THE EFFECT OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY IN INCORPORATING LOCAL PRACTICES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY
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THE EFFECT
OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY IN INCORPORATING LOCAL PRACTICES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the study
Chemistry is
the branch of science that deals with the study of the structure and
composition of matter. Chemistry has often being described as the central
science, being that effective study of chemistry lays a solid foundation for
the scientific and technological development of an early learner in the
sciences. Oriaifo (2002) while stressing the importance of chemistry education
noted that chemistry equips the learner with specific knowledge skills and
attitude which enables him/her become useful to him/her and the society at
large.In Nigeria, chemistry as a subject occupies a prominent position in the
nation’s secondary and tertiary curriculum. At the secondary level of
education, a credit pass in chemistry is a pre-requisite for students to
further their studies in fields like Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture,
Engineering, Home Economics, Biological Science and other science related
fields of endeavour. Chemistry do not just start and end in the classroom or
school as often perceived, phenomenon in chemistry are practiced in our day to
day lives in and outside the school. Some of the home chemistry practices are
the process of heating (cooking/warming) of our food, the process of washing
our cloths with soap or detergents, addition of limestone when cooking (eg beans,
unripe plantain etc), the process of boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow
the liquid to get dried, addition of
salt to perishable food stuffs in other to preserve them, boiling and filtering
of impure water to make it clean for drinking, the process of putting stainless
steel spoon into meat while boiling, the process of separation of kerosene or
petrol from water, the process of preparation of pap from grounded maize
(corn), the process of spraying insecticides in the house to kill insects, the
act of melting ice block into liquid water for the purpose of drinking,
preparation of our African delicacy fufu through cassava, the burning of
materials in the presence of air (oxygen), the process of rusting of clean nail
when it has been exposed to air and water (chemical change) etc. this is just
to mention but a few. This goes to show that principles in chemistry are
applied in our day to day activities even in our various homes. These
principles are not just applied in our urban areas, even in our local villages
chemistry is been practiced. For example, in most villages local soap is made
from ashes of burnt plantain peels and used (or bleached) palm oil,
qualitydrinking water has long been a problem in our local villages so most
often people in the rural areas use alum to purify there drinking water,
virtually all the different cooking practices in the local villages are based
on chemistry phenomenon. As important as the subject isand in spite of its day
to day applications students’ achievement has long been poor and unsatisfactory
year after year (Inomiesa and Unuero, 2003; Udo, 2008; WAEC Chief Examiners
report 2007,2008, 2009 and 2010; Ogbu, 2012; Omoifo 2012). WAEC,2009 revealed
that weaknesses associated with the performance of candidates in chemistry were
attributed to lack of relevant textbooks, inadequate preparation for
examination and non-familiarization with examination syllabus which was in
essence attributed to wrong wayand manner teachers teachchemistry, that the
teachings did not stimulate and sustain students’ interest in chemistry (Njoku
2007).The continuous record of students’ poor performance has attracted a lot
of assertions (Nwagbo, 2002&Njoku, 2007).
The steady decline in students’ performance in chemistry and its related
subjects has remained a source of worry to the students, parents, teachers,
government and even Non-Governmental Organizations in Nigeria. According to
Asiyai (2005) teachers on their part haveused different teaching methods such
asdiscussion, questioning, guided discovery, expository etc. to enhance the
standard of achievement of students in external examinations like West African
Examination Council(WAEC),National Examination Council (NECO) etc.
notwithstanding these methods had not yielded expected results. These teaching methods include the
conventional lecture method which is predominantly used in most Nigerian
secondary schools due to the fact that most of the schools are over populated
and the chemistry classes are over crowed, the chemistry syllabus is wide and the
teaching time is often too short compared to the chemistry scheme, have not
been able to salvage the poor performance in chemistry.(Adesida,Agbaji,
Atere-Roberts, Bello, Dakare, Ihuoma, Kashim, Okonkwo, Otegbeye & Yabaya,
2002). Interest has a lot to do, if there is going to be a meaningful
improvement in the teaching and learning process of chemistry. According to
Graber (2011), Piaget in 1974 considers interest a decisive factor in the
learning process, he defines interest as the dynamics of assimilation, and
every process of equilibration is based on interest. Together with many other
authors it is believed that developing interest in a topic is an important
pre-condition for self-directed learning as well as an important goal for
school learning with regard to life-long learning, out-of-school behaviour and
choice of profession. Since 1965, Herbart’s modern pedagogy has emphasized the
value of interest not only as a means, but as an educational end in itself.
Modern interest research has confirmed Herbart’s conception, and that
interest-based motivation to learn has positive effect both on the studying
process and on the quantity and quality of learning outcomes (Hidi, Renninger
& Krapp, 2004).Due to the steady decline on interest in chemistry and in the
sciences there is a decrease in enrolment in sciences in general and chemistry
in particular. Omoifo (2012), indicated poor enrolment in sciences and
technology education. The question now is, why is there high rate of poor
performance in chemistry? Why do students have low rate of interest in
chemistry? Is it true that chemistry phenomenon are also practiced at home? Do
chemistry go beyond the four walls of the schools? Do the students know that
the process of heating (cooking/warming) of our popular bean cake (i.emoi-moi,
a common African delicacy) is called water-bath in chemistry? Dothe students
know that the warm feelings they get when they add detergents to small quantity
of water is an illustration of exothermic reaction taking place between the water
molecules and the detergent? Do the students know that addition of limestone
when cooking (eg beans, unripe plantain etc) act as a method of increasing the
rate of the chemical reaction taking place?Do the students know that the
process of boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow the liquid to get dried leaving only the tomato
is an example of separation technique in chemistry called evaporation process?
