CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science is an intellectual activity carried on by humans that is designed to discover information about the natural world in which humans live and to discover the ways in which this information can be organized into meaningful patterns.

A primary aim of science is to collect facts (data), an ultimate purpose of science is too discern the order that exists between and amongst the various facts.

Ezendu (2002) defined Science is a body of knowledge, which is acquired through observation and systematic experimentation.

Ogbonna B. B. (2000) defined science as complex human activities, which culminate in the production of a body of universal statement, which serve explain the observable behaviour of universe or part of it and which is in them, have predictive characteristics. The Columbia encyclopaedia (1963) defined science as an accumulated and systematized learning in general usage restricted to natural phenomenon.

According to Dr. Sheldon Gottlieb in a lecture series at the university of south Alabama defined science as a consists simply of the formulation and testing of hypotheses based on observational evidence, experiments are important where applicable but their function is merely to simplify observation by imposing controlled conditions.

Khabela (1975) in Bajah (1978) defined Integrated Science as an approach to the teaching of science, of which concepts and principles are presented so as to express to fundamental unity of scientific thought and avoid premature or undue stress on the distinction between the various scientific fields. Also stressing the unified nature of science, Cohen (1977) had this to say. Integrated Science course eliminates the repetition of subject matter from the various sciences and does not recognize the traditional subject boundaries when presenting topics of themes.