RELATIVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INTEGRATED SCIENCE FROM 2004 – 2008

ABSTRACT

This study was on “Relative Academic performance of Junior Secondary School Students in Computer Science and Integrated Science from 2004 – 2008 (A case study of Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State) Three (3) research questions were answered and the population of this study is two hundred (200), which was made up of computer and integrated science classroom teachers, principals, head teachers, assistance head teachers, and students. Data were presented in table and were analyzed using the mean. The sampling technique used for this study is the simple random sampling and total sample size in sixty. Form the selected junior secondary schools in Enugu State; it was found out by the researchers that relative significances dierences exist between the academic performances of students in junior secondary school, within the years under review. Besides, the problem of domain specification, underutilization of leaning resources and lack of experience among teachers aect students performance in computer and integrated science subjects at the junior secondary school level. It was concluded that among other things that teachers need to take assessment from the students to know or ascertain the extent and depth knowledge acquired aer a course of study or programme of teaching. The researchers recommended among others that many participative methods should be employed by the teachers in the teaching and learning of computer and integrated science delivery and excellent academic performance of students.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The academic performance in junior secondary schools in the country has been of great concern to parents, scholars, educators and the government at large. A number of seminars, conferences, symposia and workshop have been organized to look into the academic performance in sciences in the junior secondary as a take o into determining the relative academic performance of students in science subject.

Some people are of the opinion that students performance in science subjects is on the decline. Conforming this view, Esezobar (1986) lament, only about No percent of Nigerian candidates who sat for the West Africa School Certificate Examination in the pervious years passed science subjects with credits. The impression from the forgoing citation is that the percentage of failure in science subject is on the increase. The fact that the problems of education has reached on alarming stage should not be over emphasized. There is the belief that the standard of education has fallen. Many Nigerians and Newspaper columnist have written and aired there view on this on this issue. Akinpelu (1984) while working on the standard/quality in Nigeria education assets that the standard of Nigerian education has fallen. In recent years, it is a conventional claim which nobody in the right mind dares dispute. In view of this, the researches are motivated to investigate the relative academic performance of the junior secondary in two science subjects (integrated Science and computer science) from the year 2004 to 2008 in Enugu North Local Government Area. These two science subject are selected to be the tae o into determining the relative academic performance of junior secondary students in science subjects. This is because these two science subject occupy a curriculum. They represent the foundation stone for subsequent instruction in science in later life, for pupils who may wish to pursue a science related career in life and an introduction to science for others who may wish to pursue either humanities based on vocational inclined studies. Integrated Science for instance is the study of all the branches of science which includes Biology, Chemistry and Physics under one Umbrella in order to avoid repetition of subject matter from various sciences. It is the root of all the science subject. Apan (1983) looking at integrated science said that “it is a natural response to the shiing views of science that the environment and all its natural phenomena can best be understand in the context of a unified scientific approach”. Also Khabele, (1975 said that ‘it is only an integrated approach in the study of science at early stage that will prepare a scientist for a proper tae o into the existing world of science later in his school career”.