IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFICULT TEACHING AND LEARNING TOPICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULA IN NIGERIA. A CASE STUDY OF SS3 CURRICULA OF CHEMISTRY

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IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFICULT TEACHING AND LEARNING TOPICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULA IN NIGERIA. A CASE STUDY OF SS3 CURRICULA OF CHEMISTRY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of Problem

1.3 Purpose of Study

1.4 Significance of the Study

1.5 Scope of the Study

1.6 Research Questions

1.7 Limitation of the Study

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Nature and Structure of Chemistry

2.2 Qualified Chemistry Teachers

2.3 Facilities and Equipment

2.4 Area of Difficulties Topics in Chemistry

2.5 Causes of these Difficult Teaching Topics

2.6 Teaching Methods

2.7 Approach to the Teaching of Integrated Sciences

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Methodology

3.1 Design of the Study

3.2 Area of Study

3.3 Population of the Study

3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques

3.5 Instrumentation

3.6 Validation and Reliability

3.7 Administration of Instruments

3.8 Methods of Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Analysis and Discussion

4.1 Research Question One

4.2 Findings of some difficult Teaching Topic in

Chemistry by Teachers

4.3 Analysis of the Results

CHAPTER FIVE

Findings, Summary and Recommendation

5.1 Findings

5.2 Summary

5.3 Recommendation

5.4 Area of Further Research

References

Appendix

Chapter one

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science and technology are concepts in national development which remain indelible in the mind of African and third world leaders according to Ochu and Ekezie (1974).

In Nigeria science was introduced into secondary school system as far back as (1880).

It was first taught as general science and later speared into physics, chemistry and biology. With the introduction of the core science subject, the general science came to be seen as the science subject which was suitable for the less able and it was recommended to the least science oriented and for those who do not intend to pursue science. Syllabus was therefore devised to contain basic elements of biology, chemistry and physics, which should be taught primarily to pupils in the low secondary school classes. (Anani 1977).

Although attempts were made to raise the status of general science with the introduction of a double credit O/level, yet people still questioned the rationale of mere putting together subjects. There was in the early sixties a new wave of thought about science in school rather than open into professional restricting under the conditions of normal classroom culture.

There is a hesitancy on the part of both school teachers to try out innovations in classroom teaching. Activities are rarely included in the classroom deliberation and laboratory programme are seldom organized as an opportunity of exploration. Agarkara (1998), stated that teachers learn very little from experience in the classroom on that capacity of mastering science and new technology logics. Since Iloputaife and Eze (1994) has tried to propose the following tasks.

Lip dating and improving the qualify of science teaching integrating scientific education and human features, developing a comprehensive approach for science curricula. Focus has been put on teachers processes so as to promote the teachers understanding of scientific method and rationality but the reality of lack of resources in most countries has impeded them adjusting both the contents of their curriculum and textbooks in consequence, and the training of their chemistry teachers which often remains of very poor quality. The curriculum is inter disciplinary and it is supposed to provide the teachers to see the concept and the pedagogical principles which unify the separate subject matter thus harmonizing the knowledge derived from the integrated.

The course is supposed to provide the teachers with a broad view of science which enlightens his interactions with his environment of this mental manipulative and social skills unesco – unicef (1971).

Essentially, chemistry is designed to develop interest in the teaching that his is encourage to pursue further student in science discipline.

Secondary school was to lay a solid foundation in the learners early study of science for further studied.

A significant proportion of Nigeria J.S.S chemistry. Teachers do not achieve as well as they should in chemistry examination, Iloputaife and Eze, (1994).

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

Based on the background of the study. Here, one or two problems are shown.

First, some teachers have the problems of finding some topics difficult to teach in chemistry. This was also confirmed by research evidence in Nigeria, Desai (1994) indicates low chemistry attainments of teachers. The condition was amplified by the alarming low number of qualified teachers in chemistry area irrespective of the crucial role of chemistry Neera (1996).

