 INSTRUCTIONAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POOR ACADEMICS OF CHEMISTRY STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Chemistry as a science subject plays a vital role in transforming the environment and improving the general quality of life. It is essentially needed for a nation’s technological development. As a core science subject, the proper teaching and learning of chemistry in secondary schools facilitates student’s enrollment in many professional disciplines like Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Engineering and Geology etc.
Hence, there is the need for effective teaching and learning of Chemistry in Nigerian secondary schools. For teaching and learning of Chemistry to be effective, the classroom environment has to be conducive to both teachers and students. Chemistry as an important science subject is taught in many secondary schools in Nigeria as a single subject at senior secondary school level. Yet, in spite of all the benefits derived from Chemistry, students’ performance in Chemistry at the senior secondary school certificate examination in the last few decades is still low. Ogu (1995), Balogun (1995), and Akinyele (1997), all noted poor academic achievement in Science and Chemistry in particular. Ugwu (2004), noted that in 2000 and in 2001, of all the candidates who sat for senior secondary school chemistry examination, more than half of the students performed very poor in Chemistry that they could not use their result in Chemistry for further studies. Also WAEC annual report (2006, 2007 and 2008), noted poor academic achievement in Chemistry which manifested in constant poor grades and repetition of classes. Thus, one tends to question why the general unsatisfactory academic performance in Chemistry among the secondary school students. These poor performances in Chemistry have made some researchers to study the problem with the hope of finding the causes and possible solutions.
According to Ali (1998), science education at all levels is plagued by very many kinds of problems which include, under funding of science education; lack of adequate and appropriate instructional materials; lack of functional equipments; poor method of teaching; inadequate trained science teachers and laboratories that exist in dilapidated buildings. Chemistry as a core science subject is not counted out from the under listed problems. These problems lead to serious educational setbacks which invariably lead to low rate of secondary schools science achievement in Nigeria.
Ukeje (1984), said that geographical location is one of the most important differences between the educational conditions in the urban as against the rural areas. This shows that geographical location influences academic achievement. Onainor and Obiora (2001), maintained that gender is another major factor that influences the performance of students. He also states that boys out performed their female counterparts in the different school subjects. Haertel, Walberg and Haertel (1981), Anderson (1982), and (Fraser 1981a, 1986a) traced the problem of poor academic achievement to psychological, sociological, psychosocial and physical problems. Ukeje (1984), considering what should be the environmental factors affecting the performance of students, identified the factors as malnutrition which causes poor physical growth and mental development, diseases, injury, home background, culture and socio economic status of parents. It is a clear assertion that a students` home background influences his/her behaviour and school performance. This is because some students are from broken home where parents are separated, while others are from home where the marriage is stable and happy, and parents live together happily to see to their children’s educational needs and school work.. Children develop good learning habits and scientific thinking through practical and manipulative approach while at home. This is because of availability of ready materials like Newspapers, Textbook, Maps, Science journal and Toys. In such homes, children devote more time to studies which is not done in broken homes where quarrel are all the time. Educational psychologists recognize that home environment is among the factors that handicap a child in school and in life or may be a source of strong special advantage. Skinner (1963), points out that in order to understand and improve our standard of education, learning is not done only in the school. It is with the co-operation of the home and school environment that learning will be more affective. If one of them fails there will be a gap and the child will suffer. In educational circle, classroom environment is very important.
According to Oxford advanced learners` dictionary of current English (8thed) Environment is seen as conditions that affect the behaviour and development of somebody/something or is seen as the districts, surroundings, circumstances etc that influence a place, town or people’s lives. According to Okonkwo and Ozurumba (1989), environment implies all the classroom conditions that facilitate teaching and learning, which include space, seat, air, equipments and other man made situation that galvanize teaching and learning. Environment is also seen as the sum total of all conditions that surround man at any given time on the earth surface. Anderson (1982), view classroom as the inter-personal relationship among pupils, relationship between pupils and their teachers, relationship between pupils and with subject matters studied and the method of learning and finally pupils perception of the structure and characteristic of the classroom. Talton and
Simpson (1987), view classroom as a miniature community in which members interacts and influence the behaviour of others. According to Okonkwo and Ozurumba (1989), classroom is a place where learners and teachers meet. It could be an art gallery, museum, workshop, display center or special room where educational plan are carried out and research finding tried out. Classroom can be seen as the power house where the success or failure of the learning process is generated and sustained. Giddings and Fraser (1988), viewed classroom environment in terms of the shared perception of students and sometimes, the teachers in that environment. Mgodile (2005), stated that classroom environment should have the ability to create a conducive, congenial, and peaceful climate that allows meaningful learning in the absence of fear, stress and tension in which the teacher and the students will be happy to stay and work.
Mgbodile (2005), further stated that learning has been known to be influenced by the type of environment in which an individual learn. That is to say that the school climate determines to a large extent the morale, motivation and commitment of teachers to school work and zeal with which students purses their studies. Appleby (1990), observed that in un-conducive type of environment, students distract, disrupt, and interfere with teaching and learning. They can develop the attitude of coming late to class, pinching one another, aggression, smoking, lies, truancy, use of drugs, all kinds of noise, walking in and out of classroom, being passively rude or unwilling to participate in the learning process. Nwosu (1997) and Okobia (1992), observed that un-conducive environment leads students to sleeping in class, vandalism, smoking and mischief. Consequently, this hinders the physical classroom environment which hinders teachers’ effectiveness; students learning and positive interpersonal relationship. In addition, physical classroom environment include the type of building, furniture, equipments, resources, materials for teaching and learning, quality of light, space for movement and interaction. When the physical classroom environment is poor, it makes the classroom uncomfortable for teaching and learning and for living. Students in such environment are disorganized, in friction and mischief. They develop poor attitude to learning and this hinders educational process, which leads to poor achievement. Eggen, Kauchak and Jacbson (1981), opined that the organization of the classroom affects how easily students are managed as well as how well they achieve. Consequently, this hinders the teacher’s effectiveness, student/students interaction and positive interpersonal relationship. More still, student/students interaction can hinder academic activities in classroom environment.
