THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLISM ON YOUTHS IN BENUE STATE
Background of the study
Alcohol use has been a part of human history from the beginning of time. Alcohol intake in ancient Nigerian civilizations was dependent on age and gender. It was mostly eaten in social settings by adult males. Locally produced alcoholic beverages were produced and consumed under the control of customs and traditions. Even while some communities allowed youth to imbibe alcohol, Emeka, this was often done so in the company of adults who kept an eye on their intake (2013). Alcohol usage was limited to religious rites, marriage ceremonies, kingship enthronements, cultural festivals, and infant naming ceremonies. It was not a regular occurrence. Adults’ excessive drinking was nonetheless restrained culturally even on these occasions. The younger tribal members would serve the elders who would drink first, leaving little wine for the later group since the wine was not made in commercial amounts. Following the Group Changing Patterns of Alcohol Consumption in Nigeria, this tendency changed in the fifteenth century with the arrival of European slave merchants and their “trade spirit.” Despite the fact that alcohol was not a novel substance to the native population, the impact of Western merchants popularized the selling of alcohol and made it easier for individuals to misuse it.
This pattern persisted throughout the colonial period and beyond, eventually leading to the founding of the first brewery in 1946 (today known as Nigerian Breweries or NB Plc., the Nigerian Brewery Limited).
This signaled a change in the nation’s pattern of alcohol use. As the socio-political and economic institutions of the nation have grown, there have been some startling shifts in purchasing patterns in more recent years Gotman (2008). Consumption is no longer simply governed by popular tradition and is no longer restricted to social events or the exclusive amusement of visitors. Particularly among young drinkers, the patterns of usage, the users, and the reason(s) for use are all changing quickly. The alcohol competition among youths at bars, restaurants, drinking establishments, hotels, and nightclubs that are carefully placed close to different locations in Nigeria is a stark contrast to what has previously been present.
This has important ramifications since studies have shown that young people’s drinking habit has a negative impact on their parents and siblings. This is regarded as a severe illness, and its effects go beyond the alcoholics themselves to have an impact on family members, acquaintances, neighbors, and society as a whole.
In the state of Benue, drinking alcohol is acknowledged as a significant cultural component of all ceremonial events, including weddings and funerals. There is the customary recreational drinking that takes place during free time on weekends in addition to the holiday season drinking at events. The lives of young, old, wealthy, poor, men, and women, as well as successful businessmen, competent mechanics, workers, homemakers, and churchgoers of all faiths, are all being negatively impacted by this specific behavior. Despite how sad this may be, youths are mostly responsible for the crimes. Alcohol abusers in young people seem to have a wide range of issues. Parents, schools, society, and even the government have continued to be concerned about this because of the behavior that often follows it. Gotman, (2008). (2008).
Governments, non-governmental groups, and religious leaders are working together to lessen, if not completely eliminate, alcohol abuse and the repercussions that go along with it by educating the public about the negative effects of binge drinking alcohol.
However, despite the cautionary signals, excessive alcohol intake continues.
Description of the issue
Young drinking rates are high in Nigerian culture, and as a consequence of youth discontent, this behavior has taken on a deadly dimension, putting everyone involved in the educational system and the country at risk. The young people regarded as the future leaders of society often have this mindset. Alcohol abuse has been a significant issue throughout Nigeria’s severe crises. The major issue is that despite the many precautions put in place to stop alcohol use among Nigerian youngsters, the number of alcohol abusers keeps rising.
The severe problems that Nigerian undergraduates are now confronting are typified by this issue. It has been noted that this instability is present in schools. Youths have access to alcohol since it is sold in stores, pharmacies, market stalls, and alcohol distributors. Youths’ lives are at risk when alcohol is often used at special events. Even if alcohol and other drugs like cigarettes are socially acceptable, they nonetheless include stimulants like the caffeine in kola nuts and coffee. When it is used in excess of the amount that is typically allowed in the society, it may nevertheless be misused.
