ABSTRACT: The study examines the influence of Teachers’ Variables and the Teaching/Learning of Integrated Science in Secondary Schools. 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. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that experiences teachers with professional qualification, should teach in secondary schools.
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 significantly 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.
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.
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. Specifically, the study sought to:
- determining the teachers’ qualification and teaching/learning integrated science in secondary schools.
- ascertaining the influence of teachers’ years of experience and teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools.
- determining the influence teachers’ gender and the teaching/learning of integrate science in secondary schools in secondary schools.
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:
- It will help in sensitizing teachers on the influence of teachers’ variables in teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary schools.
- The findings of the study will enable ministries to re-strategize towards enhancing meaningful teaching/learning by organizing seminar etc on teachers’ variables and learning of integrated science.
- It will create awareness among teachers to realize that their input make or mar students’ performance in schools.
- It will also encourage teachers to adopt student-centered approach in teaching/learning of integrated science in secondary school.
- The study will serve as best data for future researchers in the field of integrated science or related discipline.
