PROJECT: ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF
ACQUISITION OF SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS IN PHYSICS BY
SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AREA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Physics as a
science subject in school is different from other non-science subjects in
school curriculum in the sense that its lessons take place in laboratories
where both students and teachers carry out experiments and practical
demonstration. This approach of learning and teaching of physics makes it a
practical subject. Practical work is encouraged in science subjects (physics
inclusive) because it facilitates the learning and understanding of science
concepts, and in developing competence in the skills and procedures of
scientific inquiry. Miller (1999) stated that practical work in science subject
should provide:
i. Students with
opportunities to make observations,
ii. Select observations
relevant to their investigations for further study.
iii. Seek and identify
patterns and relate these to patterns perceived earlier.
iv. Suggest and evaluate
explanations of the patterns
v. Design and carryout
experiments, including appropriate forms of measurements.
vi. To test suggested
experiments for the pattern of observation.
These listed process skills are needed to be tested in practical
examination.
However, skills
as basic ability is the means by which a person adjust to life. A person’s
aptitude and work functions are required and necessary as antidotes suggesting
the suitable skills performance and acquisition of same by going through a
given work sample (Baiyelo and Adeyemo, 2001).
In 1940’s the
study of skill was largely confined to industry. People were regarded as
skilled when they are able to carry out a trade or activity that involve
knowledge, judgement, accuracy and manual dexterity while qualifications are
usually acquired as the result of long training.
In contrast, an unskilled
worker was not expected to do anything which could not be learned in a
relatively short time. This industrial definition of skill expressed
fundamentally in terms of the amount of training and experience required for
effective performance has remained essentially the same to the present time.
Thus, performance is not exclusively concerned with annual operations, it
includes process control and as well as attempts to understand the human
factors involved in managerial decision making (Welford, 1998). Skill is also
thought of as a quality of performance which does not depend solely upon a
person’s fundamental, innate capacities but must be developed through training;
practice of skill stress the flexibility with which a skilled operator reaches
a given end on different occasions, varying specific actions according to
precise circumstances.
However, it must
be reiterated that even though basic human capacities are not sufficient to
produce skills; they form the necessary basis of their development. Skills
represent particular ways of using capacities in relation to environmental
demands, with human being and external situation together forming a functional
system (Adeyemo, 2009).
Surprisingly,
although the concept of skills is intimately related to classroom activities and
its measurement, assessment and general evaluation may be central to the
affairs of the school system, little is done about it in teacher education. Its
records are also seldom kept in continuous assessment in schools despite the
national policy on education (FME, 1981) that requires teachers to make
instruction concept centered, activity based and work related. An apparent
glaring neglect of policy as presented above well illustrates a major way in
which standards are often compromised in Nigeria’s school system. Baiyelo
(1999) show how bending of policies, rules and regulations often lead to
various acts of indiscipline among stakeholders in education, in the
implementation stage of the school curriculum. This fact underlines the need to
focus skill assessment on school instruction for the benefit of school and
society.
In addition,
acquisition of science process skill is aimed at investigation. It is
therefore, necessary to explain the meaning of these science process skills.
Nwosu (1997:2) sees science process skills as “those intellectual skills used
by scientist and which when applied to a situation help in understanding of a
phenomenon”. The implication of this definition is that those skills must be
used only by scientists in which case students are excluded as the secondary
school students cannot be properly described as scientist. Nwosu and Okeke
(1995) also described science progress skill as the mental and physical
abilities and competencies which serve as tools needed for the effective study
of science and technology as well as problem solving, individual and societal
development.
Any ability that helps a person to do science is a science process
skill such as observing, inferring, classifying, questioning, predicting,
experimenting, analyzing data and communicating. To him, science and technology
content knowledge and process skills are important and complementary. These
process skills was also outlined by Bybee et al (2000) include observing,
measuring, classifying communicating, predicting, inferring, using number,
using space/time relationship, questioning, controlling variables,
hypothesizing, defining operationally, formulating models, designing experiment
and interpreting data.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria the approach
to science has for some time now emphasized the acquisition of concept and
already existing facts to the detriment of these skills. A critical look at the
National Policy, our education is geared towards the “building of a united,
strong and self-reliant nation’. The concept approach to science requires
teachers to feed the students with already existing facts which the students
are expected to digest, absorb and regurgitate during examinations, and forget
as soon as they are out of examination halls.
