IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFICULT TEACHING AND LEARNING TOPIC IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TECHNICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN NIGERIA

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The period from mid 1968 to mid 1970 in the life of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) was characterized by boisterous activity in the review of the curriculum, Gbamanja (1991). Subject committee were setup to consider both the changing needs of Nigerian pupils and international trends in their respective disciplines and drawing on their teaching expertise, to propose detailed guidelines for future science teaching.

The preliminary effort towards integrated science began with STAN committees working on separate disciplines of physics, chemistry and biology. In terms of these other subjects, which are integrated science and computer science, there has been some difficulties in the teaching and learning of topics in the junior secondary because of some problems that has face them in the system. These are some of the problems; lack of materials is also one of the major problems facing the junior secondary school, for examples textbook, workbooks for practical etc. Like for the part of the computer science after learning without practical with the computer machine, it will be difficult for the students to really understand it. The teacher's guidelines will also help, because it helps the teachers to know what to do in any particular session and how to follow it.

Integrated science is a science subject, which is all about practical and also is divided into three major branches, which are Biology, Chemistry and Physics, these particular subjects make up what we call integrated science in the junior secondary school levels. Also poor attitude of the students also is one of the problems that contribute in the difficult teaching and learning of topics in the junior secondary schools, because some students due to their poor attitude in that particular can bring about poor performance in the subject, thereby making the students not to understand the subject. Non-use of instructional materials also contributes to the difficult and learning topics in junior secondary schools integrated science and computer science, it makes the students performance very poor in terms of their junior secondary schools certificate examination in the system.

In this particular research, they researchers would wish to find out if lack of students attitude towards integrated science and computer science can cause the difficult teaching and learning topics in the junior secondary school integrated science and computer science in the system. Whether lack of the use of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of integrated science and computer science can also be the causes of difficult in the teaching and learning of integrated and computer science, finally, whether lack of proper teaching method can also cause the difficult in the teaching and learning of topics in the junior secondary school integrated science and computer science.

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1.2 Statement of Problems

The identification of difficult teaching and learning topic in the junior secondary school integrated science and computer science has been a problems to many teaching and learning topics in the both subjects, like Ochoha (1996) the research carried out by Odo (1995) and Onah (1997) maintain that student who enter for integrated science and computer science in the junior secondary school certificate examination perform very poor in this particular subject, it is because of some factors, which contribute to the poor standard of the students. These are some of the factors that contributed, first we have to identify the environmental factor, which also is one of the most important problem in the area of teaching and learning in the both subjects in the system, because some of the environments where these students study are not good for learning and because of that it makes the teaching and learning difficult for both the teachers and the students.

Also there is also other important factor, which is poor attitude of teachers towards the teaching of integrated science and computer science and the poor attitude of students towards the subjects and some people like Okoro (1990), Okafor (1986) and Elechi (1993) say that one of the factors is lack of trained teachers in the system in integrated and computer science, other still say that one of the factors to be identified is non use of instructional material in the teaching and learning process of these particular topics in integrated science and computer science. On the other hand, Ugwu (1996) pointed out that due to these particular factors it has made the performance of the students in the junior secondary school to perform poor in the system, specially the junior secondary school certificate examination, students during the class three examination in the junior levels.

In the junior secondary school, class three, if this identifies factors should be looked into; it will enhance the teaching and learning of the topics in the system.

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1.3 Purpose of the study

1. Students attitude towards integrated science and computer science is the cause of difficulties in teaching and learning of difficulties in teaching and learning of topics in integrated science and computer science in the J.S.S 3 classes.
2. To also see if lack of trained teachers is responsible for the difficult in teaching and learning of topics in integrated science and computer science in J.S.S 3 classes.
3. To find out if lack of the use of instructional materials in the teaching of integrated science and computer science cause the difficult in the teaching and learning of topics in integrated science and computer science in J.S.S 3 classes.
4. To find out if the environmental factor is responsible for the difficult in teaching and learning of topics in the J.S.S 3 classes.
5. and to find out whether lack of proper teaching methods is the cause of difficult in the teaching and learning of topics in the both subjects in J.S.S 3 classes.

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1.4 Significance of the study

The finding of this study if applied should point out some of the or identify some of the difficulties in teaching and learning topics in the junior secondary school integrated science and computer science, and also things that can enhance the teaching and learning of topics in the integrated science and computer science in the JSS3 classes.

The finding of the study will help the educational administrators in policy formulation and provide them with the true factors responsible for the difficulties in these various topics in the teaching and learning of integrated science and computer science in the system. This will enable the educational administrators and planners in formulating the policy on curriculum development in the teaching and learning of integrated science and computer science in the junior secondary schools.

The findings of this particular study if applied will highlight and identify the difficulties in teaching and learning of topics in the both subjects, like for integrated science, topics like reproduction, cells in animals and plants, mechanics and properties of matter, energy, momentum, force, Newtons, Motion, friction e.t.c these are all in integrated science, while in computer science we have topics like internet programming languages, visual programming, algorithm and flowchart, the Qbasic character set, Qbasii operators expressions and statement, starting processing and library functions, transfer of execution and looping structures e.t.c.

Also the finding will allow the teachers to assess their method of teaching in integrated science and computer science.

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1.5 Scope of the study

This study covers the findings of identifying the difficulties in teaching and learning in integrated science and computer science in the junior secondary school, especially junior secondary school class three (3). Such difficulties are very important in term of studies in the junior secondary school, that is to say that both subject have encountered so much difficulties in terms of its studies in the system such difficulties include poor attitude of students towards the both subject this particular has contributed a lot in terms of difficult in the both subjects because of the student no zeal, it makes them have poor attitude towards the both subjects in the system.

Lack of trained teachers, this is also other important factor that bring about poor performance of students in these both subjects, because when a teacher is properly trained, he or she will be ready to give out the best to the students, but if he or she is not properly trained, it will affect the students negatively in the system thereby trained, it will affect the students negatively in the system thereby bringing about poor performance of the students in their various levels of the junior secondary school classes in the system. Non — use of instructional materials, this also bring about poor performance in terms of learning and teaching of integrated science and computer science, because without the materials been provided, it will make the students lack so many things like in terms of the practical aspect of the both subjects, etc.

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1.6 Research Questions

• To what extent does lack of use of instructional materials in integrated science and computer science, brought difficulties in teaching and learning of topics in these both subjects in the system?
• To what extent does student's attitude bring about difficulties in the teaching and learning of topics in integrated science and computer science in the J.S.S3 classes?
• To what extent does lack of trained teachers in integrated science and computer science bring about difficulties in teaching and learning topics in the both subjects in the junior secondary school class 3?
• To what extent has lack of proper teaching method in integrated science and computer science, bring about in the teaching and learning of topics in the both subjects in the J.S.S 3 in particular in the system?
• To what extent has lack of non-use of instructional materials in integrated science and computer science, bring about in the teaching and learning topics in the both subjects in the junior secondary school class 3?