EFFECT OF TEACHING METHODS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The primary purpose of teaching at any level of education is to bring a fundamental change in the learner (Tebabel and Kahssay, 2011). To facilitate the process of knowledge transmission, teachers should apply appropriate method of teaching that best suit specific objectives. The professional goal of all teachers is to enhance their effectiveness in the classroom. Effectiveness, in teaching will be an illusion if the principles in involved in the teaching process are not property addressed. Actually, the teachers’ role is to guide. This he does by arousing the students interest to participate fully by establishing attainable goals, by giving them both stimulus and opportunity to ask questions and obtain information by analyzing their problems and proposing solution by practicing skills, by marking judgment and by evaluating progress.
Teaching is an attempt to help someone acquire or change some skill, attitude, knowledge idea or appreciation. In other words, the teachers’ task is to create or influence desirable changes in behavior or in tendencies toward behavior in his students. This implies that success in teaching is measured by the degree to which the teacher is able to achieve the desire leaning in his students. In order to achieve this objective, the teacher must know the type of learning needed by his students and how to bring about such learning. Thus, the teacher must know to select the content and method to use (Starr, 2001).
Moreover, research on teaching and learning constantly endeavor to examine the extent to which different method of teaching enhance growth in student learning. Quite remarkable regular poor academic performance by the majority of students is fundamentally lined application of ineffective methods of teaching by teachers to impact knowledge to learners (Adunola, 2011). Substantial research on the effectiveness of methods of teaching indicates that quality of teaching is often reflected by the achievement of learners according to Ayeni (2011), teaching is a process that involves bringing about desirable changes in learners so as to achieve specific outcome. In order for the method used for teaching to be effective, Adunola (2011) maintains that teachers need to be conversant with numerous teaching strategies that take recognition of the magnitude of complexity of the concept to be covered.
The Nigeria Certificate in Education/Distance learning system course book defines a methods of teaching as a process of selecting, directing, controlling and evaluating the experiences of the child to achieve desirable outcome. (Eddie 2006). To achieve the objectives of education as stated by the federal government of Nigeria in National Policy on Education (2014) that serious efforts must be made to ensure that proper teaching process take place in the school. This implies that conducive learning environment must be put in place and appropriate methods must be adopted (Oilsamalia, 2001).
Research as Reid and Shahi (2007) have show that most rewarding approach on teaching physics is a method that actually involves students participation, resulting in new discovery through activities and discussion. A large amount of research on the effectiveness of methods of teaching indicates that the quality of teaching often reflected in the learner achievements.
In his view (Adunola, 2011),asserts that regular poor academic performance by most students is likely linked to application of ineffective teaching to be effective (Adunola, 2011) also opine that teacher need to be in full knowledge of numerous teaching strategies that take recognition of the magnitude of complexity of the concepts to be observed.
However methodology is very vital in any teaching/learning process. The method uses by a teacher may promote or hinder learning of Physics in N sit Ubium Local Government Area. There are different techniques for effective and efficient teaching. These methods include: problem solving method, demonstration method, lecture method and discussion method etc. Selection of appropriate techniques of physics instruction depends on theoretical the competence of the teacher to handle the technique and the nature of instruction itself. As such, this research intends to highlight how methods of teaching influence academic performance of physics students in Secondary school in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Academic performance are somewhat associated with methods of teaching for instance, students with better academic performances scored higher in concrete experience, abstract conceptualization and reflective observation than those with poorer academic performance (Cano and Justiceca, 2003). Consequently, students taught with ineffective methods of teaching might end up having poor academic performance in physics.
Physics is a subject that deals mostly with the physical properties of matter and energy hence; there are need for the adoption of methods that will sufficiently convey this message to the understanding of the students. The efficient transfer of knowledge here requires some instructional strategies. The physics teacher needs to acquire competence in his methods teaching. These competencies includes: contents competence, competence in transferring the content to the learner and mostly competence in the use of variety of methods of teaching.
Students’ persistent poor performance in physics has been the main concern of this research. Derek (reported the seriousness of the deplorable performance of secondary school students in physics and identifies persistent use of the traditional mode of in instruction as one of the major short coming that affects the learning and higher achievement in physics which has been partly ascribed to inadequate teaching and instructional methods adopted by physics teachers. In view of this the study tries to examine the effect of Teaching Methods on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance in Physics.
