TRENDS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN INTERGRATED SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FROM YEAR 2000 – 2003

ABSTRACT

The research investigated Trends of Academic performance of Junior Secondary School students in Integrated Science, Computer and Mathematics from year 2000-2003. This study is a survey research design. It is a research conducted on the result of students from 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 Enugu Educational zone. The instrument use was the performance of students from 2000-2003.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

According to otti 9200) education is derived from intin words “ex” which means “out” and “discare” 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 younger generation for that society to live on.

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

Prof .A. Babs fafunwa defined education as an aggregate of all the process by means of which a person develops abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour of positive value in the society in which we lives Fafunwa reverse (2004-3).

Education may be tentatively defined as the process by which an individual acquires experiences that will function in 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 the purpose of teaching and learning. It is the first learning process available in any society, where by 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 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 literacy or schooling type of education in Nigeria the Moslem and Christian missionaries introduced this form of education into Nigeria on the year 1840 (Dr Patrick Onyia sociology of education Nov 2002)

This form of education take place in an organized education setting with planned curriculum, teachers, learners educational administrators, administrative blocks, classroom and other instructional materials. In formal education we have Nursery, primary, secondary and tenting institution.

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-kin dergerten education.

It provides well planned programmes 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 know 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 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, secondary school in Enugu state are basically divided into two sections the Junior secondary and the senior secondary the projects will concentrated mainly on junior secondary school.

School are expected to influence student learning socialization and even vocational prepare dness. Academic instruction is arguably , it was poor performance that spawed the recent era of reform. The measurement of academic performance particularly for students with disabilities continues to be a controversial topic among policy makers measurement experts and educators (1998) Johnson 2000 elliott and koretz)

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In 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 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 know as the formal education. This type is the one that takes place in the four walls of the classroom, the type that come into Nigeria on 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 younger generation in order 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 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 were heirted from the colonial masters as 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 studies as primary science computer is also studies and called computer science and this primary science later become know as intergraded science in 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 plannents how to make use of simple instruments and chemicals how to keep our food and body clean.

Ionfact as the name implies integrated science links all know ledge 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 has been a nagging issues in Nigeria generally and particularly in Enugu Sourth local Government area, Enugu State.

Language is a medium of institution, for teaching and learning to take place effectively there must be adequate communicating between the leaner and the teacher in Nigeria, 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 everyday 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 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 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 inter science computer and mathematics from 2000 – 2003 (A case Study of J s s 2 student).

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

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

This the knowledge of student congnitive style and attitude would be very useful on bother academic and career enhancement.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In every research project this project has it’s 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 school in Enugu South.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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

2.          What is the trends of academic performance boys.

3.          What is the trends academic performance of girls

Does the trend of performance of boys better than the girls in computer mathematics and integrated science

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