educational system alongside natural sciences and other science-related courses as a result of the importance of chemistry education to the individual and national development. Consequently, "it is noteworthy that the dismal state of chemistry education in secondary schools has been a cause of worry for everyone concerned with the scientific and technological development of our country" (Inyang 2006).

Furthermore, chemistry teaching should be outcome-focused and student-centered. This is only possible if students develop an interest in teaching and instructors successfully impart knowledge to students via the use of appropriate teaching strategies and resources, keeping in mind that the brain is not a passive receiver of information (Robertson 2002). Nonetheless, Nigeria is assimilating chemistry. Certain school variables and settings influence the sluggishness of chemistry absorption, and the fundamental purpose of this research is to provide cures.

Moreover, school variables have been shown to impact learning outcomes to some extent. This is because a school's educational resources and facilities are available to impact teaching and learning. Rhene (2014) lists school variables as educational infrastructures, facilities, staff, learning space, involved learners, class size, school size, teacher professionalism in their field, school management system, teacher personal attitude, and laboratory inadequacies. To ensure that secondary school teaching and learning is as successful as possible, Chinek (2015) argued that children are motivated to study in an optimal learning environment. As a result, the character of the aforementioned school variables has a substantial effect on student learning and achievement in general.

As a consequence of the above, this research is being undertaken in the Arewa Dandi local government district of Kebbi State to examine school variables and students' academic performance in chemistry.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Teaching chemistry is supposed to be outcome-focused and based on the individual learner. It was considered that this could only be done if students had a desire to study and if instructors spread themselves advantageously, employing correct teaching strategies and resources in teaching the students, keeping in mind the fact that the brain is not a passive consumer of knowledge (Robertson 2002). However, chemistry knowledge has been hampered, particularly in Nigeria, by the negative attitude of both professors and students of chemistry. This negative attitude has been made worse by environmental variables such as the size of the class and the location of the school. On the basis of the aforementioned information, the purpose of the current research is to determine the school-related variables that contribute to subpar chemistry teaching and learning in secondary schools.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The overall aim of this study is to critically investigate the school factors contributing to poor teaching and learning of chemistry in secondary school. Hence, the study will be channeled to the following specific objectives;

1. Determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between availability of educational facilities, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.
2. Determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between teacher’s level of professionalism, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.
3. Determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between class size, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.

1.4 Research Question

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1. Does the availability of educational facilities affect the effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools?
2. Does teacher’s level of professionalism affect the effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools?
3. Does class size affect the effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following statements will be validated in the course of this study;

H01: There is no significant positive relationship between availability of educational facilities, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.

H02: There is no significant positive relationship between teacher’s level of professionalism, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.

H03: There is no significant positive relationship exist between class size, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study expounds the causal relationship among the students and the teachers’ variable under investigation and achievement of students in chemistry. The outcome of the study assist all stakeholders in the teaching of chemistry particularly at the senior secondary school level, to fashion out appropriate strategies that would enhance teaching and learning of the subjects.

Hence, the consideration of school variable and student academic achievement are important criteria in development and implementation of both curricula in instructional performance.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is structured to generally investigate the school factors contributing to poor teaching and learning of chemistry in secondary school. However, the study will further determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between availability of educational facilities, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools, determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between teacher’s level of professionalism, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools, and determine whether a significant positive relationship exist between class size, and effective teaching/learning of chemistry in secondary schools.

This study will be delimited to some selected secondary schools in Arewa Dandi local government Area of Kebbi State.

1.8. Limitations of the Study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents.

In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed.

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Class Size

This is the number of students in a given classroom, especially either the number of students being taught by individual teachers in a classroom or the average number of students being taught by teachers in school.

School Location

A school location is referred to the community or geographical environment in which a school is located. it may be a village, rural area, small town, city or even a territory.

Learning

Learning is a relative permanent change on behavior resulting from experience. It is a step-by-step process in which an individual experiences permanent, lasting charges in knowledge, behavours, or ways of processing the would.

Academic Performance

Academic performance is defined as a raw information obtained by teachers from examination and test to use as means of accessing the level of students response to teacher’s variables. It is a raw score obtain from school recorded by teachers from various forms of achievement test he administer to a student.

1.10 Organisations 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.

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