ABSTRACT: This study examined effect of environmental variables and effective teaching of chemistry. This study was specifically designed to find out how variable such as school location and class size affect the effective teaching of chemistry. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, two hypotheses were used formulated to guide the study. Questionnaire was the instrument used to obtained data from the respondents. The data was analyzed using simple percentage statistical tool and subsequent interpretation revealed that the hypothesis were rejected showing that both class size and school location affect the effective teaching of chemistry in Secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
Effect of Environmental Variables and Effective Teaching of Chemistry
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Education enable individual to contribute to the development and improvement in the quality of life for themselves, their communities and the nation as a whole. Secondary education is no doubt the foundation of tertiary education. It is an essential component of human capital and it plays an important role in economic growth and development of a country.
A study conducted by Ekpo (2012) posited that educational philosophy and principles have become central to international education reforms as every as every nation seeks quality product and serves through this educational renewal and school instruction.
Environmental variables refers to variables within the surrounding that influence the teaching – learning process. The environment variables includes; school location, inadequacy of physical facilities, class size, availability of teachers, classrooms, library, teacher quality, teaching methods among others variables that can affect the teaching –learning process (Ajay, 2011). The extent to which teachers teach could be enhanced depending on what the environment provides to the teachers as well as to the learners.
A well planned school will gear up expected out comes of education that will facilitate good social, political and economic emancipation, effective teaching and academic performance of the learners.
Relating this study to international occurrences (Sunday 2014) stated that as developing countries talk of awareness and wastage due to illiteracy of the parents, the develop countries have concentrated in finding their education without fear of any wastage or poor enrolment.
In developing countries, poor learning environment have always been identifies as key factors that lead to poor performance in public schools (UNICEF 2003). This is due to over strictly of the available resources due to increased enrolment in Nigeria, physical characteristics of the school have a variety of effect on the teachers, students and the learning process. Poor lighting, noise, high level of carbon-dioxide in classroom and in consistent temperature makes teaching – learning process difficult. Beyond the direct effects that poor facilities have on teachers and students ability to learn, the uncomfortable and an inviting workplace for the learners also have an effect on the teaching – learning process.
Unless the teaching – learning environment is inadequately provide with physical facilities and instructional materials effective teaching and learning may not take place.
Effective teaching process may not take place when dropout rate and absenteeism seems to be high and this effects the performance of teachers. This cause the researcher to carried out this research in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area. of Akwa Ibom State to see how the environment variables affects the teaching of chemistry.
Effect of Environmental Variables and Effective Teaching of Chemistry
1.2 Statement of the problem
The introduction of free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom State is based on the rationale of the overall policy goal of achieving meaningful education for all and the national government’s commitment to the attainment of millennium development goals (MDGS) as stipulated in the national policy of education (NPE) 2013.
Despite efforts made to ensure each child attends school by providing force secondary education, there are learners who still fails to attends school on regular basis (Nyokal, 2012). Effective teaching may not guarantee when the rate of absenteeism among teachers and learners repetition and dropout is high in schools. If teaching is not improved, then the local government will lack behind both in social and economic development in the area of chemistry over the years learners from this local government area have been performing poorly in the WAEC examination. No study known to the researcher has been conducted in environmental variables and how it affects the teaching of chemistry in Essein Udim Local Government Area hence, the reason why this research is carried out.