Second, as a result, there are some problems in the implementation of the curriculum Olarewaju (1987), besides achievement has been shown to be very low and unimpressive Okebukola and Jegede, (1999). These might negate the philosophy behind the introduction of the chemistry core curriculum as J.S.S leave. Also Jegede (1999) and Akueailo (1998) undependably in their studied tend to show that the teaching of chemistry in Nigerian secondary school are inadequate.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose oft his study is to identify the difficult teaching topics in J.S. chemistry curriculum.

(a) In the relation to teachings area of specialization

(b) In relation to teachers qualification

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The identification of these difficult teaching topics in chemistry will enlighten the teachers as well as government and expose them to the area they specialized on. Being aware of these, difficult topics school authority, the government and even the science teachers association of Nigeria will be of great help in planning in-service course for the teachers in those areas of science. This also brings to light the need of equipping higher institutions and universities preparing chemistry teachers with adequate training needed for planning and execution of chemistry in our secondary schools.

The exposure of these difficulty topics will motivate the chemistry authors and publishers to give a details attention on these different area in their write up.

1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY

The study was restricted to identification of difficult teaching topics in junior secondary schools in Enugu urban area Enugu State.

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions are proposed.

1. What topics do the teachers find difficult in teaching J.S.S chemistry?

2. Why do teachers have difficulty in teaching those identified topics in chemistry?

3. How can the difficulty in teaching those topics be remedied?

4. What influence has experience on the identification of topics as difficult?

5. What effects of qualification on finding a teaching topics difficult?

6. What effect has sex on findings a teaching topics difficult?

7. What is the effect of area of specialization in identification of a topics as difficult?

8. What in your opinion are the possible remedies the difficulty experienced?

CHAPTER TWO

Literature review

Chemistry is the scientific study of the interaction of chemical substances that are constituted of atoms or the subatomic particles: protons, electrons and neurons. It is an integral part of the science curriculum both at the Senior Secondary School as well as the institution. At this level, it is often called “general Chemistry” and is an introduction to a wide variety of fundamental concepts that enable the students to acquire tools and skills useful at the advanced levels where Chemistry is invariably studied in any of its various sub-disciplines. Chemistry and indeed chemists are linked to everything on earth as aptly captured in a slogan: “What on earth is not Chemistry?” Chemistry plays a pivotal role in engineering, sustainable economic development and growth in any nation. Put succinctly, there is no aspect of human endeavour on natural phenomena in which Chemistry does not feature. It features prominently in the areas of oil and gas, agriculture, health, environment, solid minerals, textile, cosmetics water supply and sanitation, crime detection, pulp and paper, and waste management among others (Zuru, 2009). Chemistry is the catalyst of sustainable national growth and development.

Knowledge for Global Development 94 Attitudes, like academic achievement, are important outcomes of science education in secondary school. The development of students’ positive attitudes regarding science as a school subject is one of the major responsibilities of every science teacher. Unfortunately, research has revealed that much of what goes on in science classrooms is not particularly attractive to students across all ages (Cheung, 2009). An attitude may be defined as a predisposition to respond in a favourable or unfavourable manner with respect to a given attitude object (Oskamp & Schulz, 2005). The focus of this paper is on school students’ attitudes towards Chemistry (both theory and laboratory classes) taught in secondary school classrooms. Thus, the scope of the present study was limited to Chemistry as experienced by students in secondary school rather than out-of-school experiences obtained from external sources such as the media, museums, field trips and friends. Attitudes towards Chemistry or science denote interests or feelings towards studying Chemistry or science. It is the students’ disposition towards liking or ‘disliking’ science while attitudes in science mean the scientific approach assumed by an individual for solving problems, assessing ideas and making decisions. Student beliefs and attitudes have the potential to either facilitate or inhibit learning (Yara, 2009). Many factors could contribute to a student’s attitude toward studying science (Chemistry). Studies including Berg (2005) and Adesoji (2008), reported that students’ positive attitudes to science correlate highly with the attitude of Nigerian students towards the basic sciences which tend to decrease in the order, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. Results were obtained by Udousoro (2000) after using computer and text-assisted programmed instruction and Popoola (2002) after exposing students to a self-learning device. Popoola (2008) also reported that students’ attitudes and interests to sciences, especially agricultural science, correlate highly with their science achievement. Adesoji (2008) has concluded that a number of factors have been identified as related to students’ attitude to science (Chemistry). Such factors include: teaching methods, teacher attitude, influence of parents, gender, age, cognitive styles of pupils, career interest, social view of science and Scientifics, social implicating of science (Chemistry) and achievement. The studies suggested that there is a relationship between attitude and methods of instruction and also between attitude and achievement and that it is possible to predict achievement from attitude scores. What is needed to complement the results of such studies, however, is a study of the nature of the relationship between students’ attitudes and factors related to teaching and learning of Chemistry. Results of these types of studies are likely to broaden our knowledge as to how we can influence students’ attitudes positively towards Chemistry as a subject in Akure, Nigeria.

