CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
Chemistry is the branch
of science that deals with the study of the structure and composition of
matter. Chemistry has often being described as the central science, being that effective
study of chemistry lays a solid foundation for the scientific and technological
development of an early learner in the sciences. Oriaifo (2002) while stressing
the importance of chemistry education noted that chemistry equips the learner
with specific knowledge skills and attitude which enables him/her become useful
to him/her and the society at large.In Nigeria, chemistry as a subject occupies
a prominent position in the nation’s secondary and tertiary curriculum. At the
secondary level of education, a credit pass in chemistry is a pre-requisite for
students to further their studies in fields like Medicine, Pharmacy,
Agriculture, Engineering, Home Economics, Biological Science and other science
related fields of endeavour.
Chemistry do not just
start and end in the classroom or school as often perceived, phenomenon in
chemistry are practiced in our day to day lives in and outside the school. Some
of the home chemistry practices are the process of heating (cooking/warming) of
our food, the process of washing our cloths with soap or detergents, addition
of limestone when cooking (eg beans, unripe plantain etc), the process of
boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow the
liquid to get dried, addition of salt to perishable food stuffs in other
to preserve them, boiling and filtering of impure water to make it clean for
drinking, the process of putting stainless steel spoon into meat while boiling,
the process of separation of kerosene or petrol from water, the process of
preparation of pap from grounded maize (corn), the process of spraying
insecticides in the house to kill insects, the act of melting ice block into
liquid water for the purpose of drinking, preparation of our African delicacy
fufu through cassava, the burning of materials in the presence of air (oxygen),
the process of rusting of clean nail when it has been exposed to air and water
(chemical change) etc. this is just to mention but a few. This goes to show
that principles in chemistry are applied in our day to day activities even in
our various homes. These principles are not just applied in our urban areas,
even in our local villages chemistry is been practiced. For example, in most
villages local soap is made from ashes of burnt plantain peels and used (or
bleached) palm oil, qualitydrinking water has long been a problem in our local
villages so most often people in the rural areas use alum to purify there
drinking water, virtually all the different cooking practices in the local
villages are based on chemistry phenomenon.
As
important as the subject isand in spite of its day to day applications students’
achievement has long been poor and unsatisfactory year after year (Inomiesa and
Unuero, 2003; Udo, 2008; WAEC Chief Examiners report 2007,2008, 2009 and 2010;
Ogbu, 2012; Omoifo 2012). WAEC,2009 revealed that weaknesses associated with
the performance of candidates in chemistry were attributed to lack of relevant
textbooks, inadequate preparation for examination and non-familiarization with
examination syllabus which was in essence attributed to wrong wayand manner
teachers teachchemistry, that the teachings did not stimulate and sustain
students’ interest in chemistry (Njoku 2007).The continuous record of students’
poor performance has attracted a lot of assertions (Nwagbo, 2002&Njoku,
2007).
The steady decline in students’ performance in chemistry and its related
subjects has remained a source of worry to the students, parents, teachers,
government and even Non-Governmental Organizations in Nigeria. According to
Asiyai (2005) teachers on their part haveused different teaching methods such
asdiscussion, questioning, guided discovery, expository etc. to enhance the
standard of achievement of students in external examinations like West African
Examination Council(WAEC),National Examination Council (NECO) etc. notwithstanding
these methods had not yielded expected results. These teaching methods include the
conventional lecture method which is predominantly used in most Nigerian
secondary schools due to the fact that most of the schools are over populated
and the chemistry classes are over crowed, the chemistry syllabus is wide and
the teaching time is often too short compared to the chemistry scheme, have not
been able to salvage the poor performance in chemistry.(Adesida,Agbaji, Atere-Roberts,
Bello, Dakare, Ihuoma, Kashim, Okonkwo, Otegbeye & Yabaya, 2002).
Interest has a lot to
do, if there is going to be a meaningful improvement in the teaching and
learning process of chemistry. According to Graber (2011), Piaget in 1974
considers interest a decisive factor in the learning process, he defines
interest as the dynamics of assimilation, and every process of equilibration is
based on interest. Together with many other authors it is believed that
developing interest in a topic is an important pre-condition for self-directed
learning as well as an important goal for school learning with regard to
life-long learning, out-of-school behaviour and choice of profession. Since
1965, Herbart’s modern pedagogy has emphasized the value of interest not only
as a means, but as an educational end in itself. Modern interest research has confirmed
Herbart’s conception, and that interest-based motivation to learn has positive
effect both on the studying process and on the quantity and quality of learning
outcomes (Hidi, Renninger & Krapp, 2004).Due to the steady decline on
interest in chemistry and in the sciences there is a decrease in enrolment in
sciences in general and chemistry in particular. Omoifo (2012), indicated poor
enrolment in sciences and technology education.
The question now is,
why is there high rate of poor performance in chemistry? Why do students have
low rate of interest in chemistry? Is it true that chemistry phenomenon are
also practiced at home? Do chemistry go beyond the four walls of the schools?