Do the students know that the process of putting stainless steel spoon or nail
into meat while boiling increases the rate of reaction and the stainless steel
spoon or nail acts as a catalyst? Do the students know that the process of
preparation of our African delicacy fufu through cassava is a chemical process
called fermentation? Do the students know that the burning of materials in the
presence of air (oxygen) is also a chemical phenomenon called combustion? Do
the students know that the process of rusting of clean nail when it has been
exposed to air and water is an example of a chemical change? This is just to mention but a few common
cases whereby students’ home chemistry(i.e. local practice) is related to their
school chemistry. This goes to show that principles in chemistry are applied in
our day to day activities even in our various homes. Therefore, will
incorporating local practices enhance students’ interest and achievement in
chemistry?
Statement of
Problem
A look
through science education literatures in the past two decades and summaries of
chief examiners’ reports of results by external examination bodies for
exampleWest African Examination Council (WAEC), indicate that all is not well
in the teaching and learning process of chemistry. Poor performance of students
in chemistry as a subject is on the rise. On an average scale,more than 40% of
students who sat for chemistry in the senior secondary school examinations
fail. Poor performance as recorded by WACE is also collaborated by results from
National Examination Council (NECO), (Omoifo, 2012). Poor enrolment in
chemistry and its related courses is a clear indication that there is a great
problem of lack of interest. For the fact that chemistry principles are used in
our day to day human activities and its peculiarity in the field of sciences
students ought tobe very much interested in chemistry and the level of
enrolment ought to be high. But over the years enrolment in the subject has
been poor, indicating that the level of interest has significantly dropped. The
inability of students to relate chemistry lessons to local practices in their
day to day home environment is also worrisome. Will incorporating local
practices enhance students’ interest and achievement in chemistry? To this
effect, this study therefore, is an attempt to incorporate local practices
(chemistry at home) in the teaching of chemistry at school.
Research
Questions The following research questions will guide the study:
Will there
be a difference in achievement of students taught chemistry by incorporating
local practices (experimental group) and students taught chemistry without
local practices (control group)?
Will there
be a difference in interest of students taught chemistry by incorporating local
practices (experimental group) and students taught chemistry without local
practices (control group)?
Will there
be gender difference in achievement in incorporating local practices?
Will there
be gender difference in interest in incorporating local practices?
Research
Hypothesis
The
following hypotheses will be tested at 0.05level of significance. Ho1: There is
no significant difference in achievements between students taught chemistry by
incorporating local practices (experimental group) and students taught
chemistry without local practices (control group).
Ho2: There
is no significant difference in interest between students taught chemistry by
incorporating local practices (experimental group) and students taught
chemistry without local practices (control group).
Ho3: There
is no significant difference in achievementin gender amongst students taught
chemistry by incorporating local practices Ho4: There is no significant
difference in interest in gender amongst students taught chemistry by
incorporating local practices.
Purpose of
the Study
This paper
is aimed at finding outthe effect of instructional strategy in cooperating
local practises on interest and achievement in chemistry. To achieve this
stated goal, the paper will especially examine the need to ignite, stimulate
and sustain students’ interest towards the learning of the subject. It will
also assess the impact of gender and students’ home environment on the
achievement of the students in relation to their disposition and perception of
the subject. Significance of the Study
The findings of the study will be significant in the following ways:
To the
chemistry teacher, this study will generally help in guiding and directing the
teacher in the preparation of the lesson plan in ensuring to add instructional
skills/materials that will relate to students’ local practice in their home
environment to ignite, stimulate, sustain and develop student’s interest
thereby improving the achievement of the students in chemistry in particular
and sciences in general.
It will
demonstrate to the teachers the need to improvise on instructional techniques
that will relate chemistry to students’ local practices in their home
environment.
To the
chemistry students, the study will be of immense value to them since it will
bring to their notice that chemistry phenomena in their lessons are what they
are locally used to in their environment, this will develop genuine interest in
chemistry classes if effective and efficient learning is going to take place,
for them to retain what is learnt better and improve on their achievements.
To the
curriculum planner, the findings of this study will make it necessary now than
before to specify appropriate instructional strategies for enhancing students’
interest and making the subject students centered. This will in turn help
teachers/students develop interest in chemistry classes.
To the
Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, the findings of this study will
provide a different point of view if the issue of poor performance of students
in chemistry and sciences in general is to be tackled holistically. It will
emphasize the need for organizing policies, seminars, lectures, workshops, etc.
that will be aimed at developing/improving students interest in chemistry for
the nation to advance to a higher level
in science and technology
To future
researchers, the findings of this study will be a source of method, materials
and reference for studies on similar topics.
Scope of the
study
The term
“class” as used in this research refers to both theory classes and laboratory
classes in secondary school. Thus, the scope of the present study will be
limited to chemistry as experienced by students in secondary school chemistry
classes. This study will be carried out in Yenagoa Local Government Area, one
out of the Eight Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State. This local government
is chosen because it comprises more secondary schools in the state being the
capital of the state. The class of interest is Senior Secondary II (SSII)
chemistry classes. The content area to be covered in this study will be
delimited to chemistry S.S.II. Scheme of work from week II to week V topics.
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