CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This research was a descriptive survey aimed at determining the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students in Umuahia education zone of Abia State. To guide the study, six research questions and four hypotheses were formulated and answered. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample sixteen (16) schools out of the thirty-four (34) secondary schools and six hundred and forty students out of two thousand and twelve students in the zone. Two instruments titled “Climate Change Attitude Scale (CCAS) and Awareness Scale for Climate Change (ASCC)” were used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean score and standard deviation to answer the research questions while Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. The major findings of the study were that senior secondary school students in Umuahia education zone have low climate change awareness and attitude, there is no significant different between the male and female students mean score on climate change awareness and attitude, and that there is a significant different between the urban and rural students mean score on the climate change awareness and attitude. Based on the findings of the study, relevant conclusions were drawn. The study recommended that in-service training should be organized for senior secondary school teachers to exposure them on need to promote climate change awareness and attitude of students, that curriculum planners should infuse more climate change contents in relevant senior secondary school and that concerned education authorities should ensure that quality education activities are carried out in rural areas as it is obtainable in urban areas. Finally, areas for further studies were suggested.

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Climate is the major factor controlling the global patterns of vegetation structure, productivity, plant and animal species composition. Climate means the average weather in a place over many years. While weather can change in just a few hours, climate takes years to change. According to Small and Nicholis (2003), climate is the average weather for a particular region over a long time. It describes the total of all weather occurring over a long period of years in a given place. This includes average weather conditions, regular weather season (winter, spring, summer and fall) and special weather events (like tornadoes and floods). These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economic and cultures that depend on them.

Climate change means average seasonal change over a long period of time Igwe (2003) defined climate change as the variation in global or regional climates over time. It reflects changes state of the atmosphere over time scales ranging from decade to thousands of years. Climate change according to Nzewi (2009) refers to the measurable increase in the average temperature of earth’s atmosphere, oceans and landmasses. Ezeudu (2009) defined climate change as a long term significant change in the average weather that a given region experience. Nwagu & Nzewi (2009) explained that climate change is the significant change in weather (wind, precipitation and temperature) over an extended period of time. Udenyi (2010) stressed that climate change is simply a change in the climate condition of the world and the change if found by the scientists and other concerned agencies to be on the increase line. In the context of study, climate change means the significant and measurable change of the global temperature which is believed to be rather on the increase.

The earth’s climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle. However, what the world is more worried about is that the changes that are occurring today have been speeded up because of human activities (Okebukola & Akpan 2009). Similarly, Uzochi (2009a) remarked that human have been changing their environment in very significant ways ever  since they learnt how to hunt with weapons, domesticate animals and farm crops, in addition to human modernized transportation and industrial system, which facilitate easy movement and production.

The impact of these human activities to the climate change comes as a result of excessive emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. According to Sjoberg (2002), greenhouse gases mean the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. The gases include carbon dioxide, methane, chloroflorocarbon, water vapour, and nitrous oxide. Igwe (2003) explained that a greenhouse gas is a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the earth experience because certain gases in the atmosphere like carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide and chloroflorocarbon trap energy from the sun and retain greater part of the trapped energy which caused the warming and changing of the global climate experienced in the world today.

Furthermore, the concentration of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused ozone layer depletion. The ozone layer forms a thin shield high up in the sky and is located in the stratosphere. It protects life on earth from the sun’s ultra violent rays. In the 1980s, scientists began finding clues that the ozone layer was going away or being depleted. This ozone depletion allows more ultra violent radiation to reach the earth’s surface and it increase the rate at which the global climate changes.

