AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INFLUENCE OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE EDUCATION ON THE PROMOTION AND ADVANCEMENT OF TERTIARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

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Abstract

Nigerian educational system has gone through various developments and changes viz-a-viz curriculum issues. The dynamic nature of the curriculum process informed the write-up of this paper. The selection and organization of curriculum content is one of the problems associated with the Nigerian educational system. This paper reviewed the genesis of integrated science curriculum development in Nigeria to ascertain its present status. In doing so, this paper defines the concepts of curriculum and curriculum development. This paper also discussed the process of curriculum development, analysed the current curriculum in integrated science and emphasised some of the short-comings of the design in relation to its implementation in the classroom. This paper also identified and discussed some of the fundamental problems in Nigerian integrated science education that are militating against the achievement of integrated science curriculum objectives, and profferred useful recommendations.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Science education plays a vital role in the lives of individuals and the development of a nation scientifically and technologically (Alebiosu and Ifamuyiwa, 2008). It is widely and generally acknowledged that the gateway to the survival of a nation scientifically and technologically is scientific literacy which can only be achieved through science education. To make her citizens show interest in science education, Nigerian government came up with a policy that 60% of the students seeking admission into the nation’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education should be admitted for science oriented courses, while 40% of the students should be considered for arts and social science courses (Ajibola, 2008). This government’s effort cannot be said to have yielded much fruits given the dwindling nature of students seeking admission into science-oriented courses in the Nation’s tertiary institutions, more students are seeking admission into art and social science courses than those of the science-oriented courses on yearly basis.  Disturbed by this ugly development, researchers in the field of science education in Nigeria embarked on series of studies to find the logic behind this ugly development. They found that the problem stemmed from the first form of science