Knowledge for Global Development 95 Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitudes of students in Akure, South Local Government Area of Ondo State, towards the study of Chemistry as a subject and to find out if the subject should be made compulsory for all science students in secondary schools. The study is also designed to make recommendations for teachers and other stakeholders on how to arouse or improve students’ attitudes towards the subject. Statement of the Problem Despite the greater number of Chemistry graduates produced by our tertiary institutions every year, there are a number of secondary schools where Chemistry teachers are not competent in the teaching of the subject. In addition, the attitude of the students in secondary schools towards Chemistry as a profession is not encouraging. This makes the teaching of Chemistry ineffective even where there are competent teachers to teach. It is on this premise that this study is designed to investigate the attitude of students to teaching and learning of Chemistry in secondary schools. Research Questions In order to investigate the attitude of students to Chemistry, the following questions were raised: 1. What are the students’ attitudes towards Chemistry? 2. To what extent do the attitudes of the students influence their teachers’ attitude towards the subject? Or to what extent does the teachers’ attitude to the subject influence students’ attitude? 3. What are their attitudes towards problem solving as a result of unavailability of textbooks and other instructional materials? 4. Should Chemistry be made compulsory for all science students in secondary schools? Scope of the Study The study was limited to secondary schools in Akure South Local Government of Ondo State only. Based on the time frame and financial constraints in covering all the secondary schools in the Local Government, the study was also limited to the students in Senior Secondary Schools (SS Class). Significance of the Study It is hoped that the results of the study will assist Chemistry teachers to develop new learning experiences for the students and to reorganize these learning experiences in ways enough to arouse the interest of the students.

Knowledge for Global Development 96 It would be helpful if teachers were to improve on obsolete teaching methods and use adequate, modern and relevant instructional materials and textbooks at their disposed to the fullest. This study may also assist the students to improve their attitude towards the study of the subject. Finally, the government and parents would benefit from the study of their roles as highlighted in the recommendation column. LITERATURE REVIEW Student Attitudes and Science Achievement Review of relevant literature depicts varying opinions and findings on students’ attitudes towards science and their performances. According to Yara (2009), the attitude of students can be influenced by the attitude of the teacher and his or her methods of teaching. He further showed in his work that teachers’ method of Mathematics teaching and his/her personality greatly accounted for the students’ positive attitude towards the subject and that without interest and personal effort by the students, they can hardly perform well in the subject. Olatoye (2001) found that students’ attitude towards Chemistry has a significant and direct effect on student achievement in the subject. Adesokan (2002) asserted that in spite of the recognition given to Chemistry among the science subjects, it is evident that students still show negative attitudes towards the subject thereby teaching to prior performance and low enrolment. Our nation needs to attract all the academically gifted female students into the pursuit of Chemistry. There is also the need to maximize the scientific literacy of young female students, and to achieve equity in participation in Chemistry. Bennett, Rollnick, Green and White (2001) argued that girls and boys start off on equal footing in Chemistry and other science subject but once Physical Science and Mathematics become optional at the secondary school level, there is a downward spiral of female enrollment accompanied by decrease in achievement and interest. This implies that there are underlying factors affecting the attitudes of young female students towards Chemistry that needs to be addressed at the high school level (Santonimo, 2005). To locate relevant previous student studies, computer (Internet) searches of three databases were conducted (Barnes, Mclnerney, & Marsh, 2005; Salta & Tzougraki, 2004). Their scope of the study was limited to Chemistry as experienced by students in Secondary School rather than out-of-school experiences obtained from external sources such as the media, museum, field trips, and friends. As indicated earlier none of these nine students explored the interaction between gender grade levels on students’ attitude towards Chemistry lessons. A number of curriculum evaluation projects included student attitude to Chemistry as one of the dependent variables (Adesoji & Raimi, 2004; Thompson & Soyibo, 2002), but they are not renewed in this paper because they focused on