Do the students know that the process of heating (cooking/warming) of our
popular bean cake (i.emoi-moi, a common African delicacy) is called water-bath
in chemistry? Dothe students know that the warm feelings they get when they add
detergents to small quantity of water is an illustration of exothermic reaction
taking place between the water molecules and the detergent? Do the students
know that addition of limestone when cooking (eg beans, unripe plantain etc)
act as a method of increasing the rate of the chemical reaction taking place?Do
the students know that the process of boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow
the liquid to get dried leaving only the
tomato is an example of separation technique in chemistry called evaporation
process? Do the students know that the process of putting stainless steel spoon
or nail into meat while boiling increases the rate of reaction and the
stainless steel spoon or nail acts as a catalyst? Do the students know that the
process of preparation of our African delicacy fufu through cassava is a
chemical process called fermentation? Do the students know that the burning of
materials in the presence of air (oxygen) is also a chemical phenomenon called
combustion? Do the students know that the process of rusting of clean nail when
it has been exposed to air and water is an example of a chemical change? This is just to mention but a few common
cases whereby students’ home chemistry(i.e. local practice) is related to their
school chemistry. This goes to show that principles in chemistry are applied in
our day to day activities even in our various homes. Therefore, will
incorporating local practices enhance students’ interest and achievement in
chemistry?
Statement
of Problem
A look through science
education literatures in the past two decades and summaries of chief examiners’
reports of results by external examination bodies for exampleWest African
Examination Council (WAEC), indicate that all is not well in the teaching and
learning process of chemistry.
Poor performance of
students in chemistry as a subject is on the rise. On an average scale,more
than 40% of students who sat for chemistry in the senior secondary school
examinations fail. Poor performance as recorded by WACE is also collaborated by
results from National Examination Council (NECO), (Omoifo, 2012).
Poor enrolment in
chemistry and its related courses is a clear indication that there is a great
problem of lack of interest. For the fact that chemistry principles are used in
our day to day human activities and its peculiarity in the field of sciences
students ought tobe very much interested in chemistry and the level of
enrolment ought to be high. But over the years enrolment in the subject has
been poor, indicating that the level of interest has significantly dropped. The
inability of students to relate chemistry lessons to local practices in their
day to day home environment is also worrisome. Will incorporating local
practices enhance students’ interest and achievement in chemistry?
To this effect, this study
therefore, is an attempt to incorporate local practices (chemistry at home) in
the teaching of chemistry at school.
Research
Questions
The following research questions will
guide the study:
1. Will
there be a difference in achievement of students taught chemistry by
incorporating local practices (experimental group) and students taught
chemistry without local practices (control group)?
2. Will
there be a difference in interest of students taught chemistry by incorporating
local practices (experimental group) and students taught chemistry without
local practices (control group)?
3. Will
there be gender difference in achievement in incorporating local practices?
4. Will
there be gender difference in interest in incorporating local practices?
Research
Hypothesis
The following
hypotheses will be tested at 0.05level of significance.
Ho1: There is no significant difference
in achievements between students taught chemistry by incorporating local
practices (experimental group) and students taught chemistry without local
practices (control group).
Ho2: There is no significant difference
in interest between
students taught chemistry by incorporating local practices (experimental group)
and students taught chemistry without local practices (control group).
Ho3: There is no significant difference
in achievementin gender amongst students taught chemistry by incorporating
local practices
Ho4: There is no significant
difference in interest in gender amongst students taught chemistry by
incorporating local practices.
Purpose
of the Study
This paper is aimed at finding outthe effect of instructional strategy in cooperating
local practises on interest and achievement in chemistry. To achieve this stated goal, the paper will especially
examine the need to ignite, stimulate and sustain students’ interest towards
the learning of the subject. It will also assess the impact of gender and
students’ home environment on the achievement of the students in relation to
their disposition and perception of the subject.
Significance of the
Study
The
findings of the study will be significant in the following ways:
1.
To
the chemistry teacher, this study will generally help in guiding and directing
the teacher in the preparation of the lesson plan in ensuring to add
instructional skills/materials that will relate to students’ local practice in
their home environment to ignite, stimulate, sustain and develop student’s
interest thereby improving the achievement of the students in chemistry in
particular and sciences in general.
2.
It
will demonstrate to the teachers the need to improvise on instructional
techniques that will relate chemistry to students’ local practices in their
home environment.
3.
To
the chemistry students, the study will be of immense value to them since it
will bring to their notice that chemistry phenomena in their lessons are what
they are locally used to in their environment, this will develop genuine
interest in chemistry classes if effective and efficient learning is going to
take place, for them to retain what is learnt better and improve on their
achievements.
4.
To
the curriculum planner, the findings of this study will make it necessary now
than before to specify appropriate instructional strategies for enhancing
students’ interest and making the subject students centered. This will in turn
help teachers/students develop interest in chemistry classes.
5.
To
the Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, the findings of this study
will provide a different point of view if the issue of poor performance of
students in chemistry and sciences in general is to be tackled holistically. It
will emphasize the need for organizing policies, seminars, lectures, workshops,
etc. that will be aimed at developing/improving students interest in chemistry
for the nation to advance to a higher
level in science and technology
6.
To
future researchers, the findings of this study will be a source of method,
materials and reference for studies on similar topics.
Scope and Delimitation
The term “class” as used in this
research refers to both theory classes and laboratory classes in secondary
school. Thus, the scope of the present study will be limited to chemistry as
experienced by students in secondary school chemistry classes.
This study will be carried out in
Yenagoa Local Government Area, one out of the Eight Local Government Areas in
Bayelsa State. This local government is chosen because it comprises more
secondary schools in the state being the capital of the state. The class of
interest is Senior Secondary II (SSII) chemistry classes.
The content area to be covered in
this study will be delimited to chemistry S.S.II. Scheme of work from week II
to week V topics.