Learning in science should be
characterized by a dynamic interaction whereby students continually and
progressively construct and reconstruct their understanding of the world. It is
the proper role of a liberal education to encourage a process of critical
evaluation of perspectives to occur. In science classes, this requires giving
students opportunities and encouragement to make explicit in their current
understanding and then to consider alternatives to appreciate that their
current perspective is not the only point of view.
Secondary school physics aimed at
developing in learners understanding of basic scientific phenomena and
application of scientific ideas to everyday life. The objectives of physics
curriculum at secondary school level are to:
i. Provide basic
literacy of physics for functional living in the society
ii. Acquire basic
concepts and principles for physics as a preparation for further studies.
iii. Acquire essential
scientific skills and attitudes as a preparation for the technological
application of physics and
iv. Stimulate and enhance
creativity.
In order to achieve these objectives,
guided discovery method was recommended for both teaching and learning of the
subject. The structure of physics curriculum is spiral in nature, which
reflects conceptional approach. This arrangement is to enhance better
understanding and easy learning of the subjects. The entire curriculum is built
on two major concepts motion and energy. These are further broken down into
five sub-concepts or categories which include:
a. Space, time and
motion
b. Waves
c. Conservation
principles
d. Quanta
After the concepts have been
taught/learnt by the learners, they need to be assessed to determine the
learner’s rate of assimilation and performance. The process approach method of
teaching science is meant to foster inquiry and manipulative skills in students
and discourage rote learning. This method embraces other methods of science
teaching and is mainly activity based, superior to those in which the students
are not actively involved in learning process. Physics practical skills are
science process skills. They are taught as part and parcel of the physics
curriculum. Science process skills are cognitive and psychomotor skills
employed in problem identification, objective inquiry, data gathering,
transformation, interpretation and communication. Since process skills can be
acquired and developed through training such as are involved in science
practical activities. They are the aspect of science learning which is retained
after cognitive knowledge has been forgotten. Using science process skills is
an important indicator of transfer of knowledge which is necessary for
problem-solving and functional living.
In the study of the factors that are
associated with girl’s dislike of physics in schools, Okolo (1999) maintained
that the central factor was the negative attitude towards the subject. Other
factors observed by the author include limited number of qualified physics
teachers, poor structure of physics curriculum, lack of success experience and
incompetence in mathematics. Obioma (1992) in his study on the development and
preliminary validation of the diagnostic mathematics achievement test for
Nigerian secondary schools accepted that boys perform significantly better than
girls in computation. Findings also support this assertion when the author
carried out a cross-sections study on the difference in performance in
mathematics between male and female students.
Kirschnner (1999) emphasized that
governments (Federal, State and Local) should equip laboratories and physics
teachers both in urban and rural schools. Teachers should make students utilize
these facilities in such a way that could lead to the development of both basic
and integrated science process skills. Achieving the mode of assessment of
laboratory work adopted by the teachers and examination bodies. According to
them the modes of assessment directly influence teachers teaching method,
students learning style and attitude towards practical activities.
The West African Examination Council
(WAEC) makes use of practical test/examination to assess students’ acquisition
of various physics practical skills.
In these tests, students are required to
carryout certain physics practical activities following some give instructions.
The scores of the students obtained through the marking of their practical works
indirectly indicate the level of physics practical process skills they could
demonstrate during the practical examination. This mode of assessment is also
adopted by physics teachers who prepare the students for Senior Secondary
Schools Certificate Examination (SSCE). The mode of assessment influences the
teaching methods adopted by teachers, also student’s learning style is
influenced in such a way that they always try to find certain correct responses
or answers irrespective of the procedures adopted.
This reason has made the West African
Examination Council (WAEC) and bodies that conduct senior secondary school
certificate examination (SSCE) to stipulate that practical work should form the
basis of teaching. During examination, the practical work is also assessed
separately. Currently physics being of the physical science taught in senior
secondary school is taught both in theory and practical. In both internal an
external examinations, practical physics is assessed separately as an integral
part of the subject.
Although adequate strategies have been
devised for the implementation of the policies a closer examination of the
implementation process shows that the objective are far from being realized. A
detailed analysis of the implementation strategies of the national policy is
properly documented in Ivowi (2000), and a mismatch between policy and
implementation are also identified.
For example, while government wants all
children to do sciences in schools, most schools have no laboratories at all.