It has also been noted that young people, particularly college students, use alcohol at a significant rate. Alcohol consumption has detrimental effects on young people’s education. It causes risky sexual behavior in youths, which results in teen pregnancies. It also affects how well they perform academically due to personality disorders and cognitive impairment, which leads to regular fatigue and sleeping in class. Students who have used alcohol have a tendency to break rules, cheat, and behave in other unfavorable ways at school. Eventually, they may become theatrical, reckless, and too defensive. The instructor and other authorities will become aware of other issues. Such a mindset will encourage the abuser to act in ways that might be the first signs of a mental condition. If properly checked out in time, they may be impacted like some of the young people who are seen in our cultures wandering about nude and aimlessly while others are forced to partly sleep in public areas, upsetting the peace of the neighborhood.
If alcohol misuse persists, the abuser may end up struggling and eventually drop out of school; all of these consequences are brought on by the effects of alcohol abuse. The research offers advice and preventative measures since failure might result in the loss of such priceless human resources. As a result, it has become crucial to examine the widespread effects of alcohol on our kids, which is the foundation of this research.
The main objective of education being it formal or informal is to equip the student with the requisite knowledge and skills to enable him or her contribute effectively to the national development effort. This training in school demands periodic assessment and evaluation in the form of test, project, practicals or examinations in order to ascertain the level of achievement of knowledge and competence of the students. Since, education assessment covered all aspect of the curriculum then it is going to be tedious exercise and consumes substantial time of classroom teacher and the school. Educational assessment can be define as the process of documenting usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. The assessment conducted can focus on the individual learner, the learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners) the institution or the educational system as a whole. At the end of assessment exercise, marks are awarded to students who have participated. These marks tell a student that knowledge and skills have been mastered, and at the same time also show areas of weakness so that it can be the focus of the future learning activities. Furthermore, this method of assessment is used to monitor the quality of school system, evaluate education policies and programs as well as make important instructional decisions about students.
It is important to note therefore, that conducting school examinations for maintaining educational standards faces a lot of challenges at all levels but more importantly at NCE level in Nigeria. The reason behind this is that these level results serve as a stepping stone for employment into teaching and a qualification for further studies at higher level. Among the challenges include test/examination administration, releases of results and certificates as well as examination malpractice. Thus, before administration of examination, the questions have to be developed to an
expected standard. This process involves more than the commissioning, development and production of examination question papers. However, it begins from the development of the examination syllabuses which are derived from the teaching NCCE syllabuses (or minimum standard) developed by the Nigerian Commission for colleges of education (NCCE). Furthermore, examination questions development involves the provision of test specifications table or blue print to guide the lecturers/teachers as well as those who will eventually compile the examination papers. In order to ensure the validity, reliability as well as the right standard of the test, copies of questions and marking schemes are sent to external moderators. The moderator who is senior lecturer from the university or sister college of education, analyze and make corrections before the final production and administration of the examination. In some colleges newly employed staff receives orientation in the following areas that have to do with examination
Setting of essay and multiple choice questions
Development of marking schemes and scoring keys
Standard fixing or Award of marks
Investigating and recommending cases of examination irregularities, with a view to ensuring as much as practicable that no candidates benefit from an undue or unlawful advantage over the
Upon all these efforts by the colleges and external examining assessor to ensure reliability and validity of the questions, some students still struggle illegitimately for higher grades through academic dishonesty popularly known as examination malpractices.
Therefore, it is against this background, that students, in colleges of education and at times supported by parents/guardians considered as a top priority to produce higher scores or grades by all means either legitimate through adequate preparation for the examination, financing and monitoring of the system or illegitimately through cheating or examination malpractices. The attitude of students during examination and that of over dependence on certificate for employment
by government and private organization in recent time led to crazy rush by students and some parents to struggle for certificate even through cheating.
Therefore, examination malpractice in Nigeria today no doubt has attained a frightening proportion not only to teachers and school administrators, but to various interest groups, concerned citizens, some parents, employers of labor and even international organizations. The practice employed by students is highly sophisticated and institutionalized. The menace of examination malpractices in Nigeria these day is threatening to uproot the very foundation of the country educational system, which has being built as the avenue or vehicle for inculcation of moral and ethical values to our youths (Harbour, 2000, Dibu, 2000, Ahmad and Bala, 2000, Yaroson 2004, Money and Onojete, 2007, and Aisha, 2008). It is truism that the hope of any society being it traditional or modern, micro or macro largely depends on its honest and dedicated youths who are free from all evils that disrupt the entire fabric of the system.
