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TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF PROBLEMS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

English language is the second language. It is a second language because there are other native languages before it like Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba etc. English language is nationally considered as a measure for literacy and outstanding status. According to Anibueze (2007), English language is the major language for instruction, social services, business communication and occupational purposes. In the school curriculum, English language occupies a more important position than any of the vernaculars. At the university, secondary and primary schools, English is a very important subject. Therefore, no effective teaching and learning in Nigeria would be made without the knowledge of English language.

Oga and Udemba (2007) state that: English language is one of the major languages out of about 5000 estimated languages spoken in the world. It is also one of the most influential and fast growing languages spoken across the globe. This is the more reason why children are exposed to English right from their primary education. To make sure that English s well taught in the schools, Ozohili (2007) observes that the best techniques for teaching English language is by providing a useful knowledge of target language. This is because, that can only be developed by the direct use of the target language in the class rather than forcing learners to accumulate abstract knowledge about rules of grammer.

Kamler (2001) pointed out that the very poor performance of students in West African school certificate in English language is as a result of unqualified teaches and poor background knowledge of English. In most cases, teachers teaching this subject are not trained enough in the filed of English and therefore, have no knowledge of it. He further pointed out that over population in the classroom is one of the factors affecting the effective teaching and learning of English language and computer science. This is because when there are over population of students in a classroom, half of the students will be hearing what the teacher is saying while the remaining once will not be following in what the teacher is saying.

Teaching and learning of English language and computer science is also affected by inadequate of instructional material and small allocation of time for teaching of both subjects. These things can lead to the problems of effective teaching and learning because when there are no materials like text books and computers for the teaching and learning of both subjects, the lessons on those courses will not be effective. In the other hand, when the time allotted for the teaching of both subject is not enough the lesson will not be well understood by the students.

However, computer science is very important in our educational system therefore, we should be taken time to teach it with complete computer equipments. That is the reason why is being taught in our secondary schools very well as a way of increasing students knowledge in learning. Okolo (2006) states that: computer has changed the way we learn, communicate and work. He further stated that this days, organization throughout the world do business with computers.

Kulik (2002) argues that one of the greatest achievement we have gotten from computer is the global communication of individuals and organizations with one another over a network of computer called the internet. To succeed in computer science, students must master a variety of abilities which ranges from general study to specific skills, such as logic, problem solving algorithmic thinking and programming.

Penuel (2001) in his own view indicates that the poor performance of students in computer science is as a result of inadequate provision of computer equipments in so many schools. Even when there are sufficient equipments in schools, students find it difficult to operate on the computer which is the main thing as regards to learning computer science in schools. Standard language is defined as a language universally accepted as the appropriate educational target in teaching English, computer and other subjects. Hiep (2001) states that the use of English language plays an important part in both one’s desire to communicate with the world and one’s will to preserve one’s identity. Standard language is also an official language which was introduced to help the existing indigenous languages. In the other hand, modern language laboratory is a place for teaching and practicing language with equipments like tapes and video instead of reading books for the course.

According to Ozohili [2007], teachers now enhances faster learning of language by making use of classroom language laboratory where portable tape-recorder and film-strip projector are used in teaching listening skills. Video clip is also used with the sound off to ask students to make predictions about what dialogue is taking place. Widdowson (2003), also states that: standard and modern language is the language used internationally across communities as a means of global communication.

Language teaching is defined as the language that has been introduced so that the people of varied language will have purposes to relate together mutually. Through language teaching, students would become more familiar with grammar of their native language which would also help them to speak and write their native language better.

Clemente (2001) pointed out that teachers commitment to their work helps a lot in students understanding of what is being taught in the classroom, and will also help to bring out positive academic out comes. He proceed by saying that the development from the study of this language has brought about the rise of phonetics and phonology as a new linguistic discipline with the creation of the international phonetics alphabets. 

Lindgren and Sullivan (2002) observe that it is necessary to look into the method of teaching language which provides the students with an opportunity to look into their writing composition processes. And it is only by confronting the complexity in teaching language that we can identify the good and right things to do in any given set of circumstances, that is, to know the rightway to teach language.  Language learning is the process of learning a native or second language. All human beings are genetically endowed with the ability to learn language. However, people rarely become as fluent in a secondly language as in their native tongue. Little (2003) stated that practice of learning a language requires insight, a capacity for reflection and a readiness in interact with others. In this sense, learners can decide what to learn, when and how to learn it by taking responsibility for their learning.

Hamer (2003) also points out that the social context in which learning takes place is of vital importance to the success of the educational endeavor. The method for learning a second language also involve some systematic approach to the analysis and comprehension of grammar as well as to the memorization of vocabulary. This is the reason why Usuki (2002) pays more attention on teachers attitudes and commitment towards their lesson in the classroom which plays a very important role to the learners of a particular language.

1.2 Statement of the problems

The researchers found out that there are many problems that affect effective teaching and learning of English language and computer science in junior secondary schools in Enugu Educational zone. They found out that students lack of interest in English language and computer science was due to inappropriate method of teaching and teachers ineffectiveness. The teachers of English language and computer science do not acknowledge the importance of both subjects, because of this, they do not guide their students in secondary schools on how to learn and understand English language and computer science. And as a result of this, it causes the problem of effective teaching and learning of these subjects.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study is to find out the reasons why there is problems of effective teaching learning of English language and computer science in junior secondary schools, and these reasons are:

1. Lack of qualified teachers of English language and computer science in schools. 

2. Over population of students in a class.

3. Inadequate provision of instructional material for teaching of English and computer science. 

4. The time allotted for teaching and learning of these subjects is not enough.

1.4 Research questions

In order to carryout this work efficiently, where are the following questions should be answered.

1. Do schools lack qualified teachers of English language and computer science? 

2. Does population of the students in classes affect the teaching and learning of English language and computer science?

3. Do schools lack adequate instructional material for teaching English language and computer science? 

4. Does time allotted to for teaching of both subjects enough?

1.5 Scope of the study

The researchers have limited themselves to Enugu urban. The research will be carried out in Idaw-River girls secondary schools, urban girls, uwani girls uwani boys secondary schools in Enugu urban. The researchers will make use of all secondary school teachers of English language and computer science in Enugu urban.

1.6 Significance of the study

It is disturbing to read from examiners reports in 2005 on the public examination where faults like weak handling of sentence structures, inability to control sentences, inability to identify mouse and keyboard, frequent misuse of tenses, errors of agreement, wrong spellings in writing English and computer science and other easily isolated problems. As the examiners comment are true, they prove that many school certificate holders have simply not mastered the basic English sentence structure, and how to type in data into the computer. In view of this, it is in the interest of the students in school, teachers, professional teachers, educational administrators and humanity as a whole that researcher undertake this study. The study will help those who are interested in conducting further research on those topics.