ABSTRACT
This study primarily investigated organizational factors as correlates of science students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools of Lagos state. Variables such as teachers’ qualification, availability of laboratory facilities, utilization of school facilities, teacher-students attitude toward the teaching and learning of chemistry, teacher/student relationship were specifically considered to ascertain whether or not they have any relationship with students’ academic performance in chemistry. A correlational survey design was adopted for the study. A total number of 22 public senior secondary schools constituted the population while 550 respondents (500 students and 50 teachers) from ten of the schools randomly selected from Oshodi/Isolo local government area of Lagos state made up the sample. Data were collected using the “Organizational factors and science student academic performance questionnaires (OFSSAP-A for the teachers and OFSSAP-B for the students) and analyzed with Pearson product moment correlation statistics. The study found a significant positive relationship between the five organizational factor variables and academic performance of chemistry students. The study concluded that when the right work force along with the laboratory facilities are in place, functional and utilized, effective teaching and learning occurs. Based on the findings it was recommended that the stakeholders in education industry should improve on the learning environment of students, ensure that facilities are provided and utilized in all the senior secondary schools and the curriculum implementers improves in their relationships and attitude, it is most likely that student’s achievement in chemistry will be highly enhanced.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
From the inception of the world, there has been a constant interaction between man and his environment towards goal realization and this interaction with both the human, physical and material resources gave rise to an organization. Oxford advanced learners dictionary defines an Organisation as a collection of people working together in a division of labour to achieve a common purpose like the families, banks, companies, schools and others. The school could be viewed as an organized environment where educational curricular are interpreted; it can also be described as a formal structured organisation which serves as a transitional stage in life between family and the society (Olabode, 2002; Musa, 2004; Tabir, 2004).
The school organization has the sole purpose of developing the intellectual, the emotional and skillful aspect of an individual for the individual to be useful to himself and his society; the objective of a school boils down to the performance of the students’ academically and all round development of the individual. In order to achieve the objectives of an organization some factors come in to play. Some of the organisational factors that affect students’ academic performance in science discipline include: teachers and students related variables like the qualification of the teachers, teacher-student relationship and teacher/students attitude towards chemistry teaching and learning respectively; school environment related variable like class size, availability of laboratory facilities, utilization of facilities, school location and so on.
School as a social organisation plays a great role in the education of the citizens of any country. The overall development of any nation to meet the technological demand of the globalized society is inextricably tied to its level of scientific knowledge acquisition (Yara P., 2009). Scientific knowledge is one of the dimensions of science. What is Science?
Science is a way of explaining nature and it originated from the natural philosophy in the 17th century. A comprehensive definition of science states:
“Science….is a human enterprise including the ongoing process of seeking explanations and understandings of the natural world, and also including that which the process produces-man’s storehouse of knowledge. Science is process and product” (NSTA, 1961).
Scientists confront nature in order to unravel its mysteries by asking questions and designing experiments to test their ideas or answer such questions; scientific knowledge is thereby created, which can then be applied for good or bad (Ajeyalemi, 2009). He further stated that Science has three dimensions: its knowledge, method and applicability and differ from other discipline in the tentativeness of its knowledge, testability of its tenets, the universality of its methods and non-obsolescence of its methods.
Science comprises the basic disciplines such as chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. For science teaching, a major universally- accepted objective is to make students scientifically literate and it is the same for all science discipline. The objectives of chemistry teaching in Nigeria senior secondary schools are to:”
(i) Facilitate a transition in the use of scientific concepts and techniques acquired in integrated science with chemistry;
(ii) Provide the students with basic knowledge in chemical concepts and principles through efficient selection of content and sequencing;
(iii) Show chemistry in its inter-relationships with other subjects;
(iv) Show chemistry and its link with industry, everyday life, benefits and hazards;
(v) Provide a course which is complete for pupils not proceeding to higher education while it is at the same time a reasonably adequate foundation for a post-secondary course.”(Nigeria, 1985).
These objectives are closely related to the aims of secondary educations in Nigeria – preparation for useful living within the society, and for higher education (National policy of Education Nigeria, 2004).
The stated objectives are not being realized in the lives of many Nigerians who graduate from secondary schools every year. This may be accrued to certain school organizational factors which in turn influence the students’ academic performance. Many investigators have shown that students in senior Secondary Schools are not very much interested in science (Esiobu, 2005; Okonkwo, 2000) and also large numbers of students seem to learn very little science at school, learning tends to be by rote and students find learning of science to be difficult (Eyibe, 1990; Jegede, 1992; Salau, 1996) though Chemistry is a subject that is applicable in our homes (kitchen, laundry, bedroom) and industries, it is Fun filled if we have a good understanding of the concepts. As important as the subject is and in spite of the effort of both the federal and state government to encourage chemistry education, students still shun the subject (Jegede, 2003). This is also evident in a recent report by the Shelter Right Initiative (Olubusuyi, 2003) that for eight consecutive years, between 1992 and 1999, Nigerian candidates trailed behind their counterparts from other countries in the West African region based on performance in science subjects conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
From personal experience, chemistry as a science seems interesting but it is dreaded by most students, some see it as an abstract thing, something that cannot be grasped, seen or understood; a very difficult subjects filled with lots of calculations and if the teacher as well as the school is not qualified and equipped to counter-act these disposition it will only culminate in Poor Performances in the science disciplines in both the internal and external Examinations.