The increase rate of climate change has severe consequences associated with it such as desertification, drought, temperature rise, low agriculture yield, drying up of water bodies, flooding among others (Oruonye, 2011). Similarly, Igwebuike, Odoh, Ezeugwu, Okparaku and Opkaraku (2009) enumerated the effects of climate change to include melting of the polar ice which could lead to rise in sea level. The rise in sea level could cause flood disaster (which can wash away farmland and crops, in addition to rendering the affected people homeless). Ekezie (2010) stated that the rise in temperature as a result of climate change could lead to drought, desertification, declining water table, lost of some plant and animal species, low crop yield and outbreak of climate related diseases like malaria and meningitis. These consequences of climate change according Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) could persist for longer time as a result of human continuous emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In view of the above, Omotosho (2007), Ishaya & Obaja (2008), Anyadike (2009), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2010) argued that human continuous perpetuation of acts that caused the excessive emission of greenhouse gases such as bush burning, indiscriminate cutting down of trees (deforestation), constant burning of fossil fuel among others, depends to the extent to which they are aware that their activities contribute to climate change.

Oragwam (2004) described awareness as a state of consciousness and purpose. Chinedu (2008) viewed awareness as the condition of being aware and able to understand what is happening around one. Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. Awareness means having idea of the existence of something. In relation with the above views, Wikipedia (2009) equates awareness with knowledge of, understanding of, appreciation of, recognition of, attention to, perception of, conscious of, acquaintance with, enlightenment with, mindfulness of, cognizance of, something. Belloti (2002) explained that awareness involves knowing who is talking with whom; it provides a view of one another in the daily work environment. In the context of this study, though in relation to the above views, awareness implies understanding and knowledge of the activities and events (like climate change) going on around one’s environment. This knowledge and understanding to a large extent influenced one’s attitude towards such event (s) in one’s environment.

Attitude, according to Abini (2006), is an acquisitioned tendency. Abini explained further that pupil’s form attitude through either like or dislike, favourable or unfavourable. Williams (2000) defined attitude as readiness to act in a certain way expressed by a person’s words, gestures or facial expression. This contention is upheld because one’s action is buttressed by one’s facial outlook, the way one behaves and presents his ideas about the subject matter. Good (2001) on the other hand defined attitude as a state of mental and emotional readiness to response previously conditioned or associated stimuli. For Kent (2002), attitude is a mental and natural state of readiness organized through experiences, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual’s responses to all objects and situation with which it is related. The above definition s presents attitude to mean the way an individual thinks or acts towards a given subject or issue. Therefore, climate change attitude means the way of thinking and acting by individual towards the issue of global climate change. It is the feelings and concerns an individual could have regarding climate change.

In relation to the above discussions, attempt has been made to increase students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change in secondary schools. For example, climate and general environmental related contents like our environment, physical environment, sanitation, pollution, natural and man made environmental hazards, deforestation, population, effects of industrial concentration, composition of atmospheric gases, weather and climate, classification of climate, major climate types of the world, were infused in most secondary school subjects like Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Agriculture, and Social Studies. These contents and subjects are veritable means of promoting climate change awareness and attitude of secondary school students in Nigeria. With respect to the above, Ishaya & Obaja (2008) noted secondary school teachers have been inculcating climate change contents infused into their respective subjects to the students with the intention of increasing their knowledge of climate change as well as influencing their attitude positively towards solving the problems of climate change. Againde (2006) added that schools through classroom instructions are making effort to create awareness on major environmental problems like climate change. Similarly, Chinedu (2008) and Ofoebe (2009) shared the view that the curriculum contents of most secondary school subjects could be effectively used to promote awareness of environmental problems as well as positive attitude towards solving the environmental problems.

In spite of the efforts, through school instructions to promote awareness and attitude towards environmental problems particularly climate change, it appears that the programme is not yielding the desired result. This is because, people (including those who passed through the instructional programme in school) seem to have continued perpetuating actions such as bush burning, deforestation, burning of fossil fuel like petrol, coal, and crude oil which contribute to climate change. It is worthy of note that as these human actions that contribute to climate change continue, so shall the consequences of climate change continue to face human beings on earth. Thus, there is need to determine the extent to which instructional delivery in schools through infusion strategy has increase the awareness and attitude of students towards climate change.