Apart from poor provisions in terms of facilities, the problem was compounded
by the large population in schools far back as late 1970’s (Ivowi, 1994). Based
on these major landmarks since 1960 in Nigeria, the emphasis of science
education in this twenty-fist country should be on quality assurance for
science teachers, science students and Nigeria society at large. To achieve
this and many more, a skill focused study that is qualitative in its approach,
purpose, objective and methodology is indeed timely.
Acquisition and reinforcement workshop
practice and curricular an extra-curricular activities represent the most
natural ways of stimulating education and real life work which lead to high
productivity. These considerations underscore the need to focus on skill development
and assessment in our teacher education and in service training programmes,
more especially in the science based teaching subject areas of physics,
chemistry, biology, integrated science, agricultural science, introductory
technology, wood work, metal work, electrical electronics, home economics,
clothing and textiles. The study therefore attempts to explore briefly, the
concept of skill, aptitude, work, and practical skill, their development and
acquisition and how they are related with special consideration of their roles
in science technology and physics education.
Having observed all these factors
militating against acquisition of science process skills (especially in
physics) by students in the past years, it becomes very necessary that recent revaluation
be carried out to bring out the present status of the topic in view, which is
the aim this research work intends to find out.
Statement of the Problem
The basic science process skills are
useful in science and non-science situation while the integrated skills are the
working behaviour of the scientists and technologists. Thus, both basic and
integrated science process skills are relevant and appropriate for all science
subjects, in particular physics at the senior secondary school level. And also
to encourage students to study science and science related disciplines like
medicine, engineering, pharmacy etc, some state government introduced
scholarship schemes for same reason, the Nigerian government introduced a 60%,
40% quota policy on admission into universities in favour of sciences.
Though science activities and
performance have been well spelt out, much attention has not been focused on
the actual assessment of the level of acquisition of science process skills.
The failure existing in the learning and acquisition of process skills in
physics are due to the following factors.
a. Ill-equipped/lack of
laboratories
b. Lack of
interest and spirit of enquiry
c. Lack of
commitment to test by science teachers
d. Improper
finding of science and scientific innovations in Nigeria.
e. Lack of skilled
and qualified physics teachers.
Hence, there is need to find out the level of acquisition of the science
process skills and also to identify the science process skills inherent in
secondary schools students.
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose
of study is to assess the level of acquisition of Science process skills in
Physics among secondary school students in Nsukka L.G.A specially, this study
intends to:
1. Determine the skill
types and their acquisition
2. Identify the
relationship among skills and attitude of students towards Physics
3. Find out the roles of
skills in science and Physics education
4. Determine the
characteristics of skill and skilled students
Significance of the Study
The results of
the study is not only aimed at creating a general awareness on teachers or the
physics students acquisition of science process skills but will also provide
valuable information to the school authorities and post-primary school
management boards and the ministry of education.
Based on the findings of this
study, teachers can now know the deficient areas and improve upon them when
teaching. It is also intended that the recommendations made at the end of the
work will serves as a guide to curriculum planners and implementers in
determining which activity should be included in the secondary schools physics
curriculum so as to facilitate the rate or level of a acquisition of those
deficient process skills.
Scope of the Study
This research
work will assess the level of acquisition of science process skills in physics
among the SSII students in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State, using
the physics curriculum appropriate for the level.
Specifically, the
following skills will be assessed: observing, comparing, classifying,
quantifying, measuring, inferring and predicting.
Research Questions
To guide this
study the researchers put forward the following questions
1. What are the skill
types and their acquisition among Physics students
2. What is the
relationship among skills and attitude of students towards Physics?
3. What are the roles of
skills in science and Physics education?
4. What are the
characteristics of skill and skilled students?
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The related
literature was reviewed under the following subheadings which are under
conceptual framework:
Skill types and acquisition
The relationship among skills an altitude of students toward
physics.
Roles of skills in science and physics education.
Characteristics of skill and skilled students.
Summary of related literature.
Conceptual Framework
TO GET THE FULL PROJECT , PROCEED TO PAY:
#5000
TO ACCOUNT NO: 6171742627
BANK: FIDELITY
FOR BARGANININ OR FURTHER ENQUIRIES CALL OR WHASTAP
+23407064532617
PROJECT:ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF
ACQUISITION OF SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS IN PHYSICS BY
SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA