AVAILABILITY OF LABORATORIES AND QUALIFIED TEACHERS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF COMPUTER AND INTEGRATED SCIENCE IN OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL (A CASE STUDY OF UDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN ENUGU

CHAPTER ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Science according to Attiji (2008) is a dynamic human activity concerned with understanding of working of our world. Ali (2000) believes that the word science stands for a variety of information, abilities and operations about the natural environment. He believes that science is more concerned with various investigative processes and activities with regards to developing acquiring and controlling knowledge, skills, acceptability, attitudes about the natural factors of the environment. Science is an intellectual activity through which ma seeks to understand nature. This definition emphasizes external sociology of science rather than seeing science from the academic or archival persecution, it views science as a human calling that has relevance to technology. This science is worth the study and efforts for the simple fact that it would ultimately serve economic, politically sociological and moderitizing purpose.

During the 32nd ministerial council meeting of the material council on education in 2002, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to introduce computer Educations into National secondary schools system. This was followed by the migration of the National committee on computer Education the same year. The function of the committee include “planning for a dynamic policy on computer Education and literacy in Nigeria as well as devising clear strategies and terminologies  to be used by the federal and state governments in introducing computer education” [Nigeria Tribuna, April 11, 2004] The general objective of the policy include:

1.     Bring about a computer literate society in Nigeria by the mid 1990s.

2.     Enable present secondary school children to appreciate and use the computer in various aspects employment (Report on National committee education 2000) According to the National computer Policy (2000), the first objective is to ensure that the general populace appreciate the import of information and computer technology onto days society, the importance of its effective use and technologies that process, manages and communicate the information. Secondary general objective is to ensure that the people of Nigeria will know how the use and program computers develop software packages, understand the structure operation of the computers and their history and appreciate the comic, social ad psychological impact of computer. The modalities and the strategies fracturing the state objective include:

1.     Training teachers and associated personnel 

2.     Hard ware

3.     Curriculum development

Integrated science on the other hand came into Nigeria in 1968, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) asked (STAN) Science Teachers Association of Nigeria to review and improve science syllabus. The written workshop was done at university of Ibadan on 1970 with laboratories and teacher guides produced and introduced into the secondary schools with this, the integrated science curriculum was introduced in 1968. Okoli (2000) stated that integrated science program evolved as a rescues operation to replace associate and uninteresting general science

A laboratory is an individual or group activity involving a two-way approach, namely the exercise approach and experimental approach. Both approaches are used in the teaching of science for a number of reasons. According to caste (2000) laboratory equipments are sued in secondary schools to give meaning to verbal description of components of computer and circulatory system, Nwobu (2002). Laboratory equipment and materials offers students the opportunity to develop scientific attitude such as critical thinking and objectivity. Through laboratory student learns to handles apparatus and other instruments thereby developing manipulative skills, it also reinforce theoretical learning through reality. Therefore, for effective teaching and understanding, equipment and materials should be available in the laboratory for conceptual thinking and meaningful teaching by the science teacher.  According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia (2000) Laboratory refers to a room where tools and equipments are kept for practical purpose mentor (2001)Added that practical work has an important   role to play as it essentials for it gives students a feel for the problematic of measurement and an appreciation of the ever presence of uncertainty .Laboratory equipment refers to the various tools and equipment used by scientists working in a laboratory .

Hopkin (2001) in his study on the importance of quality of teacher said that ,the most important factor in any science course of study is the teacher. Hence, students response to computer and integrated science also depends on the teacher’s qualification. Thomson (2001)Said that, we must be concerned about the high proportion of teachers serving in our schools who are inadequately qualified academically. Uzor (2004) In his study on effect of teachers qualification in teaching and learning of computer and integrated science in secondary schools in Enugu State discovered that the qualification of teachers influence the interest of the students negatively, that learning becomes ineffective and consequently leads to problem facing the teaching and learning of integrated and computer science. Soyibo (2004) Pointed out that before a science teacher could function efficiently, he must ,among other attributes, possess fairly sound academic and professional knowledge of the subject .It is very necessary that teachers of integrated and computer science should have a sound knowledge of what computer and integrated science is and how the different subjects area should be well integrated, when this is not done, it constitutes lot of problems in the learning of computer and integrated science in most schools were qualified computer and integrated science teachers are lacking.

1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

For the fact that science is a core subject in secondary school which is designed to equip students with the knowledge of relevant concepts and scientific skills. The main center for the study of science in the secondary schools is science laboratory  exist in name only. Bellolowal (2009)Added that students do not even know the names of equipments used in the laboratory as the generally used as ordinary classroom. The reason is due to lack of facilities for science laboratory in the secondary school  or in schools in general Similary Offiah (2007)noted  that many students perform poorly in practical related subject not only because of lack of laboratory equipment and materials but also poor usage of laboratory by science teacher. This study there fore intent to examine the availability of laboratory and qualified teacher for effective teaching and learning of computer and integrated science in secondary school in Udi Local Government Area in Eungu state

1.3               PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to find out about the Availability of laboratory and qualified teachers for effective teaching and learning of computer and integrated science in secondary schools. This study will examine to find out whether

1.  There are adequate qualified teacher of computer and integrated science in our schools.

2.  There are adequate computer and integrated science laboratory and equipment.

3.  Whether the students in our secondary schools are interested in learning computer and integrated science in the class.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

        This study is very essential to the extent that it will help to identify most suggestion for improving the teaching and learning of computer and integrated science in our secondary schools. The results of this research will be of benefit to the following groups of people.

1.  It will enable the government to know the qualifications of teachers teaching computer and integrated science in secondary schools.

2.  Parents will from the result of this study know the importance of science laboratory in the academic life of their children.

3.  The result will also help the management and teacher of secondary schools to know and understand that science laboratory should be the bed rock of students that study computer and integrated science and therefore attaché importance in science laboratory.

1.5   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

        This study will be restricted to the problem facing the teaching and learning of computer and integrated science in our secondary schools, in Udi Local, Government Area of Enugu State.                                                 

1.6  RESEARCH  QUESTIONS

1.  Are there adequate qualified teacher teaching computer and        integrated science in our secondary schools?

2. Are students in our secondary schools interested in learning        computer and integrated science in the class room?

3. Are there adequate computer and integrated laboratory in our   secondary schools?

4.     Are there adequate materials and equipment in the laboratories for teaching of computer and integrated science in secondary schools?