In determining students’ level of awareness and attitude towards climate change, considerations need to be taken on the influence of gender and location on students’ climate change awareness and attitude. According to Lee (2001) gender is an ascribed attribute that differentiates feminine from masculine socially. Gender is seen as the categorization in the world of matter into sex. According to Kalusi (2000), gender is a cultural construction that assigns roles, attitude and values considered appropriate for each sex. Ekeh (2000) noted that gender implies the character of being male or female, man or women, boy or girl. Robert (2007) defined gender as a social construct which is not biologically determined but a concept equivalent to race or class. Offorma (2004) viewed gender as a learned socially constructed condition ascribed to male and female. Offorma noted further that gender is enforced through cultural practices as gender identity is the outcome of cultural learning thus, the expectations from male and female are depended on their cultural millieous.

These expectations could influence the way individual perceived environmental problems like climate change. Discussing on gender and environmental relations, Ekezie (2010) stressed that gender is an important variable in environmental discussion. According to Ekezie (2010), females appear to be closer to the environment than their male counterparts in the sense that they need forest for food generation as well as for fuel wood used for cooking. However, Chinedu (2008) noted that while the females relate with the environment in a friendly manner than their male counterparts. That is, the females merely engaged the environment for agricultural purpose while males engaged the environment for different purposes which are more serious such as falling forest trees for timber, clearing forest for construction of road, building of houses and factories amongst others.

With respect to the above views, Ofoebe (2009) presented the view that environmental sensitization programmes in and outside the school should take into cognizance the gender difference or the physiological difference between male and female which are obvious and expectedly affect the ways in which both sexes respond to the environmental issues as climate change. Oruonye (2011) noted that the different ways male and female are socialized tend to determined their environmental exploration, degree of environmental manipulation and overall relationship with the environment, including the general awareness and attitude towards environmental problems like climate change. Indeed, the present study sought among other things to determine if gender has influence on students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change as a peculiar environmental problem.

On the other hand, location of individuals could also affect their awareness and attitude towards climate change. Location according to Benton (2000) is a geographical place or an area. Ogunniyi (2008) opined that location can also mean a settlement whether a village, town or city usually by human beings. Igwe (2003) defined location as a place where something or person resides in the world. Location in the context of this study means a geographical place or area where somebody or something is situated. It could be rural or urban area.

Rural areas are often made up of villages which may either be dispersed, nucleated or even linear in their pattern of distribution on the land, with few buildings and little number of people. It offers its settlers a simple and quiet life style. Their major economic activity is farming with few amenities and services centres. Thus, according to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2010), climate change awareness and attitude of the rural dwellers in Nigeria is directly proportional to the quantity and quality of information prevalent and available to them. Urban areas are relatively large, dense and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals. They could be towns, cities, conurbations or metropolis. Urban areas have some characteristics – a large and heterogeneous population, medical and political facilities, educational, recreational, banking administrative and social activities, with highly developed manpower (male and female), artisans etc who engage in non-agricultural occupations, with highly impersonal relations. It is the opposite of rural areas, with its sophisticated life and life activities.

The above disparity between the urban and rural areas could influence their awareness and attitude towards climate change. In line with this assumption, Nicholis and Small (2003) opined that where people live (location) determine the how much information and knowledge that get to them particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. Although, Agiande (2006) found out in a study in Calabar that location is no longer a barrier to students’ knowledge of environmental problems (like climate change). Ishaya and Obaje (2008) in a study in Kaduna also found out that location has no significant influence on students’ awareness of the problems of climate change. The present study intends to determine if location have influence on students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change in Umuahia education zone of Abia State.

Indeed, few studies have been done to determine the students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change. For instance, Ishaya & Abaje (2008) studied indigenous people’s perception on climate change and adaptation strategies in senior secondary schools in Jema Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The study found out that the students’ possessed low awareness and poor attitude towards climate change. Oruonye (2011) carried out assessment of the level of awareness of the effects of climate change among students in Jalingo Metropolis of Tabara State. The study found that the students used for the study are not aware of climate change and that they possessed low attitude towards climate change. Furthermore, related studies have been done on environmental education awareness and attitude of students by Ofoebe (2009), Chinedu (2008) and Agiande (2006) in Okigwe Education Zone, Imo State. Owerri Education Zone, Imo State. Ogoja Education Zone, Cross River State respectively. Even though related studies have been done with respect to secondary school students’ climate change awareness and attitude, none of the studies were carried out in Abia State. Thus, at present the status of secondary school students’ awareness and attitude in Abia State is not known. This gap is what the present study tends to fill by determining the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students in Umuahia Education Zone, Abia State.

