CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science is a means of solving human problems (Abimbola 2010). He further emphasized that the progress of science is not marked only by accumulation of facts but by the emergence of scientific methods, translated in practical terms, into technology. (Onyeso et al 2009) posits that the ultimate way of teaching and learning sciences is by evidence based, practical methods. Sciences in this regards is with particular reference to integrated and computer sciences.

Computer education is a field of study that consists of the teaching and learning of computer. Okolo (2007) had defined computer as an electronic gadget or device that accepts to produce the desired output or information with the aid of a set of instructions. On the other hand, Perez (2002) described integrated science as an encomposing all the fundamental sciences, package into relevant sets of instruction for building foundations of sciences in Junior Secondary School Students.

Practicals can be described as the aspect of education which is concerned with the incorporation of the relevant technical skill in a particular field of study. It is the method of education, training or retraining which is directed towards developing the learner to become productive in that area of study as well as equipping the students with in-dept knowledge of that area of study. It is therefore the bedrock in which a country’s socio economic, technological and cultural advancement must be built.

We value science (as a product, as an enquiry process and as a social institution) because of its success in explaining phenomena in elegant and parsimonious ways, which are intellectually satisfying and which often facilitate the purposeful manipulation of objects materials and events. The aims of science practicals might then be summarized (Encyclopadia ikipodia 2009) as:

i. To help students to gain an understanding of as much of the established body of scientific knowledge as an appropriate to their needs, interests and capacities.

ii. To develop student’s understanding of the methods by which this knowledge has been gained and our grounds for confidence in it (knowledge about science).

iii. To improving student’s scientific knowledge as theories are integrated into practice. The idea is that students are taught out to carry their on scientific enquiries and so acquire scientific knowledge for themselves. Clearly practical work has a central role in any such vision of science education.

The primary objectives of integrated science are as follows:

i. It provides students with the ability to participate in activities designed to arrest their interest and lay solid foundation for their study of science of higher levels of education.

ii. To stimulate creativity and reflexive thinking

iii. To creative on attitude to life.

iv. To continue the process of concepts building for acquiring a science.

During the ministerial council meeting of the National Council on Education in 1987, the federal government decided to introduce Computer Education into the nations secondary schools system with the following objectives:

i. Bring about a computer literate society in Nigeria.

ii. Enables the present children to appreciate and use the computer in various aspects of life.

iii. Enable the present children meet up with the requirement of employment as every office is getting computerized.

In its previous edition WAEC syllabus 2000 stated that great importance should be attached to experimental work and use of control experimental. It was recommended that, whenever possible, through out the whole courses. Candidates should be taught with practical application of what is being studied.

From the foregoing, we can understand that science practical lesson is most essential for effective teaching and learning of integrated and computer science in junior secondary school.