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THE PROBLEMS FACING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

This research work is a survey research design which was conducted to find out the problems facing the teaching and learning of integrated science junior secondary schools in Enugu South L.G.A of Enugu State.  The researchers selected randomly eight (8) secondary schools out of the 15 secondary schools in Enugu South L.G.A They used sampling techniques to select the population from each school, the researchers used random sampling method to select (40) forty students while three teachers were selected from the schools because almost all schools sampled have a total number of 3 integrated science teachers each. The researchers used questionnaire in collecting data from the respondents. These were arranged on modified likert scale strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed and strongly disagreed. After the investigations some findings were made: there are qualified teachers teaching integrated science, students are interested in learning of integrated science, there is no availability of integrated science laboratories and there is availability of materials in teaching of integrated science in our junior secondary schools.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The term science evokes a wide range of meanings among various specialists or professions. In its broadest form, it constitutes the totality of what those who are organized and recognized as scientists and who also engage in the practice of science as a profession say it is. This definition underlines the fact that science is human activity and those who practice it are ordinary human beings. It may also be seen as a system of thought that requires the application of a thinking process. The ultimate end product is new knowledge which is applied by the scientists and other alike in furthering human understanding of the world. This enhanced understanding of the world is achieved through inquiry and discovery process. The former may involve the application of a systematized procedure known as the scientific method while the latter incorporates some sense perception or observations and the utilization of the individual’s mental powers or processes to meditate on the data in order to generate meanings or new information. Thus the gravitationally pull of the earth did not require any rigorous experimentation for it to become part of what we know as scientific knowledge. It is in the light of the above background that the Columbia encyclopedia defined science as accumulated and systematized learning in general usage restricted to natural phenomenon.

The progress of science is not marked only by an accumulation of facts but by the emergence of scientific method and of the scientific attitudes. A definition may also be made of science as a means of solving human problems. This definition emphasizes the instrumental aspect of science and has its basis on the external sociology of science rather than seeing science from the academic or archival persecution, it views science as a human calling that has relevance to technology. Thus science is worth the study and efforts for the simple fact that it would ultimately serve economic, political, sociological and modernizing purposes. Today, aid zones of the earth may be converted into rich agricultural lands, food production could be increase through the application of fertilizers, distance between cities can be bridged using telephone and supersonic jets, diseased parts of human beings may be removed and replaced with healthy and functional organs as a result of science the list of possible application of a science for the enhancement of human life is endless.

There are a number of other ways one may look at science. Students should explore these and related definitions for themselves. However a careful examination of the above description of science suggests some implications on the nature of science. This implication is that science has a dual nature. Firstly, science is a dynamic enterprise that concerns itself with seeking new knowledge for enhancing human understanding of, the natural world as well as organizing, systemize and storing this knowledge as a vital part of human nature. Secondly science is continually seeking to explore, test and refuse new as well as old knowledge principles, theories and models. This dimension of duality of science corresponds to Kuhn’s conceptualization of scientific revolution as involving occasional or regular discarding of old theories, paradigms or “modus operandi” of science for new ones. Finally, science has a cumulative nature. Over the decades and centuries, new scientific knowledge have been added to the existing stock of scientific knowledge and each new addition has served to further enhance our understanding and appreciation of nature.

Therefore, the term “science” is used to describe a wide variety of disciplines which utilize systematic approaches to solve problems and to produce new bearing. Each of these disciplines arose independently in response to some particular needs or problem. It was only later that it was observed that these disciplines had enough commonality to justify their characterization as science.

According to Bridgeman, a discipline merits the characterization of science if within the discipline precise statements that are susceptible to verification are possible. Given this background, we may classify science into pure and applied sciences. The pure science included those areas or disciplines of science that purposefully seek knowledge or scientific truth for it’s own sake and with little or no practical implications. They include such disciplines as physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, microbiology, biophysics, cytology, geology, etc. In more recent decades there has been a tendency in some quarters to view science primarily from a practical stand point. It was probably in response to this that the Federal Government of Nigeria established a number of Universities of Agriculture, Science and Technology.