Statement of the Problem

The inherent danger of climate change at present constitutes one major global problem. In Nigeria, the consequences of climate change have started manifesting in form of desertification, drought, temperature rise, low agricultural yield, dry up of water bodies, flooding among others. To curtail these climate change consequences, climate related contents were infused into most secondary school curriculum. This infusion strategy was meant to create awareness and positive attitude towards environmental problems like climate change. However, the worry is that notwithstanding, the instructional effort in school to promote awareness and positive attitude towards climate change, people tend to continue in perpetuating the acts that increase the rate of climate change. Indeed, studies have been done in some parts of Nigeria like Kaduna, Imo and Cross River states to examine students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change as a result of school instructions. The major worry of the study is that it appears that such crucial contemporary study has not been done in Abia State. This gap is what the present study intends to fill.

Based on the above gap, the problem of the study put in question form is what is the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students in Umuahia Education Zone of Abia State?

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of the study is to determine the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students in Umuahia Education Zone. Specifically, the study intends to;

1. ascertain the extent of senior secondary school students awareness of climate change.
2. determine senior secondary school students’ attitudes towards climate change.
3. ascertain the extent of climate change awareness of senior secondary school students in terms of gender.
4. determine climate change attitude of senior secondary school students in terms of gender.
5. ascertain the extent of climate change awareness of senior secondary school students in terms of school location.
6. determine climate change attitudes of senior secondary school students in terms of school location

Significance of the Study

This study anchored on functionalism theory. The theory holds that malfunctioning of any part of a system affects the general functioning of the entire system. The planet earth is a system with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and human beings as the crucial parts. Therefore, malfunction of any part will affect the functioning of the entire system. The findings of the study will help to support the functionalism theory by showing how negative attitudes of people towards the environment affect the functioning of the planet earth and this will help to sustain the relevance of the theory.

The study will also be significant to the students, government, society and curriculum planners. The students stand a chance of benefiting from the study as it will present them opportunity to appraise themselves particularly on their level of awareness and attitude towards climate change. This will be possible because as the students will be actively involved in the study through responding to the items of the research instruments, they will understand (as they read through the items) the issues in climate change such its meaning, causes, effects as well as the positive attitudes needed for cautioning further increase and effects of climate change.

For the government and other environmentally focused non-governmental organizations, the findings of the study will help to show the students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change. This findings will enable the government and other concerned non governmental organizations to ascertain if environmentally relevant school subjects like Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Physics, Social studies and Basic science have actually promoted students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change. Again, non school based programmes like radio jingles, television programmes and newspaper articles are really creating awareness on climate change and influencing peoples’ attitude towards climate change positively.

Furthermore, the society which could be seriously affected as a result of the increasing change in global climate will benefit from the present study. The society will benefit because when the study successfully assessed the students’ awareness and attitude towards climate change, the result will serve as a base on which both government and other environmental concerned organizations will either choose to intensify their awareness and attitudinal change campaign or choose to re-strategize their campaign approach towards saving the environment. This by implication will help to increase individual members of the society’s awareness and positive attitude towards climate change thereby reducing human activities that contribute to climate change and by extension save the society and its people from destructive effect of climate change.

The curriculum planners will also benefit from the present study. This is because the successful completion of the study will enable the curriculum planners to have the knowledge (through the students mean scores) of the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students. This knowledge will help the curriculum planners to determine if the senior secondary school curriculum needs to be revisited so that more contents that could help to raise the level of awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students on climate change will be added if necessary.

Scope of the Study

            This study will be limited to the climate change awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students. The study will cover the meaning of climate change, causes and effects of climate change as well as the strategies for promoting climate change in school. The study will be carried out in all the senior secondary class two (SS2) in Umuahia Education Zone, Abia State.