In view of the ever increasing incidence of examination malpractices and the problems associated with the conduct of examination in Colleges of Education in Nigeria, this study was undertaken to look into the various type, causes effects and management of the menace. Thus, the management of examination malpractices in Nigeria Colleges of Education largely depends on the school leadership and the style employed, the role of examination malpractices committee (EMIC) and action taken by the Academic Board. Some scholars contend that the school heads must handle the problem of examination malpractices not only using appropriate styles but at the right time or rather act quickly. Studies show that if problems are not handled in good or appropriate time, it will get worse and if allowed unchecked may reached an extremely difficult or dangerous point.
Statement of the Problem
In recent time more than any other time in the history of this country, the prevalence of examination malpractices have assumed an alarming trend. The situation is so ugly that hardly you read newspapers, attend conference or go on internet without coming across issues rose on examination malpractices. The situation has also become so bad that our national and local mass media indirectly support and encourages examination malpractices by allowing people to advertise the phenomenon on the pages of their papers or radio and television (Nasiru, 2009).
The advertisement is in the form of school (mostly private) inviting students to come, write examination in their schools, and pass in one sitting. The question commonly asked here is how does one pass an examination by just registering and writing exams in the school? The possibility of such candidate or all those registered with the school, passing at a single sitting as advertise, is not that the entire students were so intelligent nor is it through training and hard work but the truth is through cheating. An investigation by THIS DAY revealed that certain secondary schools in Kaduna have become centre of excellence, where one can register for WAEC, NECO, or SSCE and determine the number of credits one wants, with full assurance that this will happen at the end of the day (Reuben, 2008). The truth is that so many schools in different part of the country are involved in this act. Hence such schools charged exorbitantly, tagged as ‘cooperation fees’ or ‘settlement fees’ in order to have surplus fund that will meet up the expenses of bribing external examiners or invigilators, as claimed by such school proprietors. According to Reuben (2008) that with the payment of stipulated amount, once question paper comes to such schools, it is solved by the teachers, quickly photocopied and distributed table by table to all the students that paid. In addition textbooks and any other relevant materials have free access into such exam hall.
Also it is in Nigeria that due to lawlessness, people go about freely discussing how they cheated or were helped to cheat in examination in their various centers. In some other examination centers answers are photocopied and given to students to copy free. The freedom has gone to the extent that some invigilators or their agents copy answers for candidate on the black board. Hence,
you discover in recent time students with the support of their parents from public schools rush to such private schools to pay and register at the rate of twenty five thousand (N25, 000.00) to thirty thousand (N30, 000.00) instead of the official government rate of five thousand naira (N5, 000.00) to seven thousand Naira (N7, 000.00) charged by public schools (Reuben, 2008). These students also ignore the sponsorship offered to indigene students in public schools by most northern states government; simply because of their belief that such private centers provide automatic ticket for them to get the minimum of 5 credits and above including mathematic and English. Little wonder, therefore, that students with such a very good result find it extremely difficult to pass ordinary JAMB or post UME examinations in our various universities and polytechnics.
Similarly, examination malpractices increased tremendously in colleges of education. Most Academic Board of Colleges of Education receives cases of students’ involvement in different forms of examination malpractices almost after every semester. Such reports were presented to Academic Board through Examination Malpractices Committee (EMIC). In some colleges EMIC is centralized while in other colleges the committee is decentralized so that each school in the college has its EMIC which report to the Dean of the school who in turn report to the Academic Board for consideration and final approval.
It is then obvious that examination malpractices and its management is complex. It is indeed complex because it has to do with managing inappropriate behavior that involves many interested groups within and outside the College. More importantly collecting evidences or facts of such misbehavior is not an easy task as some candidates swallow cheat notes to escape prosecution. For instance a case was reported of an engineering student from Calabar polytechnic caught copying from a foolscaps almost chocked to death as he was swallowing it in an attempt to destroy evidences (News watch, 1991). This is one out of so many episodes happening in Nigerian schools. Experiences and researches shows that student use so many tactics in an attempt to destroy evidences of examination malpractices such as running away from the examination Hall with the
script, cheats notes or washing of the body parts that contained cheat data/information, threatening invigilators with death not to disclose the cheat materials, and many other ways (Ivor, 2008). Candidates also successfully accomplished their aim with special support within the school by corrupt teachers, administrators, examination officers, messenger etc, and from outside the school by candidate friends, and parents or relatives.
