TRENDS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN INTERGRATED SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM YEAR 2000 – 2003

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

In about two centuries ago, the kind of education that is obtained in this society (Nigeria was informal traditional education which serves to integrate the individual the wider community in which he/she is born. This kind of education of course takes place in every human society even till today. However, the kind of education we are shall consider in this research work is the type of education known as the formal education. This type is the one that takes place in the four walls of the classroom, the type that come into Nigeria on the year 1840 through the early missionaries (Dr Patrick Onyia sociology of education Nov. 2002). Education is one of the social institutions specifically designed by the society to transmit knowledge, skills, attitude and values of society to younger generation in order to carry out the efficient and effective transmission on of skills, values knowledge, language is the only verbal means of communication. Before one can learn to appreciate the world around him (science) he must have known the importance of such thing. Integrated science which is the observation study and use of the world around us mathematics and computer are important subjects in Junior secondary school. Integrated science was hearted from the colonial masters as subject of study mathematics and computer science is the vehicle through which knowledge, skills values and habits (elements of science) are transmitted into the students of junior secondary school. In primary school mathematics is studied and called mathematics is studied and called mathematics while integrated science is studies as primary science computer is also studying and called computer science and this primary science later become known as intergraded science in secondary school level. Integrated science transmits such elementary knowledge like human system organs of the body their functions and how to take care of them the classes of food and their nutritional values, various living organisms non- living organism, chemical elements the planets how to make use of simple instruments and chemicals how to keep our food and body clean. In fact, as the name implies integrated science links all know ledge of science. It goes as far as bringing to knowledge all that is known in the physical world around us in their primary elementary forms. This project is set up to know the trends in Academic performance of Junior secondary school in integrated science computer and mathematic in Enugu educational zone from (2000-2003).

1.2  Statement of the Problem

Secondary school students’ performances in external examinations has been a nagging issue in Nigeria generally and particularly in Enugu South local Government area, Enugu State. Language is a medium of institution, for teaching and learning to take place effectively there must be adequate communicating between the leaner and the teacher in Nigeria, English language is a “lingual franke” except in vernacular, it is used in communicating the learner in all Nigeria school the importance of English language can hardly be overemphasized that is why it appears almost every day in the school time table unfortunately, a cursory look at the performance of students in mathematics in particular computer and inter science in internal examination in Enugu south Local Government area is nothing to write home about. Since computer and integrated science are relatively new in development of science and technology, the researchers would want to find out why there is an always recorded low performance in mathematics, computer and integrated science from 2000 – 2003 on case study.