Research Questions:

The following research questions guided the study.

• What is the climate change awareness mean score of senior secondary school students in Umuahia education zone?
• What is the attitude mean score of students towards climate change?
• What are the climate change awareness mean scores of male and female students?
• What are the attitude mean scores of male and female students towards climate change?
• What are the climate change awareness mean scores of students in terms of school location?
• What are the attitude mean scores of students towards climate change in terms of school location?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested.

• There is no significant difference (p<0.05) in the climate change awareness mean score of male and female senior secondary school students.
• There is no significant difference (p<0.05) in the attitude mean score of male and female senior secondary school students towards climate change.
• There is no significant difference (p<0.05) in the climate change awareness mean score of urban and rural senior secondary school students.
• There is no significant difference (p<0.05) in the attitude mean score of urban and rural senior secondary school students towards climate change.

   

CHAPTER TWO/LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter is presented under the following sub-headings;

Conceptual Framework

• Concept of climate change
• Causes of climate change
• Impacts of climate change
• Concept of awareness
• Concept of attitude
• Need for climate change awareness and attitude
• Strategies for promoting climate change awareness and attitude

Theoretical Framework

• Functionalist theory
• Social Learning Theory
• Classical Conditioning Learning Theory

Review of empirical studies

• Studies on climate change awareness and attitude
• Studies on gender and environment
• Studies on location and environment
• Summary of literature review

Download Full Material-N5000

Influence of  teachers attitude to work on students academic performance in community secondary School kolo in Bayelsa State

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background to the Study 

School is a place where people learn different types of skills and abilities in order to be useful to themselves and the society  in general. The school, in essence, provides total manpower to the society,  and serves as a place where norms and traditions of the society are transmitted from generation to generation. The mission of the  school is  to produce relevant indigenous manpower for developmental activities and the bases of the need and aspirations of the society, so that the community can progress and develop especially in this age of globalisation. Besides, some of the functions the of school are that of generating and updating knowledge on contemporary issues for the purpose of unity, progress and development of human society among others Abubakar (2009).

Education on the other hand is the key to the socio economic development of any nation and social mobility of an individual while Secondary school education is the foundation of every other educational pursuit. Maduewesi (2005) in the same vein states that  a  sound  secondary education is the pre-requisite to all other education, children need a sound secondary education because it is a gateway to whatever the individual can achieve through education. The National Policy on Education NPE (2005) describes secondary education as the key to the success or failure of the whole system. The objectives for secondary education put emphasis on a balance between physical and intellectual development of a child. It also aimed at widening access to basic education, eliminate present inequalities in enrolment between  urban and rural, ensure greater retention and ensure long-term permanent literacy for those children who had completed the system.

The achievement of the stated objectives of secondary school  education, in Nigeria largely depends on many factors, among which are secondary school teacher’s attitude and experience, this  is  because attitude affects the success of the individual in his interpersonal  relations and, as has been demonstrated by research, there is a positive correlation between favourable attitude and learning, (Saka, (2002). Therefore, becoming a successful teacher presents a great challenge  today than at any previous time in history (Isyaku, (1993).

Students expect more from their school and their teachers. This shows that teachers are very important in the teaching and learning processes because they give proper and adequate training  to  their  students to enhance production of competent individuals that will promote desired development of any nation, it should be noted that education is the instrument for social change and parameter that develop and improves the intellectual and moral abilities of the  child.  The  importance of the teacher in education at all levels is reflected in the  2004 National Policy on Education, as it declares that “no educational system may rise above the quality of its teachers”.

Eso (1998) observed that to be an effective teacher is to possess  the skills essential for enhancing classroom control and discipline. It is the teacher’s competence, ability and resourcefulness to  efficiently  utilize the appropriate language, methodology  and  available instructional materials to bring out the best from learners in terms of academic achievement. To Abimbade, (1999) teachers are said to be effective when their teaching can lead to students’ learning. Nothing has been taught until it has been learnt and this happens when the teacher succeeds in causing a change in behaviour in the learner. It is therefore important that the teacher must see teaching as an attempt on his own part to transfer what he has learnt to his students. A growing body of research suggests that schools can make a difference and a substantial portion of that difference is attributable to teachers.