Therefore, the concern expressed by the public on the implication of this practice in many part of the country and the rate at which candidates become involved, in addition to many years invigilation experience of the researcher, motivated the research to analyze different types, causes and effects of examination malpractices from the managerial perspectives. This attempt is to dig out the bases of the problem from the grassroot, the approaches adopted by the colleges Academic Board in dealing with such cases in order to identify the nature and reasons behind examination malpractices in Nigeria Colleges of Education.
Thus, this investigation was conducted to find out the types and causes, effects, and the management of examination malpractices in Nigeria Colleges of Education.
Objectives of the Study
The research objectives on Investigation Of The Widespread And Management Of Examination Malpractices In Nigeria Colleges of Education were tailored towards achieving the following:
identify various forms of examination malpractices in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria;
examine the causes of examination malpractices in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria;
determine the effects of examination malpractices on students’ future performances in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria;
assess the management of examination malpractices in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria; and
find out the challenges in the management of examination malpractices in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone,
Research Questions
Based on the objectives of the study, the following research questions offer direction to the researcher in carrying out the study:
What are the various forms of examination malpractices in colleges in North West Geo – Political Zone, Nigeria?
What are the causes of examination malpractices in colleges of education in North West Geo
–Political Zone, Nigeria?
What are the effects of examination malpractices on students’ performance in colleges of education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria?
What are the various approaches used in managing examination malpractices in colleges of education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria?
What are the challenges in the management of examination malpractices in Colleges of Education in North West Geo –Political Zone, Nigeria?
Adult education is the art and science of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the work place through extension school or school of continuing education. Other learning places include community colleges, folk high schools and life-long learning centers. The purpose o f the study was to investigate the Gender difference and enrollment in adult literacy programmes. The following objectives guided the study. To establish whether the social-cultural gender roles influence adult learner-enrolment in the adult basic education programmes, to establish the attitudes of both male and female adult learners to adult basic education programmes and their influence on enrolment; to examine the teaching and learning resources used in adult basic education programmes and their influence on enrolment, to find out whether the gender-mix education influence adult learner enrolment in the adult basic education programmes, to examine the appropriateness of teaching content used in adult basic education programmes and their influence on enrolment. The theoretical framework that guided the study was based on the curriculum implementation theory propounded by Gross (1971). The dysfunctional theory states that any educational programme brings in mind the question of learning resources teachers training, teaching resources, learning facilities, attitudes o f the learners and the content covered. The study employed the use of simple random sampling to select the adult learners who were interviewed. The study sample comprised o f 10 adult education centres, 40 adult learners, 10 adult education teachers, and 3 District Adult Education Supervisors. The research instruments used in this study were questionnaires and interview schedules. A pilot study was taken to establish the instrument validity. To ascertain the reliability o f the instrument the test -retest technique was used. The findings of the study , teaching and learning resources are not adequate, most of the adult learners are female and have positive attitude towards adult basic education. The social – cultural factors was the leading factors for gender disparity. Theoretically the research was expected to contribute to the advancement of the knowledge about gender sensitive curriculum development by the Kenya Institute o f Education. The data was analyzed using Statistical software and presented using frequency tables, pie chart and bar chart. The study concluded that there is a widespread and systematic gender parity in enrollment of adults in literacy centers and was being caused by several factors such as lack of teaching and learning resources. The research recommends that adult education literacy programmes should be restructured to suit the learners needs and equip them with relevant skills and knowledge. The government should also employ more trained teachers. This could help to boost enrolment of adult learners and in areas where male learners do not want to share a class with female learners separate classes or different days should be put in place to cater for all. The following were suggestions for further study. The study needs to be carried out to xiv ascertain how best adult basic education programmes can be structured so as to realize vision 2030 and attain over 90 percent literacy levels in the country. A qualitative approach using a larger sample should also be used to find out whether it will elicit different results.
