Abstract
The study investigated the
factor affecting the performances of computer science students in Junior
Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu state. Four
research questions were formulated to guide the study. The questionnaires were
constructed by the researchers in line with the research questions. Ten schools
out of the fifteen schools in Enugu North Local Government Area were used for
the study. The population for the study were all computer teachers 1 each
from 5 schools and 2 each in 5 schools. They are all 15 in number. The entire
population of the teacher in the 10 schools were used because of their limited
number. The data collected was analyzed and presented using mean. Finally the
results expose that there is shortage of qualified teachers teaching the
subject “computer science”. The Government and schools do not provide
adequate instructional materials and computer laboratories facilities which
affect the learning of computer science in these schools. The government does
not award scholarship to computer teachers who have distinguished themselves in
excellent services. There are no standard text books for the teaching of
computer in the junior secondary schools in Enugu North. All these
factors affect the performance of the computer science students in the junior
secondary schools in Enugu North. Recommendations were made by the researchers
at the end and suggestions for further studies were also highlighted.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the
Study
Statement of the
Problem
Purpose of the
Study
Significance of the
Study
Scope of the
study
Research
Questions
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Shortage of Qualified Teachers
Inadequate Provision of
Teaching Aids and Computer
Laboratory
Facilities
Poor Teaching
Methods
Lack of Refresher Courses
(Seminars and Workshops)
Available ways of making the
teaching and learning of
Computer effective in the
secondary
schools
Summary of Related
Literature
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research
Design
Area of
Study
Population for
Study
Sampling and Sampling
Techniques
Instrument for Data Collection
Validation of the
Instrument
Method of Data
Collection
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF DATA ANALYSIS
OF
DATA
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION,
RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY
Discussion of
Findings
Restatement of the
Problem
Conclusions
Recommendations
Suggestion for Further
Studies
Summary
References
Appendix
I
Appendix
II
Appendix
III
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Nigeria has realized the importance of functional education for the good and
services of mankind. This realization is evidenced in the National Policy on
Education (FRN, 2004). Where it is emphasized that, the overall philosophy of
education in Nigeria among others should be directed to building a united,
strong and self reliant nation by educational activities being geared towards
scientific and technological progress. In the developing world, educational
policy are faced with a major task, how to create chances of success for all
children and their citizenry as a whole. It is essential to overcome the
problem of illiteracy, school failure and to improve the intellectual
capacities of the students. Education is the process of teaching, training and learning
especially in school or colleges to improve knowledge and develop skills.
Paulson-Ellis and White Church in (Eze 2002) stated that education is the
imparting and acquisition of knowledge designed to develop a broad range of
abilities, knowledge and skills of general application. Education is
concomitant with life, this is because there is education in virtually all
facets of life, this is because there is education in virtually all facets of
life, one continues to learn as long as he lives.
Okeke (2004:3) opined that,
“available literature on development of education attest to the fact that
education has been influenced by great thinkers, computer illiterate, law, forms of government, modes
of social life. A renowned Nigerian educationist and one time minister of
education, Prof. A. Babs Fafunwa defined education as “an aggregate of all the
process by means of which a person develops abilities, attitudes and other
forms of behaviour of positive value in the society in which he lives”. Fafunwa
reversed (2004:3).
The world is fast becoming a
global village due to the inter connectivity that exist between countries,
organizations government and other bodied as a result of development in
information and communication technology (ICT). According to Olagunfu (2003),
information technology is the integration of computer technology mainly in the
form of internet and information management. It provides opportunities for the
users to handle texts and images, numbers and graphs, sound and music as well
as enable them process information in the following ways: Storage and
analyzing; presenting and organization retrieving communication. In other
worlds, access to information and communication is increased through computer
basic technologies. A network of interconnectivity is known as the internet.
World Bank (2007) stated that the internet is a powerful tool for improving the
efficiency and quality of a wide range of public services especially education
and health. The internet is a resource where teachers and students can access
outstanding and current education-related books, journals, magazines
international conferences, workshops, invitations as well as information on
research focus and research grants. Computer-mediate communication is
increasing and becoming common usage for people for all walks of life in the
developed and developing countries. Computer is any devices that is capable of
accepting, storing and processing data and giving result out in form of
information in a specified format. Akukwe, (2003) defined it as an electronic
device that is capable of accepting, storing and processing data as well
outputting the result by following a set of instructions called a program as
well as an electro-mechanical information.