Knowledge for Global Development 97 the effectiveness of a curricular or instructional innovation rather than the attitudes of males and females toward Chemistry lessons at different levels of schooling. Also, previous studies (Lang, Wong, & Fraser, 2005) which merely used student attitude towards Chemistry as a variable to correlate with other constructs are not included in this review. Gender Differences in Students’ Attitudes towards Chemistry Lessons Trumper (2006) used 76 items to create a Chemistry Attitude Scale. The items were placed in four categories: the study of Chemistry in high school; the social and economic image of Chemistry; the role of Chemistry at the national-political level; and the masculine – feminine image of Chemistry. Using the Chemistry Attitude Scale they surveyed 300 grades 11 and 12 high school students (16-18 years of age) in Israel. Buehl and Alenxander (2001) reported that female students enjoyed learning Chemistry more than male students but their research involved form 5 students only. They used a 22 Likert –type items with four components: enjoyment, motivation, anxiety and importance of Chemistry. They claimed that the items were obtained from published research, but no sources were given. Not all previous studies documented that girls had a more positive attitude towards the study of Chemistry than boys. Salta and Tzougraki (2004), for example, surveyed 576 high school students in Greece using an attitude scale with four subscales: the difficulty of Chemistry courses; the interest in Chemistry courses; the usefulness and importance of Chemistry. The interaction between of gender and grade was not examined. In Australia, Barnes et al. (2005) explored sex difference in enrolment intentions expressed by 449 year-10 students’ interest in Chemistry and concluded that males found Chemistry more interesting than females. Changes in Students’ Attitude towards Chemistry Lessons across Grade Levels The grade level and students’ attitudes were rarely studied by Chemistry educators and more past studies considered science generally. Only two previous studies examined changes in secondary school students’ attitudes toward Chemistry lessons across grade levels. As indicated above, Barnes et al. (2005) surveyed 33 grades 11 and 12 high school students in Israel. They found a decline in the attitude toward the study of Chemistry when students progressed from grade 11 to grade 12. However, how grade level interacted/interfaced /impacted with gender was not investigated in their study. Apart from students’ attitudes to the study of Chemistry, Abdullah (2009) blamed “government for mass failure in Chemistry and other science subjects” (p. 26). Why? Abdullah stated that “for more than a decade now the quality of teaching and learning in our school system had fallen, beginning from the primary

Knowledge for Global Development 98 level” (p. 26). Abdullah also stated that most teachers lack both content and methodology. Not fewer than 50% of them are under qualified. Abdullah further highlighted the following reasons why the government is to blame: the little resources that are made available without the plant are subjected to very strict corruption in the management and servicing of education. No trained or not enough trained people for monitoring and evaluation of schools; collapsed infrastructure, lack of instructional materials; hostility of the environment, no laboratory training and experience, not enough professional teachers development programmes and inadequate funding of the schools. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The survey research design was used because there was no manipulation of the independent variables by the researcher. The population for this study consisted of the SSS Students of Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. A total of 300 students classified into gender (i.e., male and female) were randomly selected from five secondary schools in Ondo State. The ages of the students of the selected schools were between 15 and 18 years old. In carrying out the study, the research employed the use of questionnaires to collect necessary data for the study. The questionnaire contained close-ended items which had the response format of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD). The questionnaires were for the final year students of Senior Secondary School that are randomly selected in the above schools. The questionnaire used for this study was self-constructed. The instrument was divided into two sections. Section A contained the bio-data of the students while Section B consists of questions on their liking for the subject, teachers’ attitudes, availability of textbooks and instructional materials. The draft questionnaire was shown to colleagues and some Chemistry teachers in some secondary schools for scrutiny and content validation to ascertain the content’s face and construct validity. The questionnaires were distributed in a good and smooth atmospheric condition. Permission was sought from the school principals before the study was conducted. With the assistance of class and subject teachers, questionnaires were distributed to the students. The researcher provided some vital instructions to the participants with regard to the whole exercise. The questionnaires were collected after completion and verification. Responses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15.0.