Gender difference and enrollment in adult literacy programmes
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOW ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOW ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN IMO STATE
CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
According to Hornby(2008), science is the knowledge about the structure and behavior of natural and physical world based on facts that can be proved. Science is the study of natural phenomena and is distinguished from other fields because it relies on the hypothetical, deductive and experimental approach.
Ali(2004), defined science as that which is concerned with nature with regards to developing, acquiring and controlling knowledge, skills, capacity and attitude about natural factors of the environment. According to Hyacinth(2004), Science in its broadest scene refers to all human activities involving organized knowledge of natural phenomena. It also refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. Here, system means using observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. According to Okon, (2003), Science education has a prime position in the development of any nation. This is because the whole universe revolves around Science. According to Odoh, (2013), science and technology have been seen as the surest way in the promotion of economic development, alleviation or eradication of poverty, and introduction of social welfare in any country. According to Ali (2004) stated that chemistry has been identified as one of the major branches of science physical science.
As a core science subject, a proper teaching of chemistry in secondary schools facilitate students enrollment into many disciplines like nursing, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, engineering, geology etc. Chemistry is a subject that deals with the composition, structure and properties of matter.
It is binded up with things around us either physically or chemically. Its combination in nature can be separated by the different methods o separation. They are often represented by symbols which are the chemical equations. Chemistry has many use to man. It is used in the industry like the petrochemical industry, phamacitical industry, paint and plastic industry etc. infact, it is widely and industrially used in our everyday life.
Yet, inspite of all the benefits derived from chemistry, students performance at the senior secondary school certificate examination in the last few decades is till low.
These poor performances in chemistry have made some researchers to study the problem with the hope of finding the causes and possible solutions.
According to Ali (2008), science education at all levels is played by very many kinds of problems which includes, under funding of science education, lack of adequate and appropriate instructional materials, lack of equipments, method of teaching, inadequate trained science and qualified teachers and dilapidated laboratories buildings. These problems lead to serious educational setbacks which invariably leads to low attitude rate of secondary schools science achievement in Nigeria.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of current English edition, it defined attitude as the way of feeling, thinking of behaving towards something or somebody. Ifeakor (2014), expressed the importance of attitude, station that feeling is as real, important and a part of nature as much as knowing the further noted that how a person feel is almost more important to others than what he knows. Attitude therefore can be positive or negative towards stimuli.
Gardner, (2005), Munby (2014) Ormerod and Duckworth (2009), all opined that the development of a positive attitude to science and scientific process is among the major aims of science teaching. They are of the opinion that promotion of favorable attitude to science is an important aim of science education. In harmony with the above, Klopfer (2007), provide a comprehensive classification scheme or science education aims using six different categories of attitudinal aims. These he called Test Of Science Related Attitude (TOSRA).
Fraser (2010), said TOSRA is used for examining the performance of groups of classes of students to provides information about changes in attitude at a particular time.
However, most of the research works were done outside Nigeria. The little one done in Nigeria, lay much emphasis on geographical location, disease, culture, socio-economic status of parents especially in the rural areas, gender problem and home background environmental problems. Among all these factors identified, influence the students’ attitude to the study of chemistry.
Therefore, some factors has been identified to influence student’s attitude to the study of chemistry.
Etesike and Nnamani, (2006) quoting from Ukungwu, (2003) defined Chemistry as a branch of physical Science that studies the composition, structure, properties and changes which matter undergo. Chemistry is chiefly concerned with atoms and molecules and their interactions and transformations, for example, the properties of the chemical bonds formed between atoms to create chemical compounds. As such, chemistry studies the involvement of electrons and various forms of energy in photochemical reactions, oxidation-reduction reactions, changes in phases of matter, and separation of mixtures. Preparation and properties of complex substances, such as alloys, polymers, biological molecules, and pharmaceutical agents are considered in specialized fields of chemistry. Fab (2014) opines that Chemistry has been identified to be one of the important subjects needed for the sustenance and transformation of the national economy, and hence should be accorded adequate attention
According to Ezeudu(2012), a good Background knowledge in Chemistry Education will not only make the graduates teachers, Lecturers or Professors in Chemistry but will go a long way to make them self reliant through the acquisition of some basic entrepreneurial skills and pedagogical principles. The graduates of chemistry can go into soap production, fertilizer production, paint production, production of Germicides , production of perfumes, production of pomades , Herbicides to mention but a few. Oriaifo(2002) while stressing the importance of chemistry education noted that chemistry equips the learner with specific knowledge skills and attitude which enables him/her become useful to him/herself and the society at large. In Nigeria, chemistry as a subject occupies a prominent position in the nation’s secondary and tertiary curriculum. At the secondary level of education, a credit pass in chemistry is a pre-requisite for students to further their studies in fields like Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Engineering, Home Economics, Biological Science and other science related fields of Endeavour.