The various science disciplines can also be categorized into the exact and the descriptive sciences. The former is made up primarily of those disciplines that employ a great deal of quantification in their search for truth. They are characterized by possible precision or exactness in measurements in order to ensure easy communication. Typical examples of the exact science include Physics, Chemistry and Biology to a lesser extent. On the other hand, the descriptive science has as their major focus the development of a system of description or classification that would ensure precise references and communication. Typical example includes anatomy, botany, geology, zoology, etc.

The history of science education shows that between antiquity and the 19th century nature philosophy metamorphosed into modern science which was compartmentalized or fragmented into several disciplines. Thus the various branches of science had their origin between 1820 and 1920. As the theories of science became clearly defined due to knowledge explosion between the 16th and 20th century from the various contributions of Copernicus Kepler, Galileo, Harvey, Newton, Einstein and others, the subject boundaries became dissolved. The result of this was the emergence of hybrid disciplines via biogeography, biophysics, biochemistry, geophysics, astrophysics etc. Today it is difficult to assume that a topic in science exist in isolation and without collateral knowledge from other areas of science.

From this background information, it is clear that integrated science education has been in existence for at least 30 years but the name “integrated science” perhaps surfaced as a universal term about seventeen years ago (Haggis 1973). Up to 1589, there was no science in elementary and secondary school curriculum in Nigeria. It was the church missionary secondary school in Lagos which took a step in 1859 to introduce some science. This science was introduced in the form of nature study. Nature study just meant taking the children outside the classroom to observe their natural environment.

In 1878, science was introduced at the post primary level; it was taught as general science and later broken into three basic sciences namely Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The basic science were taught to those who may not be able to further in science. Questions arose about the existence of the three separate subjects. Advanced countries were developing and we are doing integrated science without proper study. After this work of separating science subjects, a joint working section of representative from the core science committee made efforts to integrate the discipline. By 1920’s the nature study was not effective and new development in curriculum of the basic science and some cultural values as well as intellectual stimulations were brought into the curriculum.

The National Science Foundations (NSF) independent agency of the Federal Government created   by thee National Science Foundation Act of 1950 as amended (Pub. L. 31 – 597). The agency is responsible for promoting the progress of science and advancing the nation’s health, prosperity, welfare and security by supporting research and education in the field of science. The working section produced the integrated science scheme which is Nigerian Integrated Science Project (NISP) and the draft was approved in Lagos in 1959. Integrated science came in Nigeria in 1968, West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) asked (STAN) Science Teachers Association of Nigeria to review and improve science syllabus.

The written workshop was done at university of Ibadan on 1970. Other workshops were held in 1971 and 1971 then textbooks 1 &2 with work books and teachers’ guides were produced and introduced into the junior secondary schools. Comparative Education Study and Adaptation Centre (CESAC) and Educational development overseas sponsored the workshop and the working section through the British Council in Nigeria. United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) gave material support while Nigeria Limited Publishers published the text.

Taiwo (1978) stated that this practice restricted science teaching to only those in higher classes, however the period from 1968 to 1970 witnessed a series of joint effort by Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and Comparative, Education Studies and Adaptive Centre (CESAC) to redesign science to meet the need of less science oriented students and to be taught in junior secondary classes, hence, the introduction of “integrated science”.

Okoli (1978) stated that integrated science program evolved as a rescue operation to replace absolute and uninteresting general science courses. Chukwuemeka (1981) states that Nigeria integrated science is inter-disciplinary integration as well because Nigeria integrated science is an integration of nature of science. Integrated science materials development in Nigeria was a deliberate attempt to achieving a specific national design. Thus, integrated science according to d’Arbon (1972) is an approach to the teaching of science aimed at enabling students gain the concept of the fundamental unity of science, the commonality of approach to the problems of scientific nature and also gain an understanding of the role and function of science in everyday life and the world in which they live.