Isyaku (1993), Abimbade (1999) and Aluede (2009) stressed that for successful teaching and learning to take place, there are many factors, among which are teacher attitude and experience. As such the study is aimed at finding out the influence of teachers’  attitude  and experience on social studies achievement of secondary school students.

• Statement of the Problem

 

It is a known fact that education is the vehicle upon which wheel of national development revolves Fafunwa (2003). Proper education hinges on effective classroom management through the activities of teacher

.These show that for an effective teaching-learning to take place at whatever level of education, teachers are of paramount importance.

Olaofe (1997) and Maduewesi (2005) declared that teachers are very important in teaching and learning process, government and society believes that teachers play a significant role in improving the quality of education given at all level, this is why different teacher programmes  were put in place in order to improve the quality of teachers towards  their teaching subject.

Teaching on the other hand is a deliberate effort by  experience person to impart knowledge, information skills to less experience person through a process that is morally and pedagogically accepted, this  implies that different factors need to be in place before teaching take place, among which are: mastery of the subject matter, classroom management, time management, use of proper teaching materials, teaching method etc and all these depend on the teachers attitude and teachers teaching experience.

Unfortunately, It’s an obvious fact that  the  standard of education in Nigeria is falling where a secondary six students cannot make a correct sentence and the performance of university product in the field of work, Olaofe (1997).Can these problem be attributed to teachers attitude and teachers experience? Because in some of our secondary schools not all teachers teaching social studies that are trained social studies teachers. Thus, there is need to urgently investigate the  social  studies achievement of secondary school students. It has been observed that many experienced teachers always leave teaching to other  profession.  Could the problem of pupil’s achievement in secondary school social studies be attributed to teacher’s attitude on the part of secondary school teachers? This study is therefore set to investigate the influence of  teachers’ attitude and experience on the social studies students’  achievement  in Kano State.

• Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the relationship between teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in geography
2. to investigate the factors responsible for teachers’ attitude

• Research Questions

The data of this research will seek to address the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in geography?
2. What are the factors responsible for teachers’ attitude?

• HYPOTHESIS 

Ho: There is no significant between teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in geography

• Significance of the Study

The purpose of conducting any research is to make significant contributions to knowledge. This research therefore intends to makes significant contribution to knowledge, specifically in the area  of education . The findings of  this study will provide information on the influence of teacher’s attitude towards academic performance of secondary school students, that will be useful for the improvement of the quality of education in Nigeria, It will also provide empirical data on the influence  of teachers attitude and experience on  the  Social  Studies achievement of secondary school students.

The findings will be of benefits to curriculum planners on the importance of teacher’s attitude and teaching experience on the Social

Studies achievement of students not only in Social Studies education but also in other teaching subjects. The knowledge gained from this study would be of significant importance to governments and education policy makers to see the importance of encouraging and establishment of different educational programme to secondary school teachers to inculcate positive attitude towards their teaching subject. Furthermore secondary school head teachers will see the importance of giving teachers their teaching subject from their area of specialisation.

Finally, the state secondary education board that are responsible for the recruitment of secondary school teachers will see the significance of recruiting teachers with teaching experience and retaining experienced teachers for proper academic achievement, and finally it will  help teachers to develop positive attitude towards their teaching subject.

• Scope of the study

This study was delimited to all secondary six  students and all secondary  six Social Studies Education teachers in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano state. The Social Studies Education achievement  of  secondary school students was the sole concern of the study.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE FOR  TEACHERS ATTITUDE TO WORK AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

• Introduction

This chapter reviewed literature related to teacher attitude and experience particularly to pupil’s social studies achievement at secondary school. The chapter was presented under the following sub headings;

• Conceptual framework,

• Attitude formation,

• Attitude measurement,

• The concept of teacher,

• Teacher’s attitude

• The concept of teaching

• The concept of experience,

• Review of empirical studies

Project Topic On the Influence of  teachers attitude to work on students academic performance PDF AND DOC 

Download Full Material-N5000

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The relationship between class size and academic performance has been a perplexing one for educators. Studies have found that the physical environment, ethnicity, socioeconomics, overcrowding and teaching methods are all variables that affect student achievement (Molnar, 2000). Other factors that affect student achievement are school population and class size (Gentry, 2000; Swift, 2000; Krueger and White Moore, 2007).