Knowledge for Global Development 99 RESULTS Research Question One: Do the students have positive attitudes towards Chemistry? As shown in Table, 1 62.3% respondents did not consider the subject as their favourite subject, 71.3% did not intend to study Chemistry at a higher level, 72.7% would prefer to opt out of the subject, and 73.3% believed that the subject was difficult, while 64.3% believed that they do not understand Chemistry. From the results obtained there is an indication that these students have a negative attitude towards Chemistry as a subject. Table 1 Attitudes of Students towards Chemistry Items Yes % No % 1. Is Chemistry your favourite subject? 117 37.1 187 62.3 2. Chemistry is one of the subjects you intend studying? 86 28.7 214 71.3 3. Chemistry is needed at all in your work or course of study? 162 56.0 138 46 4. If you have an option for Chemistry, would you opt out of the lesson? 218 72.7 82 27.3 5. Do you believe Chemistry is difficult? 220 73.3 80 26.7 6. Do you believe that you know and understand Chemistry? 107 35.7 193 64.3 Research Question Two: Are their negative attitudes towards the study of Chemistry as a subject affected by unavailability of textbooks and other instructional materials? Seventy seven percent of the participants disagreed that they do not find it easy or understand few textbooks; 59.7% are of the opinion that the few textbooks or instructional materials that are available are expensive or difficult to come by, while 50% each either agreed or disagreed on the use of instructional materials to arouse students’ interest while teaching. See Table 2. Table 2 Negative Attitudes of Students towards the Subject Items Yes % No % 11. At home, I find my Chemistry textbook too easy for private studies. 69 23 231 77 27. My teacher shows good motivation during teaching-learning process? 172 50 128 50 29. The recommended textbook is too difficult for a beginner as it does not carry enough cooked examples and exercises which could guide private learners. Some textbooks are too expensive to procure. 179 40.3 121 59.7

Knowledge for Global Development 100 Research Question Three: Are their negative attitudes a result of the attitude of their teachers towards the subject? As shown in Table 3, most of the teachers were not motivators, not approachable and did not give students regular assignments. From other items, it was also discovered that some teachers are lazy in the discharge of their duties or too harsh on students, and some of them use obsolete teaching methods. From the foregoing, it could be deduced that the attitude of teachers contributed to the negative attitude of the students to the subject. Table 3 Responses of Students to the Attitude of their Teachers Items Yes % No % 7 Is/are your Chemistry teacher(s) highly motivating while teaching? 186 62 114 38.0 8 Is he/she approachable? 198 66 102 34.0 9 Does he/she give you assignments regularly? 204 68 96 32.0 19 Our Chemistry teacher is too lazy to look at our notes for the purpose of making necessary correction. 160 53.3 90 46.7 20 Our Chemistry teacher is too harsh and incompetent. 134 44.7 186 55.3 26 My teacher uses instructional materials to arouse my interest while teaching some concepts in Chemistry. 172 57.3 128 42.7 27 My teacher shows good motivation during teaching-learning process. 140 50 104 50.0 28 The teaching method(s) used by my teacher(s) of Chemistry is/are obsolete. 113 37.7 187 62.3 Research Question Four: Should Chemistry be made compulsory for all students in secondary schools? The results showed that a larger percentage of the students did not think that Chemistry should be made a compulsory subject. The findings also showed that students study Chemistry because it is compulsory for science students and it will enable them secure admissions. The participants stated that they would not have registered for it if it were not compulsory for science students in external examinations. In addition, 86% of the participants would prefer the subject to be removed from the secondary school curriculum. This clearly showed that students generally dislike Chemistry. See Table 4 for the results.