Chemistry do not just start and end in the classroom or school as often perceived, phenomenon in chemistry are practiced in our day to day lives in and outside the school. Okon (2012), identified some of the home chemistry practices as the process of heating (cooking/warming) of our food, the process of washing our cloths with soap or detergents, addition of limestone when cooking (eg beans, unripe plantain etc), the process of boiling grinded fresh tomato to allow the liquid to get dried, addition of salt to perishable food stuffs in other to preserve them, boiling and filtering of impure water to make it clean for drinking, the process of putting stainless steel spoon into meat while boiling, the process of separation of kerosene or petrol from water, the process of preparation of pap from grounded maize (corn), the process of spraying insecticides in the house to kill insects, the act of melting ice block into liquid water for the purpose of drinking, preparation of our African delicacy fufu, through cassava, the burning of materials in the presence of air (oxygen), the process of rusting of clean nail when it has been exposed to air and water (chemical change) etc. this is just to mention but a few. This goes to show that principles in chemistry are applied in our day to day activities even in our various homes. These principles are not just applied in our urban areas, even in our local villages chemistry is been practiced. For example, in most villages local soap is made from ashes of burnt plantain peels and used (or bleached) palm oil, quality drinking water has long been a problem in our local villages so most often people in the rural areas use alum to purify there drinking water, virtually all the different cooking practices in the local villages are based on chemistry phenomenon. Also chemistry knowledge, principles, concepts and facts have also helped in the development of appropriate technologies in military, Food preservation, Building, Petroleum, road Construction, transportation to mention but a few. Also our country that is mostly dependent on oil for its Revenue can boast her economy through the encouragement of chemistry education because a background in chemistry know as Organic chemistry has a lot to say about the various ways which petroleum and it bye products could be utilized.
Contrary to these benefits which could be driven from chemistry education, many evidences have been put forward to illustrate the fact that there is a serious decline in student’s enrolment in chemistry education in colleges of Education in IMO State in comparison to other science courses. In support of this, evidence which the researcher obtained from the admission office of Federal college of Education Eha-amufu the following data to show as the admitted number of students between 2009 – 2017.
Session
Biology
Integrated science
Computer
Chemistry
2009-2010
102
175
30
42
2010-2011
100
154
36
18
2011-2012
120
209
45
36
2012-2013
156
270
60
54
2013-2014
170
303
75
58
2014-2015
175
320
90
48
2015-2016
180
395
106
70
2016-2017
186
410
150
66
Source: admission office FCE Eha- Amufu
From the above sample it can be observed that between 2009-2010 the enrolment in Biology education has increased from 102 to 186 that of Integrated science from 175-410, that of Computer increased from 30 to 150 while that of Chemistry has only increased from 42-95 which shows a very slow increase on the side of chemistry education or could be said to be stagnant over the years. Also from the table it can be observed that unlike other departments, the enrolment have been dwindling over the years for instance from 2009-2011 it decreased from 42 to 18 from 2009 to 2012 it dwindled from 42- 36 between 2013 to 2014 it dwindled from 58 to 48 and between 2015-2016 it decreased from 70-66 which shows that instead of inclining like other departments that of chemistry department has been suffering a serious dwindling over the years.