Since integrated science was introduced into the syllabus in 1970 without proper study, so many problems like in competency of the teachers, lack of teacher, lack of teaching materials, improper teaching approach and rest of them have evolved leading to non-learning interest by students.

Since the integration of these three major science courses and some others to bring about integrated science, a lot of problem arises during the process. The idea of Physics, Biology and Chemistry has been adopted by teachers respectively but to no avail. We therefore have to go into this research to find a possible lasting solution to its many problems. As the integration of these science courses to bring about integrated science was noted as one of the problems, it is necessary to note that integrated science should be taught as a unified science not just as Chemistry or Physics or Biology because teachers that are not integrated science inclined teach integrated science either as Physics, Chemistry or Biology. Therefore, saying that the teaching and learning of integrated science in junior secondary schools is very essential is no doubt as it is regarded as yard stick in the development of any nation.

1.2      STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The ultimate aim of education is to provide knowledge of the world. In an effort to do this, knowledge has been divided into a system of studies called subjects with science as one of the elements of the system. Integrated science therefore attempts a unified view of the world thus some of these problems arose as a result of giving birth to integrated science in junior secondary school curriculum of our school system. Some of these problems are:

The qualification of the teachers teaching integrated science in our schools.

The interest of student in learning integrated science.

The availability of materials for teaching of integrated science.

Presence of integrated science laboratories in our junior secondary schools.

1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to find a lasting solution to the problems of teaching and learning of integrated science in our junior secondary schools. This study will examine:

(1)  The quality of teachers teaching integrated science.

(2)  Availability of teachers of integrated science in our schools.

(3)  Method of teaching integrated science in the classroom in our junior secondary schools.

(4)  Facilities for teaching integrated science such as integrated science laboratories and equipments.

(5)  The way students see integrated science is also important as some students see it as a difficult subject to study.

1.4    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is very essential to the extent that it helps to identify most suggestions for improving the teaching and learning of integrated science in our junior secondary schools. Students are future scientist and are thereby needed to be brought up with the right attitude which is the sole responsibilities of the government, teachers and parents. Thus, ideas of integrated science been learnt in schools may be applied in future. Therefore, the teaching and learning of integrated science has to be made more interesting and meaningful to the students.

The researchers expected that if the suggested and personal opinion proposed in this research work are implemented effectively and diligently, the poor image of teaching and learning of integrated science will be restored and the objectives of education will be achieved. Thus, this research work will be of benefit to the following group of people.

1.                 Government

2.                 Parents

3.                 Society

4.                 School

To the government, the benefit is that there will be inculcation of the generality of Nigerians sense of pride towards science development by saying that the nation which cannot improve the standard of living of her people scientifically has lost her respect.

To the parents, the benefit is that their children will help control and correct the negative idea they have about certain happenings among them.

To the society, the benefit is that there will be mobilization of the entire society towards total sufficiency and self reliance in improved sciences.

To the school, integrated science unites the sciences thereby producing students who are scientifically literate and to develop in the students a positive attitude and interest in integrated science and appreciation for problems involved.

Integrated science helped to gain knowledge of science in everyday life and the world in which we live from the observations, the need for the study and effective teaching and learning of integrated science in our junior secondary schools cannot be over emphasized.

1.5     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be restricted to the problems facing the teaching and learning of integrated science in our junior secondary school, in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The scope of the study will centre on the following

1.  The quality of teachers teaching integrated science in our junior secondary schools.

2.  The interest of students in learning integrated science in the classroom.

3.  The availability of materials for teaching of integrated science in our junior secondary schools.

4.  Availability of laboratories incase practical are involve in the course of teaching integrated science.

1.6     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.  Are there qualified teachers teaching integrated science in our junior secondary schools?

2.  Are students in our junior secondary school interested in learning integrated science in the classroom?

3.  What are the available materials for teaching of integrated science in our junior secondary schools?

4.  Are there integrated science laboratories in our junior secondary schools incase practical are involve in the course of teaching integrated science?

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