The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to all and sundry. The problem is so much that it adds to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Lagos state and Nigeria at large. In order to better understand the skill levels of students, it might be necessary to evaluate factors affecting their performance. These include: school structure and organization, teachers’ quality, curriculum and teaching philosophy (Driscoll, Halcoussis and Svomy, 2008).

Overtime, students’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine excellence in teachers and teaching (Ajao, 2001). As school grows, they typically become more bureaucratic, resulting in more formalized human relations and increased curricular specialization. Another stand, typically conducted by economist directs attention to the potential for increased efficiency and cost reductions as schools get bigger. Conclusions from these two streams are not consistent. Although, the studies with an organizational focus generally favour smaller schools, research with an economic focus tends to suggest benefits from increased size.

Overpopulation classrooms have increased the possibilities for at risk students, as well as others, to lose interest in school and do poorly on test. There identifies for specific problems regarding overcrowding, students not getting individual attention, low reading scores, frustration and stress felt by the teachers and the inability of students to concentrate or stay on task while in class. The problem identified can be that teachers are unable to give individual attention to students. Teachers’ aides are not always available and sometimes students have to share textbooks. It can take the entire class time for students to find seats, make sure everyone has a textbooks to look at and then explain the next assignment. This leaves no time for individual attention to explain assignment and answer questions. Thus, with teacher unable to help individual students, those who need extra help in gaining or maintaining their reading skills get left behind. They are unable to keep up the reading or in class discussions because of many students in one class.

Overpopulation in schools and classes is a serious problem in many schools systems, particularly in the inner cities where space for new construction is limited. As a result, students find themselves trying to learn while jammed into spaces never intended as classrooms, such as libraries, gymnasiums, laboratories, lunch rooms and even closets. Although, research on the relationship between overcrowding and student leaving had been limited, there are some evidence particularly in high poverty schools, that overcrowding can have adverse impact on learning. A study of overpopulation in schools found that students in such schools score significantly lower on both mathematics and reading exams then did similar students in underutilized schools. In addition, when asked, students and teachers in overpopulation schools agreed that overcrowding negatively affects both classroom activities and instructional technologies (Krueger and Whiteman, 2001).

Crowded classroom conditions not only make it difficult for students to concentrate on their lessons, but inevitably limit the amount of times teachers can spend on innovative teaching methods such as cooperative learning and group work or on teaching anything beyond the barest minimum of required materials. In addition, because teachers must constantly struggle simply to maintain order in an overpopulated classroom, the likelihood increase that they will suffer from burn out earlier than might otherwise be the case.

Although, there is a significantly amount of research analyzing students’ performance (Matuga, 2009; CerezoRUssillo and Casanova Arias, 2004), there is still a need for more concentrate test results. It is necessary to define the effects of environmental, psychological and sociological elements. This clarity will better enable school to provide a quality learning institution – organized and established public domain, with a sphere of knowledge influence and activity (Meram-Webster Dictionary).

The idea that school population and class size might affect students’ performance is consistence with the growing literature on the relationship between public sector institutional arrangements and outcome. The purpose of this study is to further examine the relationship of class size, school population and student academic achievement.

Statement of the Problem

In recent times, performance of Secondary School students according to report made by office of the statistics SSCE, calls for proper investigation of courses of poor performance of students. Probably the high level of students enrolment without adequate provision of corresponding learning facilities in our schools. The

 

National Policy on Education (NPE, 2014) stipulates that a normal class size should be forty(40) students per class for effective teaching and learning. However, prevailing conditions in most secondary schools today is that a single classroom has a population of about 80 or more students, yet the same class to teach the class-size of 40 students are also being used in teaching the class-size of 80 students. It would be expected therefore, that the increase in students enrolment would create problems for teachers and effective classroom management. This could be the major reason responsible for the decline of students performance in History since population explosion directly affects effective teaching learning procedure.

