TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

 

Abstract

The study examines the influence of teachers’ variables and the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area. The population for the study consisted of all the teachers in all the secondary schools in the study area. The total population was one hundred and eighty six (186) teachers. The study employed survey research design in carrying out the study. Three research questions were raise to guide the study. The sample size for the study was eighteen (18) integrated science teachers drawn from all the nine (9) secondary schools in the study area.

The instrument used in gathering the needed data for the study was Teachers’ Variables and Teaching/Learning of Integrated Science Questionnaire (TVTLISQ). Data collated was analyze using simple percentage statistical method. The result of the findings revealed that teachers’ variables such as qualification, years of teaching experience and gender have significant influence on teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in EketLocal government Area. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that experiences teachers with professional qualification, should teach in secondary schools.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE              —       –        –        –        –        –        –

CERTIFICATION         –        —       –        –        –        –        I

DEDICATION               –        —       –        –        –        –        -II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS     —       –        –        –        –        -III

ABSTRACT                  –        —       –        –        –        –        -iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS –      –        –        –        –        –      v-vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background to the Study – –        –        –        –        1

1.2  Statement of the Problem – –        –        –        –        4

1.3  Purpose of the Study- –        –        –        –        –        6

1.4  Significance of the Study- –        –        –        –        6

1.5  Research Questions – –        –        –        –        –        7

1.6  Delimitation of the Study – –        –        –        –        8

1.7  Limitation of the Study –    –        –        –        9

1.8  Definition of Operational Terms –        –        –      –      –   9

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1  The Concepts of teachers’ variables – –        —       11     

2.2  Influence of teachers qualification and teaching/learning of Integrated Science in Secondary Schools- –        –        15     

2.3     Influence of teachers’ years of experience and the teaching/learning of Integrated Science in Secondary Schools-          –        –        –        –        –        –        –        –          19

2.4  Influence of teachers’ Gender and the teaching/learning of integrated Science in Secondary Schools- –        –        22

2.5  Summary of literature review- – –        –        –        27

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

3.1     Research Design –          –        –        –        –        –        19

3.2     Area of the Study –        –        –        –        –        –        –        31

3.3     Population of the Study –                  –        –        –        –        31

3.4     Sample and Sampling technique –     –        –        –        32

3.5     Instrument for Data Collection –       –        –        –        32

3.6     Validation of the Instrument – –        –        –        –        33

3.7     Administration of Instrument –         –        –        –        –        33

3.8     scoring of the instrument –      –        –        –        –        34

3.8     Method of Data Analysis –      –        –        –        –        34     

 

CHAPTER FOUR:  DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1     Data Presentation Analysis-    –        –        –        –        35

4.2     Discussion of Findings-           –        –        –        –        40

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1     Summary    –        –        –        –        –        –        –        45

5.2     Conclusion –        –        –        –        –        –        –        46

5.3     Recommendations –       –        –        –        –        –        47

          References

Appendices

 

TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the study

Education is an investment on human being, the investment and characteristics of education given by the society can easily be assessed by the quality of its products. The input is assessed by the output. It is a truism that the success of an education system depends on effective and efficient utilization of quality and quantity resources is the human capital and the technical capital used in attainment of educational goals and objectives. The degree of provision and utilization of education input may affect the performance of a school and its programs.

The concept of teaching has been an area of intense philosophical analysis by philosophers and educationalist all over the world. This has been so to carve a place of pride for pedagogies function of the teacher and to distinguish the teaching activity of the teacher from that given by parents, churches and other agencies. According to Okoye (1985) and Ekanem (2016), sees teaching simply as the art of helping others learn effectively. The word is important because he uses appropriate strategies and techniques in facilitating learning can improve the quality and quantity of learning. According to him, this, concept of teaching implies that it is a set stimuli initiated by and regulated by an individual who has been professionally trained to do so. So teaching strategies are learned and not automatically manifested by individuals

          Okon (2012) and Akimboye (2015) hold similar views that the teacher interacts with the learner in the learning environment through series of activities which makes teaching a complex phenomenon. Hence, effective teaching behavior involves many activities which are not manifested automatically, since even the innate abilities or natural skill are not sufficient in themselves for one to be a teacher. Perhaps, the significant ly not that the pedogical role of the teacher is not a haphazard one, but has to be undertaken in a morally acceptable manner in a way to show understanding of the peculiar characteristics of the learners.

          Okorie (2009) defined teaching as the guidance of studies through planned activities so that they may acquire the richest learning possible from their experience. This implies that no teacher can give education to a child. It is an attempt to help someone acquire or change some skill, attitude, knowledge, idea or application. In other words, the teacher’s task is to create or influence desirable changes in behaviour or in tendencies towards behaviour in his students. This implies that success in teaching is measured by the degree to which the teacher is able to achieve the desired learning in his students. In order to achieve the objective, the teacher must know how to select the content and the method to use.

