CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          The role of chemistry in the development of any country including Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. With the increasing importance of chemistry to the unfolding world, the performance of Nigerian students in the subject at the secondary schools remain a dismal failure.

          However, it is disappointing to note that the students’ performance in chemistry at internal and external examination has remained considerably poor, despite its relative importance. (Saage 2009). Several factors have been diagnosed to affect students’ poor performance. Korau (2006) reported that such factors include the student factor, teacher factor, societal factor, the governmental infrastructural problems, curriculum related variables, test related variables, language problem, examination body related variables, textbook related variables and home related variables. Saage (2009), identified specific variables such as poor primary school background in science, lack of incentives for test, lack of interest in hard work, incompetent teachers in the primary schools, large classes, fear of the subject psychologically e.t.c.

          In Nigeria family background tends to affect the attitude of their academic performance, children who seems to have the tendency to explore, find out and collect object would be hindered because of too much restriction and this could affect their performance in chemistry, (Lawis and Eddy (2007). Kahl (2006) has shown that parent attitudes were more important in predicting aspiration of pupils towards continuing their schooling and successes in school than status. Parents should not except too little or too much from their children.

          Too much pressure can lead to failure and dislike of chemistry (Keleosho 1998). Critical remarks can encourage lukewarm attitude towards chemistry. Parents should therefore discuss the progress of their children with the teachers so as to assist the learners in their areas of difficulty. Parents that are harsh can cause academic maladjustment for learner. Boocock (2002), found that parental dominance tend to discourage the children in school learning.

          However some parents over-pamper their children and shun their responsibility to properly train their children at home such that they develop nonchalant attitude to chemistry and other courses. Karau (2006) observed that the schools population counts in thousands today against the hundreds of the previous years. Schools today are overcrowded in class rooms which make it impossible to talk of an ideal size of a class for effective teaching of chemistry. No effective teaching can take place under a chaotic situation where he cannot handle the large number of students effectively. Consciously quantity and cannot work together and this can affect the students’ learning of chemistry and thus perform poorly.

          The responsibility of the class teacher is to help students attain maximum achievement in their learning task. Several competencies include ability, to use appropriate instructional strategies in teaching chemistry as a branch of science is highly important in modern societies because of its requirement as a pre-requisite to the study of many other science oriented courses. It thus appears that for a nation to develop in science and technology, the teaching and learning of chemistry need to be improved. It is therefore pertinent that performances in chemistry and in science generally should be high. However, this seems not to be the case in Nigeria because students’ performance have not been encouraging (Ajeyalami 2003); Bojuwoye (2005): Adeyegbe, 2003). These are several strategies and models to improve the status of chemistry teaching and learning. Despite all these efforts, students’ performance in chemistry have remained persistently poor at the senior secondary certificate Examination (SSCE), (Salami, 2002; Adeyegbe, 2003).

          Prominent factors contributing to the persistence of students’ poor performance in chemistry are in effective teaching methods adopted by the chemistry teachers.

·        Lack of infrastructures and teaching materials

·        Lack of professionally qualified teachers.

·        Lack of technicians/laboratory attendants.

·        Lack of organized strategies for problem solving and poor reasoning

·        Poor mathematic back ground

In an attempt to address the problems highlighted above, some researches have been carried out. These include, team teaching approach (Amiodoh, 2004); formative testing with remediation (Ugamadu, 2000); algorithms strategy in solving chemical arithmetic problems (Adeyegbe,2004); concept mapping (Novak, 2000 and Okebukola, 2007). All these strategies gave a little improvement on the conventional lecture method, which is being used in our secondary schools.

          Attempts to rectify the ugly situation, posed by the poor performances in chemistry had been tried and found to be practicable and adaptable to the Nigerian secondary schoolsAkpan (2004). A strategy to these is an adapted version of the popular cooperativeLearning (Okebukola: 2005; Adigwe, 2009). These researchers have reported the potency of this strategy in enhancing students’ performance in science and related subjects. The adapted version is called “cooperative instructional strategy and it is aimed at improving problem solving abilities among learners.

          However, it is disheartening that the strategy is not popularized due to limited awareness about the concept and non-exposure to the methods of application.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The crux of the matter is that most of students who science in our secondary schools are noted for having learning problems especially in chemistry since its inception.

          Eke (2007), reported that poor performance does not connote abnormality I development but involves those who probably could perform better.

          Though caused by many variables such as teacher and students characters, examination patterns and inadequate science equipment, poor performance in chemistry is a pointer to the fact that students have difficulty in learning and mastering the content.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this research work is to examine the factors influencing mass failure of Senior Secondary Schools in chemistry external examination from 2010-2014 in Odeda Local Government of Ogun State. The study sought to find out:

·        The nature of chemistry science.

·        Factors that contribute to the persistent poor performance of students in chemistry in Nigeria

·        Problems facing chemistry in senior secondary school syllabus in Nigeria curriculum.

·        Diverse background and various levels of academic ability of students in chemistry.

·        Contribution of chemistry laboratory to academic performance of students.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions were raised to find facts about factors influencing mass failure of Senior Secondary Schools in chemistry external examination from 2010-2014 in OdedaLocal Government of OgunState.

Ø What are the factors that contribute to the persistent poor performance of students in Nigeria?

Ø What are problems area of senior secondary school chemistry syllabus of Nigeria science

Ø What are the students’ attitude towards chemistry?

Ø Does the use of available resources affect students’ achievement in chemistry?

 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The society such as government, teachers and the entire community will find this study useful, as the finding will expose the immerse benefit derivable from factors influencing mass failure of Senior Secondary Schools in chemistry external examination.

          Additionally, youth will find the study useful as it will help to clarity and expose the necessary information such as challenges involved in chemistry in external examination.

          Finally, findings from the study will be of immense benefit to future researchers and a data base for policy makers.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study restricted to the following schools:

1.     EgbaOdeda High School Odeda