FACTORS
ASSOCIATED WITH MASS FAILURE OF STUDENT IN CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, GGSS
SALANTO, KMC LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KANO, NIGERIA.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
The performance of students
in Senior Secondary Sciences in Nigeria has remained an issue of concern to all
stake holders (Ajagun, 2000). The report by Ojerinde (1998) on the survey of
the performance of candidates in Chemistry subjects in Nigeria over the years
revealed a discernible decline. This perennial decline has remained a source of
concern to Science educators and Chemistry educators (Nnaka and Anaekwe, 2004).
One of the major problems;
facing the educational system in Nigeria is the abysmal failure of students in
public examinations, particularly at the secondary level of education.
According to Uduh (2009), the high percentage of candidates who failed WASSCE
yearly is reflected in the low percentage of the candidates that meets the
university admission requirements. The situation is so pathetic that
stakeholders keep on wondering why this level of education has persistently
failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the society. Apart from the
fact that the mass failure of students in public examinations constitutes
wastage on investment in secondary education, it puts a big question mark on
the quality of secondary education in the country. Each time the results of
students in Senior school Certificate Examination (SSCE) are released, it has
been a tale of woes and national embarrassment.
Despite the effort put in
by government, and various stakeholders of education, Chemistry still remained
one of the most difficult subject in schools. There is a general impression
that Chemistry is difficult by its very nature, and because of this impression,
there is poor performance among junior secondary school students who are the
focus of this study. This poor performance in Chemistry has been attributed to
two broad factors which include: Hereditary and environmental factors which can
be subdivided into students, home, teachers, and school factors (Ola, 1998).
However, students reason
that Chemistry is highly structured and is so abstract and required special
intellectual attitude. Thus; students see the subject as something esoteric.
Emenalo (1986) in Nwogu (1990) articulated the fact that inherent notion held
by many Africans that Chemistry is a very difficult subject which is capable of
making one “mad” is at the centre of the phobia which students exhibits for
Chemistry and which had claimed many causalities over the years, Nworgu
(1990:123), therefore passes the question: “how them would any person in
fairness expect our poor and innocent children to be as courageous as to face
something which is capable of making even an adult mad? The students would
prefer to do something else no matter how difficult rather than to attend
Chemistry classes.
Most parents do not play a
crucial role in preparing their children for school. The child is expected to
see the world from the perspective of these archaic values and the goodness of
otherwise of his behaviour is judged as such. Opposition from the child arises
from what appears to him obsolete and defense of traditionalism by the parents.
For example, Whaler (1997) argues that consistent and appropriate parental
reactions to the full range of a child’s response repertoire will establish a
family context conducive to positive reinforcement of child compliance. In
contrast, inconsistent parental reactions appear to create a chaotic family
context conducive to the negative reinforcement of child opposition. He argues
that based on these two forms of contexts, the parent and children seen to
generate distinctive personal rules which outline the functions arrangements of
contexts, behavior.
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Perhaps not much attention
has been given to the performance of students in secondary school Chemistry
subject in recent years. This neglect, no doubt has relegated this Chemistry
subject to the background in Secondary School Certificate Examination. A close
look at the 2013/2014 SSCE result records, confirms that students’ performance
has been very poor generally and the increased number of school dropout in the
area of study is a clear pointer of the theme.
According to Okpala (2010),
poor performance in Secondary School Certificate Examination (WAEC) is caused
by many factors such as; students ineffective study techniques, quality of
teachers and method of teaching, the parents inability to provide useful
materials like textbooks, exercise books and school fees and problem of
inadequate instructional materials for teaching and learning of Chemistry in
schools. This study therefore is designed to assess the factors associated with
mass failure of Chemistry in Secondary School Certificate Examination.
PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of this
study is to find out the factors associated with mass failure of student in
Chemistry in Secondary Schools in KMC Local Government, Kano State.
Specifically, the study sought to find out if:-
1. Insufficient
numbers of qualified teachers affects students’ mass failure in Chemistry
subjects.
2. Unavailability
of instructional materials for teaching of Chemistry subject affects students’ mass
failure in Chemistry subjects,
3. The
previous socio-economic backgrounds of the students affect them in studying
Chemistry subject.
4. The
attitude and interest of students towards the nature of Chemistry subject
contribute deeply to their mass failure in SSCE.
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
In assessing the purpose of
the study, this research project will answer the following questions:
1. Does
insufficient numbers of qualified Chemistry teachers affects students’ mass
failure in Chemistry subject?
2. Does
unavailability of instructional materials for teaching of Chemistry subject
affects students’ mass failure in Chemistry subjects?
3. Does
previous socio-economic background of the students affect them in studying
Chemistry subject?
4. How would
interest of students towards the nature of Chemistry subject contribute deeply
to their mass failure in SSCE?
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
In carrying out this
research work the following theoretical statements are buttressed to serve as a
direction on which the work will be premised:
1. H0: Insufficient numbers of qualified Chemistry
teachers does not affects students’ mass failure of students in Chemistry
subject
H1: Insufficient
numbers of qualified Chemistry teachers and instructional materials teaching
affects Chemistry subject.
2. H0: There
is no significant relationship between availability of instructional materials
for teaching of Chemistry subject and students’ mass failure in Chemistry
subjects.
H1: There is
significant relationship between availability of
instructional materials for teaching of Chemistry subject and students’ mass
failure in Chemistry subjects.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The student will be able to
appreciate the importance of the effective domain like interest and motivation
in improving their performance. With this awareness, the student might put up a
positive attitude towards Chemistry subject which will increase their
performance and enhance higher grades in Secondary School Certificate
Examination.
Teachers will also be able
to adjust their teaching methods and offer remedial helps where they find out
those students are putting up a low attitude. State Government will also see
the need of guidance and counseling in each schools, the ministry of education
and curriculum planners for better organization of
junior subjects in education.
SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study
focused on factors associated with mass failure of student in Chemistry in
Secondary Schools in KMC, Local Government. The study will be confined to five
selected Secondary Schools in Education District II, KMC, Kano.
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Education: Education
in its general sense is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills, and
habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next
through teaching, training or through research.
Failure: A person
or thing that proves unsuccessful
Teacher: A teacher
or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for students.
Education: Education
in its general sense is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills,, and
habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next
through teaching, training or through research.
Student: A person
who is studying at a university or other place of higher education.