           Availability of qualified teachers determined the performance of students in schools, teachers involve in service were more effective in classroom as compare to teachers who had not undergone training. Teachers’ attitude contributes significantly in students’ attention in classroom. This therefore means that teacher’s attitude directly affected the teaching of integrated science in secondary schools. On teachers’ personality, teachers’ variables are strongly determine of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Scholars which include teachers’ administration perform a critical role in educational achievement than other variables. The important role of teacher in the teaching is unquestionable.

Teachers should have and apply specific abilities without which their influence may not be reflected in the subject in schools. For students to be able to make connection between what is taught in schools and it application in problem solving in real life, the teacher has to be effective in the teaching. There has been no consensus on the importance of specific teacher variable leading to the common conclusion that the existing empirical role does not find a strong role of teacher in the determination of effective teaching and learning in school. It is against this background that the study sought to investigate the influence of teachers’ variables and the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket local Government Area.

 

TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.2  Statement of the Problem

Over the years students’ achievement in integrated science has prompted educational researchers to continuously make relentless effort at identifying mitigating factors that might account for the observed poor performance. Some research studies suggest that factors inside and outside the classroom affect students’ achievement and their interest in the learning. Among other variables identified are: students’ poor study habits, low self-esteem, teachers’ factors (teachers’ variables), shortage of qualified, inadequate teaching and learning facilities in schools, home factors, school environmental factors and many others. Despite their efforts, student continue to exhibit poor performance in the subject.

In this vein, teachers’ factor (teachers’ variables) has been linked to be one of the causes of students’ poor performance, in this sense there is need to look into quality of teachers in our secondary schools because effective teaching elicit effective learning. Teacher is the principle initiator of learning. Therefore this study is designed to survey teachers’ variables on the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area.

 

1.3  Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ variables and the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. determining the teachers’ qualification and teaching/learning integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area
2. ascertaining the influence of teachers’ years of experience and teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area
3. determining the influence teachers’ gender and the teaching/learning of integrate science in secondary schools in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area

 

TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.4   Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to the following people, teachers, students and the government in the following ways:

1. It will help in sensitizing teachers on the influence of teachers’ variables in teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools.
2. The findings of the study will enable ministries to restrategize towards enhancing meaningful teaching/learning by organizing seminar etc on teachers’ variables and learning of integrated science.
3. It will create awareness among teachers to realize that their input make or mar students’ performance in schools.
4. It will also encourage teachers to adopt student-centered approach in teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary school.
5. The study will serve as best data for future researchers in the field of integrated science or related discipline.

1.5  Research Questions

In order to guide the study, the following research questions were posed to guide the study

1. To what extent does teachers’ qualification affect teaching/learning integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area?
2. To what extent does teachers’ years of experience affect teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area?
3. To what extent does teachers’ gender affect teaching/learning of integrate science in secondary schools in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area?

 

1.6     Research Hypotheses

In order to guide the study, the following research hypotheses were posed to guide the study;

1. There is no significant effect of teachers’ qualification in the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area
2. There is no significant effect of teachers’ years of experience in the teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools in Eket Local government Area
3. There is no significant effect of teachers’ gender in the teaching/learning of integrate science in secondary schools in in Eket Local government Area

 

TEACHERS’ VARIABLES AND THE TEACHING/LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.6     Limitation of the Study                  

The researcher encountered challenges in the course of carrying out this research work.

Availability of research materials: the research material available to the researcher was insufficient, this limited the study.

Time: the time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examination with the study.

Finance: the finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.

1.7     Delimitation of the Study

This study focuses on the effect of teachers’ variables and the teaching/learning of integrated Science is secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area. The study considered only public secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area.

 

1.8     Operational Definition of Terms

Teaching: this is seen as scientific process that involves the systematic planning and programming of instruction and experience and the use of technological tools that will lead learners to acquire certain new and variable skills, knowledge and competence both mental and physical.

Learning: this is the process of acquiring new or modifying existing, knowledge, behaviours, skills, values or preferences.

Teachers’ variable: this is referred to as qualities that can be measured with test or derived from their academic or professional records.

Teacher: this is a person involves in an attempt to bringing out desirable change in human learning ability and behaviours.

Teachers Qualification: This involves the level of education in which a teacher earned credentials from an authoritative source from the lower to the higher level.

Teachers Gender: This is a teacher of either of the sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological one.

Teaching Experience: This is defined as all activities undertaken by the teachers in the pre and past teacher training exercise. It also includes participation in all participation in professional development activities geared towards equipping the teacher for better service delivery.