Eze,(2011) was of the opinion that the greatest factor that is responsible low enrolment of students in chemistry education in colleges of education is parental influence. According to Dubey (2008) parents attitude help to condition their parent attitude. Morish (2009) reported that a child whose parents have positive attitude to chemistry is bound to have positive attitude towards chemistry and students whose parents have negative attitude towards chemistry will also be influenced by their parents attitude. That is to say that parents prefer registering their children to other courses like law, mass communication and even if it is education they prefer courses like English as of the case of federal college of Education Eha-Amufu where students in other art related courses far larger in number than those offering chemistry education. Azigba (2012) listed some factors which account for low enrolment in chemistry education Nigeria, most of which are students perception of the subject matter of chemistry which he strongly believes that it is a common place fact that students perceive chemistry education as being so abstract, rigid, diverse, calculative, and brain storming. He went further to state that students’ low enrolment in chemistry education should be traced back to secondary schools where the foundations of chemistry education are being laid. He emphasized that in secondary schools we have shortage of chemistry teachers, lack of proper supply of laboratory facilities, the use of unsuitable method of teaching chemistry and low qualification of most chemistry teachers in secondary schools. Still on the factor responsible for low enrolment in various chemistry education Kalu (2014) opines that gender disparity is one of the greatest factors which affects students enrolment in chemistry education. He went further to state that people perceive chemistry education as being masculine in nature therefore this suggest the reasons while most people in various chemistry education are male while thousands of female enroll annually into other courses like English. He also suggests that another treat to students’ low enrolment in chemistry education is due to mirage and poor background knowledge of the students at the secondary level. Still on the factor that accounts for low enrolment of students in chemistry education, Ugwu: 2014, states that peer group has a great deal of influence on students’ choice of chemistry career. He went further to explain that most people enroll in other causes as a result of the kinds of friend they keep who prefer other causes which they regard as being non calculative in nature. He also stated that the most important factor leading to low enrolment of students in chemistry education is societal value accorded to chemistry education. Speaking on this, he stated that chemistry teachers are accorded no more value than a trader in the market. Thereby treating him with scorn and disdain and also he is given no place at the gathering of doctors, lawyers, and other stakeholders. Therefore such values are transcended down to the growing generation their by developing a big negative side towards chemistry education.
Statement of the Problem
It is felt that the low enrolment in chemistry education option in college of education in Nigeria today is something we should worry about because it poses a great threat to teachers’ education in Nigeria and consequently, the lack of chemistry teachers in our secondary schools. Okoro (2009) opines that if poor enrolment of students in chemistry educations is allowed to continue, it will reach a stage where no students will enroll in chemistry education in Nigeria colleges of education. Okon (2004) in his research findings indicated that students shy away from chemistry education as a result of a number of factors which does not augur well for a developing nation like ours and so many sectors of our economy will be severely affected. Could this low enrolment be as a result of parental influence that needs them away to other courses which they see as more lucrative? Or could it be from the poor background students’ knowledge of chemistry at the secondary level, or just due to the negative perception of the students towards chemistry? it is on this background that this research is being carried out to know if these factors among others like peer group influence and environmental influence are responsible for low enrolment in chemistry education in colleges of Education in IMO state.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to find out the various factors that are responsible for low students’ enrolment in chemistry education in colleges of education in IMO State Nigeria. Specifically, the study aims at finding out:
whether parental factor influence students enrolment in chemistry education
whether peer group influence affect students enrolment in chemistry education
whether students perception of chemistry influence students enrolment in chemistry education
If the background knowledge of student in chemistry affect their enrolment in chemistry education
If the social value attached to the subject matter of chemistry affects students enrolment in chemistry education
Significance of the Study
The study will be very useful to the students who are still contemplating whether to take chemistry as a career course. It will also encourage chemistry teachers to adopt the various method of teaching chemistry it will also be useful to counselors and parents in directing their wards towards making a rightful course career and finally encourage the government to supply adequate laboratory materials to Chemistry Department in colleges of education and to secondary schools chemistry laboratories to enable her achieve her educational objectives.
Scope of study
The research will be limited to three prominent Colleges of Education in IMO State one Federal, one state and one private which are Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Technical College of education, IMO, and The College of Education Nsukka. This area of study will be used to predict the factors responsible for low enrolment of students in colleges of education in IMO State.
Research Questions
Do parental factors influence students’ enrolment in chemistry education?
Does peer group influence affect students’ enrolment in chemistry education?
Does students’ perception of the subject matter of chemistry influence students enrolment in chemistry education?
How does the background knowledge of student in chemistry affect their enrolment in chemistry education?
Does social value attached to the subject matter of chemistry affect students’ enrolment in chemistry education?
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