Although, several scholars have proposed various factors responsible for the poor performance of students, only a little research has been dedicated to the correlation between class-size population and academic performance.

The high rate of failure in public examination is  a proof that the education sector is ailing and requires urgent attention. In an attempt to find out the cause of this mass failure, several factors have been identified to be responsible for this situation. One of such factors is the high teacher-students ratio. It has been observed that some schools record book contain eighty or more students in a class. This  problem  is  particularly severe in Giwa educational zone. The objectives of secondary school education is to produce high quality students who should be able to face  the challenges of the society  and prepare them for higher education. Today, History students  are  faced  with large class sizes which lead to ineffective teaching and learning of social studies. It also leads to students not being able to understand the subject  in the correct way. This results  in the decline of students academic performance. Hence, this study is aimed at evaluating

 

the effects of class size in effective teaching and learning of history in secondary school with the view of providing remedial strategies to improve the situation.

Objectives of the Study

 

The major objective of the study is to investigate effects of class size in effective teaching and learning of history in secondary school More specifically the objectives of the study are:

1. to find out the effects of class size on academic performance scores of SSCE History Students.
2. to find out the effects of class size on academic performance scores of male and female SSCE History students.
3. to find out the effects of class size on academic performance scores of rural and urban SSCE History students.

Research Questions

 

The following research questions guided the study:

 

1. what is the effect of class size on academic performance scores of SSCE History students?
2. what is the effects of class size on academic performance scores of male and female SSCE History students?
3. what is the effects of class size on academic performance scores of rural and urban SSCE History students?

 

Null Hypotheses

 

Based on the research questions raised above, the following research hypotheses have been formulated to guide the researcher in the study.

H0₁:     there is no significant effects in the academic performance scores of SSCE History students based on congested and incongested classroom.

H0₂: there is no significant effects in the academic performance  scores  of male  and female SSCE History students based on congested and incongested classroom.

H0₃:     there is no significant effects in the academic performance scores of urban and rural SSCE History students based on congested and incongested classroom.

Significance of the Study

 

The study of the effects of class size on History students academic performance in Senior secondary schools is significant in a number of ways. Some  of these are outlined below.

Firstly, the study provides valid research based on the data that brings about improvement in the educational programme. It is difficult to ascertain if the educational programme is doing what it is supposed to do when it  has not been formally evaluated as  it relate to the current large class sizes. Secondly, the research findings are significant to stakeholders in education like: Government and policy makers. They will find  the findings of this study useful as it will assist them to identify, analyse and interpret the negative consequences of large class population on students academic performance in the study area and beyond. This will help in providing the much needed data for planning and evaluation purposes which by looking at the situation to improve special consideration.

 

To the UBEC and SUBEBS, the study will assist them in the area of providing necessary information about students on small class benefit to enable them refine the various level of educational programmes and reposition them for greater efficiency thereby producing students that will be toast of the society.

This study is significant to curriculum planners and developers who want to evaluate and modify the SSS curriculum, making it progressive for the development of learners in the aspect of cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains.  Also, teachers and students can benefit from the findings of the study as it will provide a good guide for effective classroom management. The research also aids in stimulating cordial teacher/student relationship and enhances the teaching/learning process. In addition, this study will serve as a necessary impetus to principals and school administrators to organize workshop, seminars and symposia on the effects of class size on students academic performance in the Senior Secondary Schools. Furthermore, the study serve as a background for other researchers to identify areas for further studies the relationship between class size and students improvement at various levels of educational programme particularly in secondary schools.

Scope of the Study

 

This study is limited to senior secondary school student  in Giwa Educational Zone Kaduna State, the Zone has twenty six (26) Senior secondary schools

Download Full Material-N5000