French (1992), defined computer
science as the application of scientific principles in designing, constructing
and maintaining the computer system. The scientific study of the theory
and practice of data and information, processing and knowledge of computer puts
and its functions is referred to as computer science because computer are not
only for storage device ad processing unit, but also helps student in excellent
communication media. They are the means to access the internet and also an
effective audio visual media. Computer can be used to access a vast knowledge
based on research for information over the internet means of documenting the
backbone management software that are part of computer system which helps the
student as a means of managing large amount of data. In most junior secondary
schools, student fail computer science very wells it has been noticed that a
large proportion of students fail computer science in their internal and
external examinations and as a result, they hardly attain the acceptable level
of good performance in their results. It has been claimed that the stumbling
blocks has always been their inability to master and pass computer. Unlike
other courses because of the internet difficulties associated with the learning
of the subject. Computer science is now being explored at all field of life
because the computer knowledge in universal and varied. In the fields of
research, engineering, business, medicine, communication, weather forecasting,
education, finance art, healthcare-delivery and indeed most areas of human
activities. The computer is an indispensable tool. The knowledge of the
computer and the ability to use the computer has become so important and
widespread that it has come to be an integral fact of education and literacy.
Yet computer science education and literacy are lacking among many of our young
boys and girls, as well as men and women today.
Computer science seems to be
difficult to the secondary school students who are not very familiar with
computer or who have never used it or even seen it. Some students who
have even seen the computer have a narrow or even wrong notion of what it is,
or what it can do. It is therefore very necessary to teach and educate our
young boys and girls on computer science especially in our secondary schools.
To prepare the young ones for the new demands of modern technological world
there is need to improve computer science knowledge, applications and skills of
the students. Many factors seem to being attributed to be part of the problems
that students encounter in the learning computer science. These according to
Okorie (2000) emphasized that, student lack interest in learning computer
science simply because the tools or equipment use in teaching student are not
provided and these includes:
a)
Lack of qualified teacher
b)
Poor learning environment among others etc.
Based on the above premises,
the researchers were therefore spurred into finding out the factors that affect
students’ performance in learning of computer science in the Junior Secondary
Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
Statement of the Problem:
For some years now, certain
factors have bee affecting the performances of computer science education
students in junior secondary schools. Njoku (1999) highlighted that non
provision of the necessary infrastructure to secondary school student have
become a setback towards effective teaching and learning. Ukeje (1996)
buttressed the argument by saying that schools are in short supply of classroom
teaching resources and also practically everything connected to the teaching
and learning and these among other things are contributing factors to student’s
poor performance in junior secondary school subjects.
Effects have been made to bring
positive results from the teaching and learning of computer education in Junior
Secondary Schools but effective learning has not been achieved. This is also
another factor why the teaching of computer science is still concentrated at
junior secondary schools in all the secondary schools in Enugu North Local
Government Area. The society have seen the importance of computer education in
resent times and efforts are being made to see what could be done to remove all
the factors that affect the students performances almost in all Nigerian
Secondary Schools, so that technological achievement and advancement
aspired by many nations can be achieved in Nigeria. It is therefore
necessary to ascertain those factors that affect the performances of computer
science students in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government
Area of Enugu State.
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of the study are:
1)
To find out if there are shortage of qualified teachers in Junior Secondary
Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area.
2)
To find out if there are adequate provision of instructional materials and
computer laboratories facilities.
3)
To ascertain the teaching methods used in teaching the students.
4)
To know if refresher courses are organized for teachers.
Significance of the Study:
The importance of the study,
this if effectively carried out will be beneficial to the students, the
teachers, the school authorities, and the government. The result of the study
would help the students to discover how they contributed towards the factors
that affect their performances and it would help them to change from the
obnoxious ways of behaviour that affect computer science education adversely.
The result of the study would
help the teachers to know the areas they need extra effort for maintaining
effective teaching and learning of computer science and improve such
situations.
The school authorities from the
result of the study will know those areas that contribute to ineffective
teaching and learning of computer science education and would work towards
improving the situation.
The result of the study will
help the government to know the factors affecting the students’ performances in
secondary schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State. Such
knowledge would help the government in the provision of infrastructures and
instructional materials to improve the teaching and learning of computer
science.
Scope of the study:
The study is limited to
identifying the problems or factors affecting the performances of Computer
Science Student in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government
Area of Enugu State.
Research Questions:
1.
Are there shortage of qualified teachers for the teaching of Computer Science
in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu
State?
2.
Does inadequate provision of instructional materials and computer laboratories
facilities affect the learning of Computer Science in Junior Secondary Schools
in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State?
3.
What methods affect the teaching and learning of Computer Science in Junior
Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State?
4.
Does government organize refresher courses for teachers of computer science?
Department | Education |
Project ID Code | EDU0134 |
Chapters | 5 Chapters |
No of Pages | 74 pages |
Methodology | Descriptive |
Reference | YES |
Format | Microsoft Word |
Price | ₦4000, $15 |
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Contact Us On | +2347043069458 |