Knowledge for Global Development 101 Table 4 Students’ Response to making Chemistry a Compulsory Subject Items Yes % No % 13. You often create time for problem solving in Chemistry at your own volition. 118 39.3 182 60.7 14. Do you study Chemistry because it is compulsory for science students in the Secondary School Certificate? 200 66.7 100 33.3 15. Do you study Chemistry to enable you secure and mission? Do you study Chemistry to enable you secure and mission? 160 53.3 140 46.7 17. Only very brilliant students should study Chemistry? 224 74.7 76 25.3 22. Do you prefer any non-Chemistry subject to the study of Chemistry? 366 88.7 34 11.3 24. If Chemistry is not a compulsory subject for science students I would not register nor sit for it in my school certificate. 258 86.0 42 14.0 DISCUSSION The findings of this study showed that the negative attitudes of the students are the function of lack of interest, erroneous beliefs that Chemistry is volatile and poor motivation by teachers. This supports the findings of Cheung (2009) and Cousins (2007) who suggested that students should be motivated always to put in their best to the study of the subject. Eagly and Chaiken (2005) in their reports too, concluded that the hatred from some science teachers especially Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics is an offspring of negative attitude in the subject itself. They advised students to discard the misconception that Chemistry is difficult and volatile. The findings of this study also corroborated the findings of Cheung (2009) who concluded that the teachers’ background can hinder student/teacher relationship in good academic performances in Senior Secondary School. Cheung also stated that students can be affected by teachers’ teaching methods, ability to arouse students’ interest towards learning a topic, poor and shabby orientation to students on the part of the teachers when the teacher is not ready to discharge, when teachers could not motivate their students. The study also showed that negative attitude to the subject is influenced by the parents’ attitudes. In the opinion of Berg (2005), this problem is attributed to

Knowledge for Global Development 102 the illiteracy idea on the part of the parents. Berg emphasised the need of the parents to encourage their children on the choice of Chemistry as a subject. Lastly, the study showed that teachers did not use adequate instructional materials and students complaint about textbooks not explicit enough for their private study. This attitude of the Chemistry teachers were not in agreement with ideas of Lang et al. (2005) and Popoola (2008) who believed, that they should use recent/modern and adequate instructional materials to teach their students. By using these students’ interest would be aroused. CONCLUSION The results of the study revealed that right or positive attitude to Chemistry is essential if students want to perform well in both the theory and practical components of the subject. More efforts should be made toward improving the factors that tend to militate against positive attitudes of the students. The findings also showed that Chemistry teachers should motivate students and these students should be given sound foundation on Chemistry. Modern text books should be provided to learners and teachers. Teachers should employ modern methods of teaching that will facilitate individualized instruction. The results of the study also showed that the students were glaringly opposed to Chemistry as a subject. It is believed that their feeling is a reflection of their apathy and frustration created in part by the prevailing conditions. To effect any meaningful change in the present situation, Chemistry teaching and learning facilitates must be provided and/or improved in all schools. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings, the following recommendations are made: 1. Teachers should be given the privilege to attend seminars, workshops and conferences so that they can be conversant with the recent developments in the teaching of Chemistry. 2. Measures must be taken to improve the quality of Chemistry teachers. This includes more careful recruitment, improved preparation of Chemistry teachers in training institutions, retraining programmes for young teachers with limited experience, in-service and long vacation courses, improvement in teachers’ salaries with special allowances for Chemistry teachers. These could be ways by which Chemistry teaching can be made more attractive to the teachers. 3. Teachers should involve all students in practical work as it is known that learners learn faster when a hands-on approach is used. 4. Teachers should assist in improving the attitudes of students toward the theory and practical components of Chemistry in order to enhance achievement in the School Certificate Examinations.

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