STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science was the last major subject that was introduced in the school curriculum. It was introduced in some few schools in form of nature study and the emphasis on getting information about our environment from first hand observation rather than from books. In Nigeria curriculum,. Science education first appeared in 1859 when the church missionary society (CMS) grammar school Lagos introduced the rudiment of nature study. This introduction was done by people who were both specialists in science and master teachers, they were able to make the study of nature of science a dynamic and unforgettable learning experience for students. Baja (1982) in Igwe (2003) described it as the learning of the environment and hygiene other schools like Saint Gregory’s College Lagos, Hope Waddle institution Calabar and Baptist training College Ogbomoso followed later in teaching nature study.

By this time according to Abdulahi (2000) a rural science syllabus was formulated for science teaching at primary schools and other biology related subjects were introduced such as botany, physiology and agriculture at secondary school level. However once entrusted to teachers with little or no background in science and with varying degrees of teaching effectiveness, the study on nature of science in the schools deteriorated bodily. Simply, the world science came from Latin “Scientia” meaning knowledge.

It refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomenon. In other words the term science also refers to as an organized body of knowledge people have gained using that system, less formally. The word science oen describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it. The education attainment of the student in science is inevitable and should be looked into with a lot of invention in both teaching on side of student at all level. The training of the students most especially, children in primary schools is very important since the extent of a nation future labour force, leadership, political stability and strength of technical knowledge all lies in their hands. The importance of science and its implementation to the social and environment of the people is well recognized by every nation. Some scientific knowledge is needed by everyone in other to have an idea of the ways in which one is fed, entertained clothed and sheltered to ensure a more profitable exploration of scientific and technological potentials, it is therefore necessary to lay emphasis on scientific knowledge. In respect of this integrated science subjects was introduced into the school curriculum by science teachers association of Nigeria about few decades ago and was made compulsory in the junior secondary school level. Ebina (2010) observed that the cooperative arrangement between the science teachers association of Nigeria (STAN) and the defunct comparative educational research and adaptation centre (CESAC) now merged into the Nigeria educational research and development council (NERDC) heralded by the first national effort at science curriculum development to improve science education in Nigeria in 1969.

The result of this 1969 curriculum conferences was the information of two major science projects (NISP) and the Nigerian Secondary Schools Sciences Projects (NSSSP) later the National Primary Science and Mathematics Projects (NPSMP) were developed. Presently there are the basic science and technology projects (BSTP) for primary schools. In order to achieve good results in the science curricular projects government policies were specially geared towards encouraging science teaching and learning at all level. Ivowi (2000) observed that government science policies have aimed at boosting and improving science education.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Science teaching in secondary schools in general has so many problems associated with it, for example lack of qualified teachers teaching science subjects, lack of science equipment to carry out practical’s in science classes, lackadaisical attitude on the part of the students towards science subjects. The government has tried to put more effort to put an end to these problems yet their effort has proved abortive due to one reasons or the other. Thus the researcher has decided to make an in-depth study into the factors that contributes to these problems despite the effort put by the successive government with a quest of finding solution to these problems.