Trends of Academic Performance of Junior Secondary School Students in Integrated Science, Mathematics and Computer Science From Year 2000 – 2003

Trends of Academic Performance of Junior Secondary School Students in Integrated Science, Mathematics and Computer Science From the Year 2000 – 2003

ABSTRACT

The research investigated Trends of Academic performance of Junior Secondary School students in Integrated Science, Computer and Mathematics from the year 2000-2003. This study is a survey research design. It is a research conducted on the result of students from the year 2000-2003. The population of the study consist of 8 selected secondary school, the study was carried out in Enugu South Local Government. The area belongs to the Enugu Educational zone. The instrument used was the performance of students from 2000-2003.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

According to Otti 9200, education is derived from intin words “ex” which means “out” and “discard” which “to lead out” he conduces that education is a leading out from something bad and undesirable to something good and desirable notably ignorance “darkness primitive life, poverty, disease, slavery, superstition pride, indiscipline, bad habits to knowledge, light” civilized life comfortable living, healthy life freedom scientific living, humility discipline, and good habits. Education is one of the social institutions specifically designed to transmit knowledge, skills attitude, and values of society to the younger generation for that society to live on.

Education is the development of the whole man to be acquainted with all things (coercive).

Prof .A. Babs fafunwa defined education as an aggregate of all the processes using which a person develops abilities, attitudes, and other forms of behavior of positive value in the society in which we live Fafunwa reverse (2004-3).

Education may be tentatively defined as the process by which an individual acquires experiences that will function more efficiently on his future action (Bagley).

FORMS OF EDUCATION

1. Informal Education.

2. Formal Education.

INFORMAL EDUCATION

It is a type of learning process where there is no organizational structure set in place for teaching and learning. It is the first learning process available in any society, whereby the young are made to learn the way of life of the society, the family as the first port of call for any child introduce the child (learner) into the general way of life eating, talking, sitting, walking, dancing, cooking, sweeping beliefs, norms, etc is to equip the younger generation on the acceptable way of life in the society this was the earliest form of education in Nigeria before the introduction of a western type of education.

Akafor (2003.7) defines it as the system with which people in a traditional society transmitted their culture with its roots and dynamics from generation to generation.

FORMAL EDUCATION

This is also a literacy or schooling type of education in Nigeria the Moslem and Christian missionaries introduced this form of education into Nigeria in the year 1840 (Dr. Patrick Onyia sociology of education Nov 2002).

This form of education takes place in an organized education setting with a planned curriculum, teachers, learners educational administrators, administrative blocks, classroom, and other instructional materials. Informal education, we have Nursery, primary, secondary, and tenting institutions.

NURSERY EDUCATION

This is a programme provided for those between three and form years and could rightly be referred to as pre-school or pre-kindergarten education.

It provides well-planned programs of creative play socialization and beginning subject area skills like oral language, mathematics, science, art with the active involvement of parents. It prepares children and awakens their interest in all school-related activities. It provides opportunities for studies in social studies and sciences development of oral language skills and introductory instruction in mathematics arts/music, health, and physical activities.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

This is also known as elementary education in many countries and as the period of formal school for children from six to twelve or thirteen years, this provides an opportunity for acquiring and laying of a solid foundation in languages, arts, social studies, science, mathematics, music, and physical education.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

This is education for children from thirteen to fourteen or fifteen years this provides an opportunity for acquiring new practice of young youths and developing their interest in education, a secondary school in Enugu state are divided into two sections the Junior secondary and the senior secondary the projects will be concentrated mainly on junior secondary school.

Schools are expected to influence student learning socialization and even vocational preparedness. Academic instruction is arguable, it was a poor performance that spawned the recent era of reform. The measurement of academic performance particularly for students with disabilities continues to be a controversial topic among policymakers measurement experts and educators (1998) Johnson 2000 Elliott and Koretz.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

About two centuries ago, the kind of education that is obtained in this society (Nigeria was informal traditional education which serves to integrate the individual into the wider community in which he/she is born. This kind of education of course takes place in every human society even till today. However, the kind of education we are shall consider in this research work is the type of education known as formal education. This type is the one that takes place in the four walls of the classroom, the type that comes into Nigeria in the year 1840 through the early missionaries (Dr. Patrick Onyia sociology of education Nov. 2002). Education is one of the social institutions specifically designed by the society to transmit knowledge, skills, attitude, and values of society to the younger generation to carry out the efficient and effective transmission on of skills, values knowledge, language is the only verbal means of communication. Before one can learn to appreciate the world around him (science) he must have known the importance of such a thing. Integrated science which is the observation study and use of the world around us mathematics and computer are important subjects in Junior secondary school.

Integrated science was hearted from the colonial masters as the subject of study mathematics and computer science is the vehicle through which knowledge, skills values, and habits (elements of science) are transmitted into the students of junior secondary school.

In primary school mathematics is studied and called mathematics is studied and called mathematics while integrated science is studied as primary science computer is also studied and called computer science and this primary science later become know as intergraded science at the secondary school level. Integrated science transmit such elementary knowledge like human system organs of the body their functions and how to take care of them the classes of food and their nutritional values, various living organisms non-living organism, chemical elements the planners how to make use of simple instruments and chemicals how to keep our food and body clean.

As the name implies integrated science links all knowledge of science. It goes as far as bringing to knowledge all that is known in the physical world around us in their primary elementary forms. This project is set up to know the trends in Academic performance of Junior secondary school in integrated science computer and mathematic in Enugu educational zone from (2000-2003).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE STUDY

Secondary school students’ performances in external examinations have been a nagging issue in Nigeria generally and particularly in Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu State.

Language is a medium of the institution, for teaching and learning to take place effectively there must be adequate communication between the learner and the teacher in Nigeria, the English language is a “lingual Franke” except in vernacular, it is used in communicating the learner in all Nigeria school the importance of English language can hardly be overemphasized that is why it appears almost every day in the school time table, unfortunately, a cursory look at the performance of students in mathematics, in particular, computer and inter science in internal examination in Enugu South Local Government area is nothing to write home about. Since computer and integrated science are relatively new in the development of science and technology, the researchers would want to find out why there is an always recorded low performance in mathematics, computer, and integrated science from 2000 – 2003 on a case study.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Based on the background and the problem of this study, the main purpose underlying the project is to know the trends of academic performance of Junior Secondary schools student in integrated science, computer science, and mathematics from 2000 – 2003 (A case Study of JSS 2 student).

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The usefulness of the research work in the educational system cannot be overemphasized if the result of the study is properly utilized. It is going to be beneficial to the students, teachers, parents, and government. This would help to provide some information for curriculum designers and classroom teachers to utilize relevant approaches to mathematics, integrated science, and computer science students.

This knowledge of student cognitive style and attitude would be very useful in bothering academic and career enhancement.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In every research project, this project has, its scopes and limits within which a verifiable, acceptable efficient, effective and reliable solution to the problem being investigated can be found. Therefore this research concentrates mainly on some selected Junior secondary schools in Enugu South.

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. To determine the trend in academic performance of students in computational mathematics and integrated science.

2. What are the trends of academic performance boys?

3. What are the trends academic performance of girls?

4. Does the trend of performance of boys better than the girls in computational mathematics and integrated science?