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IDENTIFICATION OF TEACHING TOPIC IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHEMISTRY. A CASE STUDY OF SENIOR SECONDARY TWO CURRICULA IN NIGERIA.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Chemistry as defined by Okeke and Ezekamgha(2000) is a branch of science that deals with composition and changes of matter. Chemistry is highly important for the technological development and advancement of any nation. The number of chemists, physicists, doctors, and science educators in a nation tells if the nation is developed, developing, or underdeveloped.
Chemistry is regarded as the “central science” because everything from our skin to the air we breathe is made up of atoms and this is what chemistry revolves around. This phrase (central science) was popularized in a textbook by Theodore.
- Brown and H. Eugen Lemay titled “Chemistry; the Central Science” which was first published in 1977 with a Thirteenth edition published in 2014.
Chemistry uses particle models to account for abstract constructs. Therefore, chemical processes such as melting, evaporation, dissolving, diffusion, electron transfer, ion conductors, intermolecular bonds, and many others are fundamental to learning chemistry in schools and colleges.
A concept is defined as a “perceived regularity in objects or events” Or a record of events designed to be labeled. Typically, a concept is expressed using one or just a few words, one of which is a noun. Examples; Kinetic energy, thermodynamics, etc.
Further explanation will be discussed on the study and how chemistry concepts affect the academic achievements of students in senior secondary school.
In the current study, an effort would be made to identify the concepts that are difficult for students in chemistry so that the need to offer them special treatment by science educators will be pointed out.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.
The background of this study is to identify the inherent factors and concepts that affect the achievement of students in chemistry. Such factors include; students’ misconceptions and preconceptions in chemistry, difficult and alternative conceptions in chemistry, difficulties with abstract concepts, and conceptual change methods at the college level. Academic achievement of chemistry students and influence of study habits, psychological factors on academic achievement.
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study intends to make known the various abstract concepts in chemistry and how they affect the academic achievement of students in senior secondary schools. It also stresses the abstract and highly conceptual nature of chemistry which makes students perceive chemistry as a difficult subject. The study will also look into the generally slow pace of the effects and affective characteristics of students and the academic achievement in chemistry and how it’s likely to affect the production of teaching professional competency in chemistry.
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The general purpose of this study is to identify difficult concepts in chemistry and their effects on the academic achievement of students in secondary schools in the Sokoto metropolis. This purpose is further down into the following objective for the study:
- To explore the concepts in chemistry that students perceived as difficult,
- To investigate the student’s conceptual difficulties and how they affect their academic achievements.
- To examine whether or not the difficult concepts perceived by students influence the student’s interest in the study of chemistry and
- To investigate whether or not the students’ gender differences have a significant influence on their perception of difficult concepts in chemistry.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Over several years, many of the difficult areas in chemistry were subjected to systematic study to identify the point of difficulty and to seek common factors among the nature of these difficulties.
The present study however generates data on some concepts perceived as difficult in chemistry and their effect on the academic achievements of students.
The study also generates information on whether or not the difficult concepts perceived by students improved their achievements and ability to solve higher-order questions in chemistry. The curriculum design will utilize this information to enrich the curriculum for teachers’ preparation at the secondary level of our educational system.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions were raised in the study
- What concepts in chemistry do students in this study perceive as difficult?
- Do the concepts of perceived difficulty influence the academic achievement of the students?
- Does conceptual difficulty influence the interest of students in the study of chemistry?
- Are the significant gender differences in students’ perception of the difficult concepts in chemistry?
1.7 HYPOTHESIS
The following null hypothesis was formulated in this study.
- There are no significant differences in the student’s perception of difficult concepts in chemistry
- Conceptual difficulty has no significant influence on the academic achievement of students
- Difficult concepts in chemistry have no significant influence on the interest of students in studying chemistry.
1.8 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The outcome of this study may not be one hundred percent (100%) valid for generalization because of some inhibiting factors that serve as a limitation to this study. However, the study has been designed to cover a large proportion of students in senior secondary schools, but the timeframe and resources required were hindrances. To make for a manageable representative sample, the study was limited to the students of some selected secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. This work also covers some concepts that proved difficult in physical, inorganic, organic environmental, and practical chemistry.
Given the possible limitations arising from response and non-response errors, the researcher may not be able to guarantee 100% accuracy of the response
