Identification Of Difficult Teaching And Learning Topics In Senior Secondary School Curricula In Nigeria.
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Identification Of Difficult Teaching And Learning Topics In Senior Secondary School Curricula In Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to identify tough themes in senior high school curricula in Enugu, Nigeria. (A case study of SS3 curricula in chemistry, physics, and English language). The study was guided by two research questions and a single hypothesis.
The survey design was used for the investigation. A sample of 16 subject teachers and 200 pupils were taken from the 16 senior secondary schools of SS3 in the Enugu South and Enugu North Local Government Areas.
A systematic questionnaire was utilised to collect data, which was then analysed using percentages, mean deviation, and a t-test for hypothesis. According to the study’s findings, most teachers did not cover those areas as students, thus they are hesitant to teach those tough topics in physics, chemistry, and English language. The following recommendations have been made:
Teachers should attend workshops, seminars, and conferences. Resource workers should be used to teach difficult topics, and they should be given enough instructional materials to help them teach and learn.
The study’s methodologies should also be applied to promote the teaching and learning of physics, chemistry, English language, and other science disciplines in senior secondary schools.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
According to Horny (2000), “identification is defined as the process of showing, providing or recognising who or what somebody or something is”.
As a result, identifying difficult teaching and learning topics in SS3 physics, chemistry, and English language curricula in Nigeria can be defined as the process of demonstrating, providing, or recognising difficult topics in SS3 physics, chemistry, and English language curricula.
However, in order to identify the tough teaching and learning themes in SS3 physics, chemistry, and English language curricula, we must consider how various educationists have defined the term curriculum.
According to Hosford (2005) and Badmus (2006), a curriculum is a collection of experiences designed to influence learners towards an organization’s aim. However, Lawis and Niel (2002), referenced in Akanybon (2007), define curriculum as a set of intents concerning possibilities for a person to be educated with other people and things (all bearers of knowledge, process, skills, and values) in a specific arrangement of time and space.
Tanner and Tanner (2000), as cited by Akangbon (2007), define curriculum as a cumulative tradition of organised knowledge, modes of thought, a planned learning environment, cognitive/affective content and process, an instructional plan, instructional outcomes, and a technological production system.
As a result, the character of the society and the nature of the learner must influence the curriculum’s content and means of presentation.
Chemistry is one of the three major branches of pure sciences, alongside biology and physics. Chemistry is concerned with the constitution, characteristics, and uses of matter. It investigates the principles underlying the transformations that matter experiences.
As a result, it is not appropriate for individuals who teach chemistry in schools to be directly concerned with the economic future of the countries they serve.
However, students want to accomplish useful things and will benefit from being shown how they may contribute to a thriving sector of their country’s industry. This gives an additional reason to educate chemistry in school.
Chemistry, on the other hand, is a difficult topic to teach and learn for both instructors and students. Because some chemical phrases cannot be observed or related to physical activities, teachers and students find it difficult to teach and learn about certain chemistry topics. In other words, some chemical topics are taught and learnt via mathematical expression and critical thinking.
Physics is the science that studies physical things and substances, as well as natural forces like light, heat, and measurement. Because physics is dependent on precise measurements, each such measurement requires two components: first, a member or quantity, and second, a unit.
All disciplines of it unavoidably deal with problems whose solutions are frequently intended to help humanity. Unfortunately, some SS3 students do not register for the subject in the SSCE exams because they find some of the concepts difficult to understand. According to Charles and Chester (2001), there are numerous reasons for students’ low performance in physics, including:
Psychological aspects include confidence, cognitive style, decisiveness, ideational fluency, intellectual capacity attitude, curiosity, and so on.
English language is the most important subject beyond primary school because it serves as the medium of instruction for all other disciplines. It is thus the subject that serves as a foundation for all other subjects. According to Anibueze (2007), various problems arise throughout the teaching and learning of English. These difficulties are classified as:
– The problem in Equivocation: it refers to the difficulty pupils and teachers face while reading the meanings of words, sentences, and chapters.
– The challenge in elocution: it relates to the difficulties that pupils anticipate when practicing oral delivery or using the English language.
– Transliteration issues: This is a difficulty that arises due to the intervention of the mother tongue.
– The problem of expression: This is a problem in which people do not fall into a pattern or procedure that other people will understand, and do not convey their ideas, opinions, talks, feelings, and facts clearly. And others.
According to Anibueze (2007), there are obstacles that impede efficient teaching and learning of English and other disciplines. Such factors are:
– There is a problem with inadequate listening and speaking skills. Teachers have no documented Standard English utterances for teaching the language. There is no teacher-modeled reading for children to listen to in the classroom.
There is no radio or television in the classroom, and students are encouraged to communicate in English, although they frequently listen to distorted or incorrect English.
Some students frequently use code-switching or code-mixing when utilising the language. They occasionally choose ridiculous variations of English from home video, radio, television programming, and films; much of what they listen to is horrible.
– Their native speech habits and linguistic communities influence their spoken English skills. In other words, their mother tongue influences their spoken words. They also have issues with psychologists.
– Students are taught without any teaching aids or instructional resources. The library contains some archaic materials that are unrelated to current topics, syllabuses, or work schemes, making teaching and learning difficult.
The effective use of various methodologies in the classroom contributes significantly to the participation of the three domains (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor), which invariably leads to the achievement of chemistry, physics, and English language teaching and learning goals.
Students and teachers also stated that the topics are challenging because instructional materials for teaching and learning them are in insufficient supply, and those that are accessible are not being used correctly.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Most of our senior secondary school certificate examinations have a high failure rate in chemistry, physics, and English language curriculum; both students and teachers of chemistry, physics, and English language complain about difficulties with the topics. The most common issues in teaching and studying chemistry, physics, and English language are:
i. Students perform poorly in senior high school certificate examinations in physics, chemistry, and English language.
ii. Low enrolment in physics and chemistry in the senior high school certificate test.
iii. A scarcity of qualitative and quantitative instructional materials for teaching chemistry, physics, and English language.
iv. A lack of qualified teachers to teach chemistry, physics, and English at the senior secondary school level.
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The objectives of this investigation are to find out:
a. Difficult topics in senior secondary school three (SS3) include chemistry, physics, and English language curricula.
b. Suggestions for effective teaching and learning of challenging topics in chemistry, physics, and English language curricula at senior secondary school level three (SS3).
1.4 Significance of the Study
The identification of topics that teachers find difficult to teach in Nigeria’s senior secondary chemistry, physics, and English language curricula, as well as potential solutions to the problem, will go a long way towards resolving the issue of ineffective teaching of all aspects of chemistry, physics, and English language, as well as improving students’ performance in internal and external examinations such as WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and so on. Furthermore, the study would be significant for:
1. The findings could serve as the basis for organising seminars and utilising resource individuals to teach some tough topics.
2. It will also assist teachers who did not cover those areas as students to overcome their apprehension about teaching tough topics in chemistry, physics, and English.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
The research questions that led the study were as follows:
a. What are the most challenging topics in the senior secondary school three (SS3) chemistry, physics, and English language curricula, according to Nigerian science teachers?
b. What are some ideas for effective teaching and learning of tough topics in chemistry, physics, and English language in senior secondary school curricula?
1.6 Hypotheses
1. There is no substantial difference in the average answer of qualified teachers and learners to tough issues in senior secondary school III chemistry, physics, and English language.
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